Businesses across a variety of industries have been using pop culture references in their marketing campaigns and products as a way to tap into the emotions of the customers. Brands have recently started to reintegrate trends or icons from past decades to keep the key target audience, which is the Millenials, interested in their offering. Every industry’s approach to bringing the nostalgia factor to its branding is different but equally ingenious.
Retail
Retail chains have long been part of this trend. Take Primark and H&M as an example, two fashion retailers that feature the likes of Star Wars and Harry Potter on many of their products. By doing that, they create a strong association between the brand and the pop culture reference. It is not difficult to grasp why people end up buying their products afterwards when both are amongst the highest-grossing film franchises in the world.
However, it is not just about creating a feeling of nostalgia with the old references, it is also about recognising the new hypes. For example, when Stranger Things was becoming the ‘it’ show, various brands have had it featured on their products. Newly found fans of the show appreciated the cleverness and the fact that they had the option to show off their preferences.
Hospitality
Surprisingly or not, this is another industry that has tapped into pop culture references in creative ways. Many restaurants around the world have released special edition menus revolving around TV series. One of the best examples is a restaurant in Dubrovnik, Croatia, which used to its advantage the fact that Game of Thrones was filmed there. It launched a menu inspired by the series, to which all fans rushed to book a table.
Moreover, some bars are even themed after a certain pop culture trend, with cocktail menus that are impossible to let anyone down. ABQ in London is considered the world’s first molecular cocktail bar, themed after the best chemist, Walter White from Breaking Bad. People can make and infuse their own drinks and the geniuses behind the idea have even brought a caravan inside the venue, just like the one used in the TV series.
Online Casinos
Just like in the other two examples, software developers realised the benefits of developing online casinos games based on pop culture. The crossover between famous cartoons or films and the popular game of slots appealed to many players, a fact that led to a surge in the number of similar games. Developers know how big the power of recognisability is, so they end up using DC characters or famous TV shows, such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Because there are so many options, it can become confusing on how to choose the best platform. For that reason, there are online guides like CasinoWings that present all online casinos available, together with their offerings. By making all this information available to players, they can find the platform that provides games based on pop culture. Almost all of these platforms now offer mobile play too, and some online casinos don’t need an app to be accessible.
Pop culture is being consumed and distributed at incredible speed, and businesses across all industries have seen it as an opportunity to make money. Using it as part of a marketing and advertising strategy increases awareness of the brand and, subsequently, of its products. And the best part is, pop culture is constantly updated and renewed, so businesses can never run out of ideas.