Nostalgia Never Goes Out of Business

Looking through my inbox at all the email American Apparel has been sending me recently, I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic. I liked that the clothing was assembled here in the United States. And even more, I’ve always loved the t-shirts and hoodies, a few sweaters … But I have to be honest. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to one of the company’s stores, or ordered online, although my girlfriend has. And now American Apparel is going away. It’s gone bankrupt twice, the founder and CEO was ousted, and yes, the marketplace changed a lot. Retail is never static. So far this year, Wet Seal and The Limited have both gone under. And there are rumors that venerable Macy’s may be sold following the closing of more of its stores. Last month, Gildan Activewear purchased the American Apparel brand, though nothing’s been announced about the its fate after all of the retail stores are shuttered. What prompted this post is how the retailer has been reaching back into its past to market its remaining merchandise. Almost all of the email I’ve looked at promoting a “going out of business” sale is the same old thing. Lots of allcaps and exclamation points in the subject line. Bursts galore and big type in the HTML announcing “all sales final.” The email from American Apparel is different. Above is an example of what I’m talking about. This was sent out yesterday. It acknowledges that the end is coming (“Soon To Be Vintage”), and presents a selection of many classic items. Other emails lately have been using “Say Goodbye To An Icon” in the subject line. They’re racy, possibly NSFW so, sorry, no images here. The company may be clearing out its entire inventor, its greatest hits, as the end nears. But it got me thinking about how tapping into positive memories can be a powerful way to get people to buy. In this case, it’s one last time. But for brands still around, the task is a bit different. Not just to remember the past in a clever way, but connect to what it’s doing now, in a way that’s meaningful and relevant. Marketers ... what are you thoughts on using nostalgia in your multichannel campaigns?

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Nostalgia Never Goes Out of Business

Paul Bobnak

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Paul Bobnak