How Nostalgic Brands Foster Trust and Loyalty in Uncertain Times

A person wearing a floral shirt holds a retro boombox in front of their face against a bright yellow background. — Designed by Freepik

During periods of uncertainty, Americans are drawn to nostalgia and seek out brands and experiences that bring a sense of comfort and stability. Familiar symbols and values build emotional connections that can translate to market stability.

Using 5 key E-Score^®Brand metrics (Awareness, Appeal, Nostalgic, Classic, One of my favorites), we’ll examine how brands tapping into America’s collective memory foster trust during uncertain times, creating lasting loyalty.

Brands Defining American Familiarity and Stability

These 5 iconic brands embody comfort, familiarity, and timeless American values, consistently scoring above average in consumer affinity, nostalgia and classic attributes.

McDonald’s pairs massive awareness with strong nostalgic and classic scores – driving multi-generational loyalty. Its family-friendly reputation and leader status reinforce its trusted status across America (exceeding brand average for both attributes).
Coca-Cola has a rare, durable emotional resonance – exceeding the brand average by double-digits across all five KPIs. By over-indexing on relevance and influence, it modernizes its nostalgic appeal, to feel both timeless and culturally current.

Entertainment Franchises Driving Emotional Engagement

These beloved franchises thrive on the power of shared memories, family storytelling, and the comforting familiarity of timeless characters and adventures.

Peanuts leads with the highest nostalgic score and strong classic perception, driven by traits like wholesome, family-friendly, and trustworthy (exceeding brand avg for all three attributes). This emotional resonance has made it a popular partner for brands like Lacoste, Timex, Potter Barn, and Starbucks.
The Wizard of Oz remains a cultural cornerstone, blending high nostalgia and classic scores with traits like wholesome, family-friendly, fun, and entertaining (exceeding brand avg for all four attributes). Recent Wicked success and partnerships with Nike, Marc Jacobs, and Fossil for its 85^th Anniversary demonstrate its enduring relevance.

Comfort Food Brands Winning Hearts Across Generations

These classic food brands go beyond flavor – they unlock emotional memories tied to childhood, tradition, and togetherness.

A chart displaying the E-Score metrics for various comfort food brands, including M&M's, Reese's, Hershey's, Goldfish, and Campbell's Chunky, with comparative scores for Awareness, Appeal, Nostalgic, Classic, and One of My Favorites.

M&M’s, Reese’s, and Hershey’s are core nostalgia comfort leaders for sweet Americana – exceeding the brand average across all five metrics by double-digits. All three over-index for traits that fuel nostalgia including family-friendly, fun, and reliable.

Campbell’s Chunky combines a modest Nostalgic lift (+8) with a strong Classic rating (+21), establishing it as a timeless staple. It exceeds brand averages for traits such as wholesome, family-friendly, reliable, safe, and trustworthy – reinforcing tradition and emotional stability.

SOURCE: Among P 25-54, data represents brands tested between April 2023-April 2025

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