Why Nostalgia Is One of the Most Powerful Marketing Tools
One of my favourite marketing lessons didn't come from a textbook, a conference, or even one of our own activations.
It came from a dad, a little boy, and a can of Tahiti Treat.
A few years ago, we were part of an end-of-year school celebration. Our Cotton Candy Cart was set up in one area of the event, while I was working on the Candy Truck a little further away. As it usually happens, a line quickly formed, and kids were carefully deciding which candy they wanted while parents stood back and let them take their time.
One little boy climbed up the steps to the service window and rested his hands on the ledge while he looked over all of the different candy and novelty drinks. His dad stood beside him, letting him choose. Then everything changed.
His dad suddenly looked past all of the candy and excitedly said, "Oh my gosh... is that Tahiti Treat?"
We laughed and told him it absolutely was. What happened next is the part I've never forgotten. He immediately started telling us how it had been his favourite drink growing up. He couldn't believe they still made it. He hadn't seen it in years. He didn't even know where to find it anymore. For the next few minutes, the little boy wasn't the only one choosing something sweet. His dad was too!
Standing beside his son, completely transported back to being a kid himself.
That interaction lasted only a couple of minutes, but I've thought about it countless times since, and we talk about it fondly because it perfectly captures something we've learned after doing this for over a decade. People don't connect with products nearly as much as they connect with the memories those products bring back.
That's one of the reasons we love working with candy.
Every event reminds us that behind every favourite flavour is a story waiting to be told.
Connection Always Comes Before Conversation
When people think about event marketing, they often focus on grabbing attention.
Attention certainly matters, but we've found it's only the beginning. The experiences people remember are usually the ones that gave them a reason to interact with someone else.
We see that happen every time we build a nostalgic candy buffet. Someone spots a candy they haven't seen in years and immediately starts telling a story. It might be about spending allowance money at the neighbourhood convenience store, stopping for candy after hockey practice, or finding the exact same treat at their grandparents' house (shout out to those candies wrapped up to look like a strawberry!). Before long, someone standing nearby joins the conversation because they remember it too.
One story naturally leads to another. By the time guests have filled their bags, they've often shared memories with people they had never spoken to before. It's fascinating to watch because the candy itself hasn't changed. The only thing that's changed is the conversation happening around it.
That same pattern appears in almost every activation we offer, even though each one creates connection in a completely different way.
The Best Experiences Give People Something to Share
One of my favourite examples of this is our Candy Persona activation.
People walk up expecting to choose a personality that sounds like them and receive a curated candy mix to match. It's fun, colourful, and surprisingly accurate, but the real magic happens after they've made their choice.
Almost immediately, coworkers begin comparing results. Friends decide they know each other better than they know themselves. Someone insists another person picked the wrong personality, and before long an activity that started with one person has turned into a conversation involving five.
It's never really about whether the personality was "right." It's about giving people something they genuinely want to talk about.
We see something similar during our Blind Candy Tastings, although the conversation starts for an entirely different reason. Before we begin, I always tell people they're about to participate in a marketing experience. Then we ask everyone to close their eyes.
Watching those reactions never gets old. Someone confidently guesses cola because the candy feels like a bottle. Someone else discovers they actually enjoy a flavour they've avoided for years because they experienced it without colour or expectation leading the way. The guesses are entertaining, but they're not my favourite part.
The conversations afterward are.
People leave wondering why their brains were so certain, comparing answers with one another, and realizing just how much memory shapes the way we experience something as simple as candy. That's a conversation they usually continue long after the tasting is over.
Nostalgia Isn't About Looking Back
I think nostalgia sometimes gets misunderstood.
People often think it's about reliving the past, but after watching thousands of interactions over the years, I don't think that's what makes it so powerful. Nostalgia gives people common ground.
It reminds us of familiar places, favourite treats, family traditions, and little moments we'd almost forgotten. Those memories make people smile, but they also make people talk. They create a shared experience between someone remembering a childhood favourite and someone hearing that story for the very first time.
That's exactly why nostalgic experiences work so well at trade shows, employee appreciation events, conferences, and community celebrations.
People arrive expecting candy. They leave remembering conversations.
Whether it's rediscovering a can of Tahiti Treat, laughing through a Blind Candy Tasting, comparing Candy Personas, or sharing stories around a nostalgic candy buffet, the products simply become the starting point. The real takeaway is the connection they created.
Candy Science
Did you know...
- Research has found that nostalgic memories can increase feelings of social connection and positive emotion, making people more likely to engage with those around them.
- Smell is one of the strongest triggers of autobiographical memory, which helps explain why certain candies and drinks can instantly transport us back to a specific moment in our lives.
- Interactive experiences are remembered more vividly than passive ones because our brains retain experiences we actively participate in.
- The emotions attached to an experience often become stronger than the details themselves, which is why people tend to remember how an event made them feel long after they've forgotten everything that happened.
Keep Exploring
If this article sparked a few ideas, here are a few experiences where connection naturally takes centre stage.
Blind Candy Tasting
Candy Persona Activation
Custom Candy Buffets
The Bottom Line
One thing I love most about this job is being reminded that the smallest moments often leave the biggest impression.
I still think about that dad who came over to help his son choose a treat and unexpectedly found himself choosing one too, not because of the drink itself, but because of everything it represented. For a few minutes, he wasn't simply buying a novelty beverage. He was reliving a memory he hadn't thought about in years, and sharing it with his son at the exact same time.
Here's something we've learned after doing this for over a decade: the most memorable marketing isn't always about creating something people have never seen before. Sometimes it's about helping them remember something they forgot they loved.
And when that memory turns into a conversation, you've created something far more valuable than a giveaway.
You've created a connection.
