Nostalgia is a powerful force in video advertising, evoking cherished memories and stirring deep emotional connections. In a year when many viewers longed for simpler times, brands leaned into nostalgia to foster warmth, trust, and loyalty.
This segment of iSpot’s year-end review highlights the top ads of 2024 that tapped into nostalgia, reminding viewers of beloved products, traditions, and moments from the past.
The most nostalgic ads of 2024 brought classic mascots, familiar jingles, and timeless imagery back to life, resonating with audiences across generations. From holiday traditions to iconic brand mascots, these ads stood out by blending the past with the present.
Here are the top five most nostalgic ads of the past year, standing out from nearly 12,000 ads tested between January 1 and December 6, 2024.
| Rank | Brand | Ad Title | Nostalgia Score (1-10) | Likeability Score Gap to Category Norm* | Top-2-Box Intent Gap to Category Norm* | Single Best Thing |
| 1 | Lucky Charms | St. Patrick’s Day: Green Milk :15 | 10.0 | +18 | -9 | Visuals |
| 2 | Hallmark | Holidays: Traditions :30 | 10.0 | +132 | +23 | Message |
| 3 | Volkswagen | Teaser: Father Beetle :15 | 10.0 | +55 | -4 | Visuals |
| 4 | Chex Cereal | Holiday Memories with Peanuts :15 | 9.9 | +53 | +2 | Product Itself |
| 5 | Frosted Flakes | Still Great :15 | 9.8 | +58 | -2 | Product Itself |
*Likeability and top-2-box purchase intent are benchmarked against each brand’s respective category norm.
Kellogg’s Lucky Charms: St. Patrick’s Day: Green Milk :15
Nostalgia Score: 10.0
Lucky Charms wasted no time sharing the “magically delicious” news that its St. Patrick’s Day clover-shaped marshmallows would turn milk green. Viewers were won over by the Nostalgia* sparked by the classic leprechaun mascot. While the ad stayed true to the brand’s Colorful* legacy, “Green Milk” stood as one of four Nostalgia MVPs that resonated emotionally but fell short of boosting consumer purchase intent.
Tony the Tiger brought a Wholesome* reminder of how “gr-r-reat” Frosted Flakes are as a young girl watched classic commercials with her grandpa. Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s “Father Beetle” recycled old home movie reels to announce the return of the timeless Beetle in a Super Bowl teaser.
Hallmark most effectively encouraged purchases by highlighting the memory-making magic of ornaments in “Holiday Traditions.” The Peanuts gang also captured the spirit of the season, rekindling the holiday hype around the beloved Chex Party Mix with their crowd-pleasing charm.
As you plan for 2025, don’t underestimate the power of pretesting your video ad concepts. Paramount to any successful campaign is ensuring that viewers heard what you had to say—nothing more, nothing less, and nothing misunderstood. Contact iSpot to learn more.
*Indicates one of the 57 emotional reactions iSpot Creative Assessment measures for every video ad.