5 nostalgic ads that taught industry players about marketing

A powerful ad has the ability to not only tug at your heartstrings but also be etched into your memory. We have all had jingles or a scene from an ad that stuck with us despite growing up and that speaks volumes about the ad's effectiveness. According to the "B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report" by the Content Marketing Institute, 61% of B2C marketers expect their 2022 content marketing budget to exceed the amount in 2021. Video is also the top predicted area of content marketing investment (72%) this year.

In this digital age, it is even more crucial for brands to cut through the clutter with out of the box ads, especially on video. At the same time, ads of the past would have sparked epiphanies in marketers today, leading them to use those ads as sources of inspiration for their work. As such, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out to five marketers to find out which is that one ad that not only invokes nostalgia but also taught them about marketing.

Eddie Teng, head of marketing, ASUS Singapore

When it comes to iconic and nostalgic ads, the "Growing Up" TVC by Scott Emulsion Cod Liver Oil is definitely the one. In a time where jingle marketing is the thing, Scott Emulsion successfully built its awareness amongst parents and kids back then with a jingle that people now still can remember its lyrics by. Since then, I am always intrigued by how impactful an ad can be to an individual with the right formula. It is also this ad that taught me the importance of structuring your communications around your key marketing message.

Fernie Jasmine Abdul Ghani, head of group strategic communications and marketing, Axiata Group

The one ad that invokes nostalgia for me is “Tan Hong Ming”, an ad by PETRONAS that was aired in conjunction with Malaysia’s Independence Day in 2007. It brings me back to my primary school days when life was simpler and all the differences that would divide us later in adulthood didn’t seem to exist or at least didn’t seem so apparent.

That ad taught me something about marketing that has only become truer today. When communicating an idea, authenticity and simplicity works. Especially in today’s post-pandemic world, people look to brands to be transparent and genuine. There is no need to hide behind the surrealism of a perfect world. The world isn’t perfect, we know that. Instead, be real, champion something, and make an impact.

Linda Hassan, group CMO, Domino's Pizza Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia

Many of us remember the heart-warming festive advertisements by the late Yasmin Ahmad that stole hearts and had us waiting in anticipation for the next festival, just to get a taste of her genius. Her instrumental work for PETRONAS' series for Merdeka and festive ads set the trend for brands to appeal to the rakyat through the main theme of strength in unity and diversity.

The thought-provoking ads allowed us to examine ourselves and each other to cultivate more harmonious living in multicultural Malaysia. This has shaped my view of how brands become essential while connecting to consumers in meaningful ways.

Joyce Tan, marketing director, UNIQLO Singapore

For me, a nostalgic ad would be M1's "I'm walking on sunshine". The best content communicates a unique proposition that addresses customer wants through a distinctive brand voice – The Sun icon – symbolising its near-complete 99.9% network coverage, cheerful orange hue, coupled with the uplifting song by Katrina & The Waves. That's the perfect recipe for building a successful, well-loved underdog brand. Here's a shout out to my then mentor, David Tang of DDB Worldwide. It's still one of the best brands I've worked on.

Timothy Johnson, director of marketing, UNITAR

There are many iconic ads that I recall growing up as a kid in the 80’s and 90’s and one of my favourites is still this Carlsberg ad.

Carlsberg’s jingle was widely used across all mediums, be it on TV, cinema or radio. Along with it, "The Long Cool Dane" was such a memorable tagline. And this was the power of a jingle that I later used in my career in Nestlé Ice-Cream as well as in INTI. A jingle used consistently creates an impression for a brand that allows it to resonate across the years if used consistently. Think Mat Kool, Paddle Pop as jingles that have stood the test of time.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Content 360 is back for its 10th year! Running from 26 to 27 April 2022, the hybrid conference covers topics including the creator economy, value-based storytelling strategy, consumable content on social, as well as video and community content. Register today to learn, connect and level up with the best content marketers in Asia!