Doritos TV Campaign - Nostalgia Part II

Nostalgia is a double edge sword when it comes to communication. When it is not well used can make your product or your message look old, outdated or simply grumpy.

But old times is a good place to look for ideas. What have we lost just because times have changed but may still be useful or has its followers? That is exactly the formula behind this hilarious campaign for Doritos from BBDO Argentina:

(Due to the captions these videos don't play well in Firefox, please use IE to watch them, sorry!)

Maybe this campaing would not be well received in the US (how many parents would get all riled up just by the suggestion that teenagers are looking forward to have sex?) but let's face it, is a pretty funny one.

Their whole communication is around the 'benefits' of slow dancing, to the point that they even set up a a special made up website petitioning to get slow dancing back! Here, another spot from the same campaign, this time around the shy guys (or the "slow" ones)...

The "old times" are a good resource for ideas, again, when they are cleverly used. Because they can appeal to a "common past" that unites us all, for good or bad. A message playing with things that we can easily recognize and relate to, -even if we don't want them back- will get our attention most of the time and will probably make us smile, laugh or cry, depending how well that nostalgic touch is being used.

If you have more examples of good ads using the "good old times" as a key component of their message, let me know!