When it comes to advertising, one of the most reliable tools is nostalgia. Regarded as a sentimental longing for the past, this emotion is among the most powerful that we can experience. It has been shown that ads with nostalgic elements are perceived as more enjoyable than those without, and they also enhance emotional connection. Across industries from beer to technology, these are the campaigns that have looked back while moving forward.
Miller Lite’s Recent Campaigns
In 2024, the beer company Miller Lite revived its “Great Taste, Less Filling” campaign, which first debuted in 1975. The original campaign featured 15 celebrities and sports figures from that era, including Bob Uecker (baseball) and Bubba Smith (football). It challenged the idea that light beer, a new type of beverage at the time, had less flavor than regular beer. The campaign also sparked a debate over whether Miller Lite was either “great tasting” or “less filling.” Using well-known personalities helped Miller Lite establish itself as a credible alcoholic beverage that’s lower in calories but full of flavor.
In the most recent iteration, athletes JJ Watt (football), Mia Hamm (soccer), and Reggie Miller (basketball) star in a series of commercials to bring the “Great Taste, Less Filling” campaign to a new audience. It also serves as a refresher for older audiences, allowing them to reflect on their memories of previous ads while experiencing a new interpretation.
But that’s not all Miller Lite did with nostalgia. To celebrate their 50th anniversary, they released a television ad featuring real photographs taken with the beer across five decades. At the end of the spot, the beer can is front and center, its appearance transformed by the various designs it has undergone since its inception to its current look.
Intel Inside
Intel, a corporation that manufactures and sells computers, had a well-known 1990s campaign called “Intel Inside.” It featured commercials of home computers labeled with an “Intel Inside” sticker to indicate the power and overall capability of Intel processing technology. The ads presented a highly stylized view of the computer’s insides, featuring electric voltage being emitted, as well as a library lined with books. The timing of the campaign coincided with the rise in home computer adoption rates.
Fast forward to 2025, and the campaign has been revitalized. With the idea that “Intel ignites the greatness within,” the company released a brand anthem video emphasizing the greatness inside us as a superpower and Intel’s ability to help us unleash it. By nodding to the original “Intel Inside” messaging of the 90s, they keep one foot in the past and another in the present, playing back to their history while moving forward.
Motorola’s RAZR Cell Phone
In the early to mid-2000s, cell phones adopted a “flip phone” design, where the device’s outer casing could be opened to reveal a keypad to make calls and text. One of the most popular brands at the time was the Motorola RAZR, with lifetime sales of over 130 million units. The RAZR became a symbol of 2000s culture, known for its stylish and trendy design, as well as its TV commercials to match. However, its popularity declined over time, especially after the release of touch-based phones from Apple and Samsung.
Motorola brought back the phone for a new generation in 2020, maintaining its foldability from past models, along with a touch screen interface that is now standard on most phones. The commercial campaign promoting this new model features an old RAZR surrounded by quintessential 2000s staples, including compact discs and a portable CD player, before the phone literally sheds its skin to achieve its modern form. It’s a visual acknowledgement of its 2000s history alongside period-specific iconography as the RAZR launched into a new era.
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