A Blast From the Past: PlayStation Gets Nostalgic

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Looking for a way to get people hooked on your story? Just make them wish they were a kid again. This was PlayStation’s latest tactic in the launch of their ad campaign for a new game: Star Wars Battlefront. Deemed the Ad of the Day by AdWeek this past Tuesday, the commercial takes you through every stage of your childhood Star Wars fandom (lightsaber battles included, of course).

Following the release of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie trailer during this week’s Monday night football, PlayStation took viewers one step further back into kid-dom. And we think it worked.

Aside from Star Wars being an ultimate classic to those of us “vintage” enough to have caught the originals come through theaters, the Playstation ad speaks to all generations, cultivating that nostalgic feeling of playing pretend as a child. From Halloween dress-up to the (more adult) feeling of wishing you could hop on a hovercraft and fly out of work on a slow day – PlayStation’s got it covered.

Not only has the gaming company recreated relatable and iconic moments with the advertisement, but they have also launched a supplement to the campaign: a purchasable bundle package featuring a one-of-a-kind PS4 system branded with Darth Vader and the Star Wars logo.

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All right, let’s bring it “back” to the future. Using feelings of nostalgia as a marketing tactic is a creative way to get people emotionally involved, and translating that campaign idea across all product platforms (as PlayStation did with their branded repackaging) only serves to further generate feelings of commitment and the desire to come back for more. Plus, who doesn’t love a good reason to celebrate #TBT!? Consumer’s value feeling connected to brands, and a blast from the past connects them to the “good ol’ days” and – when the endeavor is successful – to the brand itself.