Put on your bell-bottoms, grab your Tamagotchi, and head to the movies to watch “The Little Mermaid,” “Indiana Jones,” or some other retro film that is making this the summer of nostalgia.
From the movie “Barbie” to a purple milkshake from McDonald’s in honor of Grimace’s 52nd anniversary, the number of retro products and entertainment is enormous this year – stirring memories and filling the cash registers of production companies.
Gen Zers and millennials, whom marketers call “kidults,” apparently can’t get enough of food, fashion, and movie franchises that remind them of their childhood.
“Transformers,” “Indiana Jones,” “Barbie,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” will all be on cinema screens in the coming weeks, not to mention “Super Mario Bros” and “Little Mermaid,” which have already been released.
Shortly after the launch of the adult Happy Meal in October, McDonald’s is rolling out a “nerdy birthday meal” – a Big Mac or 10-piece McNuggets, plus fries and a purple shake with a berry flavor.
“The pandemic caused a lot of dislocation, and nostalgia is kind of an anchor,” says Neil Saunders, managing director of retail at data analytics firm GlobalData.
“There may be a lot of negative feelings about the present, especially regarding technology and the economy – nostalgic products are a small relief from that.”
Companies seem to be following the same playbook: “what’s old is what’s new.”
Remember Count Chocula and Franken Berry cereals? General Mills thought so: Monsters Cereals, which debuted in 1971, will return to retailers nationwide later this summer.
Ready to wear pink to get in the mood for the upcoming Barbie movie? Gap knows that. Its “Gap X Barbie” collection allows you to get ready for the release date on July 21, with pink sweatshirts, sunglasses, and even roller skates.
In short: from the current revival of the miniskirt to Count Chocula and his friends to the Ninja Turtles, there’s something this summer for people who grew up in nearly every generation.
Source: Axios