Retro is Back! How to Market Retro Themes

A group of people displaying the typical retro look. Retro market theme

As you know, retro marketing has to do with reviving trends, historic brands or products and giving them a makeover. All things retro are new, but they hold characteristics of things from the past. Typically, they revive concepts or objects that are not necessarily considered to be modern anymore. Culture is constantly recycling the past and bringing it into a new and improved look in the present. Technological advances have made it  easier for businesses to create retro themed products and concepts in the most unique ways. Retro themes are popping up everywhere in pop culture. Therefore businesses can take advantage of them for their own marketing success.

 

Why Retro Market Themes Are Back and So Popular

Trends repeat themselves throughout the course of history. Lately, you may have noticed some iconic brands pop-up again but with a modern twist. Vintage steel signs, t-shirts and decor are some of the most popular ways that businesses have capitalized on the retro trend. Retro is a theme that businesses can incorporate into their marketing and branding strategies. After all, the consumer market loves nostalgia. It brings them back to old memories they had either in their childhood or young adult years. People make connections to moments in their lives. So, businesses can help build that connection through reviving their most memorable brands.

Retro themes are also fitting to all age groups. So often, people might hear others saying, “This was so popular when I was a kid,” or “This song brings me such good memories from college.” Young or old, all types of customers appreciate being able to take a trip back in through memory lane. Not forgetting with a contemporary update. This is why a brand like Star Wars reimagined newer films to target die hard fans and appeals to a newer fan base. Older fans of the films appreciated the new digital remastering and concepts of the new films. New fan followings were created by meeting the market trend of high-quality filming with an appeal to something iconic from the past. Retro themes from New York by Dribble.  

 

Marketing Strategies with Retro Themes

There are a lot of marketing strategies that a business can implement in order to use retro themes. Recently, big brands such as Nike and Adidas have designed collections specifically around retro themes. The NFL has revamped throwback jerseys to cater to their consumers. People love being able to bring a little bit of their past memories into their current trends. You can dedicate an event or product to retro themes. These are good ways to bring a fun and innovative strategy to your business plan.

Toys in a shop window. Retro themed shop window

 

Social Media 

Social media campaigns have become quite popular and businesses should take advantage of using them in their retro themed marketing. A clothing brand company might send out a post asking followers to talk about their favorite past time with the hashtags #retro or #vintage. This can help gain momentum for your campaign and build relations with your followers. Social media is so instantaneous in its delivery of information. This means that businesses can also advertise for their retro themed products via links in their pages. The great thing about social media is that followers can share these posts on their own pages giving businesses free advertising and exposure.

All Retro

Depending on your type of business, you might also consider changing up your entire look to fit retro themes. Restaurants like Johnny Rocket’s and In-N-Out Burger are centered around being retro when it comes to their decor and food items on the menu. Even the employees/servers dress in retro-styled uniforms. Johnny Rocket’s leaves mini jukeboxes at each table that customers can actually use and play music. This type of marketing is very purposeful and smart. These restaurants are popular not only for their foods and service but for the fact that they cater to audiences who appreciate nostalgia.

Retro-themed restaurants have become increasingly popular simply due to the fact that customers love being able to walk through the doors and feel like they have taken a trip to the past.

An old car and a jukebox. A retro theme that is coming back

 

Retro Logo Branding

Logos are extremely important when it comes to using a retro theme. When revitalizing old and iconic brands, it is extremely important to be accurate and meaningful with the design and placement of a logo. You might be creating a logo just for a campaign or recreating your entire business image. Either way, it should be something that engages with your audience. Retro logos are a great way to represent your business image and vision. Hiring a professional designer to create your logo will ensure that you get the best quality available that appeals to your audience. You can always create your own retro themed logo as well. Businesses should be sure that it is purposefully designed to meet the needs of the company while still catching the eye of the targeted audience.

Something that has been popular is the mash-up of old logos with new ones. Businesses will revamp a historic logo but still maintain aspects of the old one. After all, this is a great method for bringing the two concepts together and creating something fresh from something that is a little more dated. Again, having a professional business create this mash-up would be good in maintaining the vision you want for your logo.

Conclusion on market retro themes

People are still fixated on the past and the good memories that came with it. Looking back is a way to move towards new and creative futures. Understandably, businesses can greatly benefit from catering their marketing and branding strategies around retro themes. The nostalgia themes behind historic brands and trends are definitely making large waves in the consumer market.

Presently, people have become so dependent on technology and finding less value in physical things. Furthermore, retro themes help bring people back to the value of collecting sentimental things. For examples, record players and Polaroid cameras are coming back with a vengeance. Vintage t-shirt shops are opening up in all the major cities.

Above all, the retro theme is and will continue to be on the rise. The more that businesses can cater to their audiences in this way, the better it will be for their branding success.

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