Brennan’s Evoke Nostalgia

On Saint Patrick’s Day, the familiar Brennan’s Bread advert could be heard on the national airwaves. For over 30 years, the format has remained static with a recognisable jingle and a distinctive voice-over, courtesy of the talented Bill Golding.

Within a second of listening, you can tell that the advert is for Brennan’s. Even before we hear Golding’s voice, the synthesiser is so familiar that it brings us back instantly to a not so distant era.

The jingle and voice-over are familiar and act as nostalgic cues to retrieve pleasant memories and associations. Brennan’s have stayed with their familiar format for one very good reason -nostalgic advertising works. It can be seen as a way to reconnect the consumer to the brand.

To be effective, nostalgia-inducing advertising must evoke images from our past and remind us of positive emotions.

Bargain Town is a great example. Their ads are well established and the jingle dates back more than 20 years. The approach is very impactful as it helps to create an emotional connection between our rosy memories of the past and their brand.

Very few brands in Ireland explore nostalgic advertising on the airwaves and it would be great to see more copywriters exploring this route of advertising.

If you would like to hear an unauthorised cut of the Brennan’s campaign, from the 80s, click here!