“But you weren’t there!” – Effects of historical nostalgia on young consumers

Purpose This study investigated young consumer experience of historical nostalgia, which is characterised by a longing for non-personal or pre-lived experiences. The data shows that self-identified historical nostalgia shapes consumption experiences when the scope of nostalgia marketing is expanded to include those without personal experience. By modelling historical nostalgia as a form of experience, the research contributes to nostalgia theory by demonstrating how historical nostalgia operates across affective, sensory and experiential dimensions within marketing contexts. Design/methodology/approach Using the experience economy framework, qualitative in-depth interview data were collected from 20 young participants. The participants’ experiences were analysed and coded for themes. Findings Shaped by diverse and nuanced feelings, historical nostalgia was revealed to have a significant impact on various consumption experiences. These attitudes are enhanced when the media engenders nostalgic sentiments, amplifying romanticisation and facilitating emotional attachments. Visual elements are triggers for historical nostalgia as participants also expressed an inclination to idealisation in cultivating positive attachments, motivating consumption and supporting escapism tendencies. Marketers can leverage both idealisation and visual cues to boost historical nostalgia and stimulate hedonic consumption. Originality/value The use of general nostalgia continues to gain traction in marketing theory, particularly experiential marketing. However, this study connects the idealisation of the past with attitudes to conscious consumption, a connection yet to be made in studies on historical nostalgia. In addition, this research leads to specific directions on how to craft and trigger nostalgic consumer sentiment with idealisation in practice by presenting a bridge model of historical nostalgia.