why all the retro now?

03/13/2003 10:05:00 AM
Everyone knows consumer patterns have changed since 9/11 and are changing now in anticipation of war. In a society marked by fear, uncertainty and doubt, Americans are responding to these anxieties in several characteristic ways that matter to brands. One of the many is an increase in people's desire to escape into the comfort of nostalgia. While it has always been a part of American life, the current nostalgic resurgence has a different kind of intensity.

The evidence is everywhere in commercial culture, in the media and in purchasing behavior. Brands are making ads out of all the old TV shows, antique and rustic home-furnishings and architecture are eclipsing more modern styles, car companies are releasing retro models. This year even 50's drive-in movies are making a comeback.

The thing about the past is we know how it turned out. As people seek ways to ward off the anxiety of uncertainty, an attractive option is to look back at a more predictable time, that they remember as more secure, and then to surround themselves with the scenery and paraphernalia of that safer time.
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