Every era replays the past, but 2025 is doing it on fast-forward. Nostalgia is no longer a gentle nod to heritage, it’s a full-blown cultural coping mechanism.
From “ugly-cute” collectibles to office-siren aesthetics, brands are reworking childhood comfort and Y2K memories into emotional shorthand for safety, humour, and identity.
Even packaging design this year got his design cues from the past (Pentawards 24-25 trends).
This new nostalgia is about meaning farther than only memory. It’s the instinct to regress when the world feels uncertain, the craving for the familiar when the present feels too volatile. But there is a trick! Using the past without getting stuck in it.
In our latest piece, we explore how nostalgia has evolved from retro design to cultural strategy, and how brands can use it with wit and intent.
