Super Mario Bros Movie: The Business of nostalgia
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No one knows the business of nostalgia better than Hollywood, which continues to prove there’s no business like nostalgia.
Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” a poster child for a resurgence of ’80s pop culture, has led the way with its “Goonies”-esque sci-fi romp. A “Roseanne” spinoff became one of 2018’s most-watched TV shows. “Dynasty” found its way back on the air. “Top Gun” got a sequel. Queen’s greatest hits reemerged with the big-screen success of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Even Sylvester Stallone is starring in a new “Rambo” film out in theaters.
The latest in the business of nostalgia is Super Mario Bros. We feel like this is a teachable moment. How can you use nostalgia to increase sales and connect with your audience. We all have a super mario bro story that touches home. From the music, ring tones, and video games. I could not help but remember my favorite Marios Movie the original super Mario bros classic.
Return to a simpler time
In Steve Olenski’s “Nostalgia Sells: Capitalizing On The Desire For Simpler Times” (Forbes, Aug. 4, 2016), Olenski quotes Gregory Carpenter, a professor at the Kellogg School of Management:
“People become especially nostalgic when they are anxious about the present, and, especially, the future. The past is safe because it is completely predictable. Connecting with the past through familiar, loved brands transports people to another time by evoking the same feelings they experienced so long ago.”
When looking back on the sorts of things that one enjoyed while younger, it’s easy to remember a time before bills beckoned and home repairs loomed; a time before children pulled at yoga pants when Saturdays meant sleeping in and going to the mall, not doing yardwork and coaching soccer games.
Even if they weren’t fans of Transformers when the original cartoon aired, many people will still head out to see the Transformers movies because they are a leftover reminder of their childhood. Any brand that provides the individual with a connection to childhood – to that simpler time – can be a source of the type of nostalgia that leads to sales for that company.
