10/01/2025
If you’ve ever watched Stranger Things, you know they don’t just use 80s nostalgia… they weaponize it. The show understands something powerful about memory: we don’t just remember the past; we remember how the past made us feel. Those soundtracks full of synths, neon graphics and vintage brand placements aren’t simply aesthetic choices for the show. They’re memory triggers designed to activate emotional associations with simpler times, childhood wonder and that feeling of summer freedom.
Strategic nostalgia works because it borrows emotional equity from positive memories and transfers it to present experiences. But here’s what’s really interesting: half of Stranger Things’ audience wasn’t even alive in the 80s! They feel nostalgic for a decade they never experienced because of the experience the show creates for them.
Sometimes the most powerful memories are the ones we build through experiences that nurture nostalgia.
What fictional world makes you feel nostalgic for a time you never lived through?