Trend Report: Consumers continue to crave time travel

Some of the most popular toys this holiday season weren’t modern electronics. In fact, finding its place at the top of toy lists was the Go Glam Nail Stamper Kit for tweens, proving that nostalgia and, specifically, analog engagement, has not only permeated events and the pop-culture landscape, it has permeated the play economy, too. No surprises here, marketers continue to go bold with throwback events for all generations of consumers—though research says millennials love it best.

Among recent examples of nostalgia in action is Instagram Shopping, which activated a virtual event featuring a spoof of Celine Dion’s infamous “It’s All Coming Back to Me” music video. The shoppable video featured retro fashion items for sale from 18 brands that have been around the block (users could purchase items in-app) and as users shopped, Dion herself, of course, belted out the classic hit.

Yahoo could have leaned on a digital engagement to showcase its Yahoo Mail 6’s newest features. Instead, the brand teamed up with Yahoo Shopping on a holiday pop-up that was decidedly analog. Called the Upgrade Arcade, the retro space at the Americana Mall in Glendale, CA, offered games like a Plinko-style experience that demonstrated how Yahoo Mail automatically sorts emails by category. Then in New York City, the brand hosted the Mailed It! Marketplace, where consumers could mark items off an “Inbox Checklist,” and make custom holiday cards, play arcade games and shop for gifts.

Yahoo’s physical depiction of their new process was super cute.

SiriusXM activated a throwback-style “hotline” consumers could call into to get clues to unlock prizes and experiences, like tickets to the Super Bowl and to pop-up performances in the brand’s studios in cities across the country. The “Dial Up the Moment” campaign could be accessed by dialing 1-844-SXM-MOMENT or texting to 97979, where users could listen to snippets of SiriusXM channels and hosts, and listen in for those clues. Yep, no social media posting or digital sweepstakes stuff here.

A fan dials up the moment in a delightful display of digital-free drama.

Escapism is at the center of these experiences, and the more marketers can pluck an unexpected moment in time out for its target consumer, the better. In fact, a British study this year by YouGov and the7stars uncovered that 55 percent of people say they’d choose to return to the past if were possible to time travel; only 28 percent would travel to the future. Building a portal into the past? Sounds like a job for an experience builder.