Diving Into the Past, Forgetting About the Future? Nostalgic Advertising and Sustainable Food Consumption Behavior

While some scholars recently started to investigate the possible benefits on individuals and society stemming from nostalgia, i.e., a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, few studies have investigated nostalgic advertising in relation to sustainable consumption, reaching mixed and conflicting results. The present study investigates the effects of nostalgic advertising on consumers’ sustainable food consumption behavior. Since nostalgia may push consumers to focus on the past and think less about the future consequences of their actions, the study hypothesizes that a nostalgic advertisement may favor the purchase of non-sustainable products while, conversely, a non-nostalgic advertisement may represent a more effectual way to induce customers to buy sustainable products. Furthermore, the study investigates whether this interplay may differ according to individuals’ time orientation – i.e., whether individuals view time in an holistic manner, valuing both the past and the future, rather than adopting a here-and-now short-term view. Theoretical and practical implications related to the use of nostalgic advertising in sustainable marketing are also discussed.