Nostalgia: more than just the flavor of the week: a critical look at the movement of nostalgic food from "trend" to "mainstream"

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Content Nostalgia: More Than Just The Flavor of The Week A critical look at the movement of nostalgic food from “trend” to “mainstream” by Alec Boyle May 2014 2 Nostalgia: More Than Just The Flavor of The Week A critical look at the movement of nostalgic food from “trend” to “mainstream” by Alec Boyle May 2014 Abstract: The culinary evolution of nostalgic food was studied and supported with palatable evidence from past and present popular restaurants and food and beverage brands, which artfully and strategically dished out nostalgia on menus and in, what often became, top-‐selling, crave-‐worthy products. Primary research regarding nostalgia as scientific and psychological literature was used to further illustrate the reoccurring incredible powers of nostalgia, especially in trying times of uncertainty. The author’s observation-‐based secondary research serves as another supporting tier to the thesis’s ultimate conclusion – that America’s palate for nostalgic food, while it has its ups and down, is not a here-‐today, gone-‐tomorrow trend, but a mainstream cultural commodity rooted deep in our country’s appetite. 3 Table of Contents I. Introduction 4 A. Inspiration and Personal Passion 4 B. Methodology 7 C. Nostalgia and Retro-‐Branding Background 9 1. Early Nostalgia 10 2. Nostalgia Modernized 13 3. Connecting the Dots: Nostalgia and Today’s Consumer 17 II. Exploring Nostalgic Food Trends 24 A. Introduction 24 B. Which Foods Provide Nostalgia? 25 C. When Did Nostalgic Food Become New Again? 27 D. Where’s Nostalgic Food Trending Now? 29 1. Social Media 29 2. Books 36 3. Marketing 38 III. Dishing Out Nostalgia at Popular Eateries 47 A. Cupcakes 47 B. S’mores 51 C. Hybrid Desserts & The Cronut 56 D. Classic American Sandwiches 60 1. The Grilled Cheese 61 2. The Peanut Butter and Jelly 64 IV. The Lessons Learned: How to Make Nostalgic Food Leave a Tasty Impression 68 A. Understanding & Connecting With Your Audience 70 B. Making It About More Than The Food 76 C. Use the Spreadable Force of Social Media to Build a Community 77 V. Detractors to the Nostalgic Food Trend 80 A. Skeptical Consumers 81 B. Financial Differences in Audiences 82 C. Expensive to Execute 82 D. Diets 82 VI. Closing Argument 83 4 I. Introduction A. Inspiration and Personal Passion A menu seems so simple – a single element of a larger-‐scale business plan. Just as simple, a restaurant venue in its raw essence is where you invite your consumers to meet your brand. Simplest of all – food is a means of survival. However, today more than ever, food, a menu, a venue and even service style reflects a business’ understanding of culture and trends. As a self-‐ ascribed foodie, the author has unconsciously developed a keen eye for what is trending on America’s culinary forecast and how food businesses are using consumer’s desires to build on shifts in dining trends and create social eating experiences. This foodie’s fixation has been especially occupied with the cultural consumption of plated nostalgia. From big brands and start-‐up food trucks to chain restaurants and mom-‐and-‐pop shops, food businesses everywhere are mirroring elements of nostalgia in their products and menus, strategically playing with childhood classics and dishing out interpretative spins. The most beautiful notion of this making-‐something-‐old-‐new-‐again food trend is that the end product is edible art that elicits emotion amongst audiences of all backgrounds. Nostalgic food pulls out memories from our less-‐worrisome pasts, turning nourishment for body into nourishment for 5 the heart and soul. Furthermore, there is something especially heartwarming about the occasional consumption of nutritionally-‐devoid foods and beverages that remind us of happy, innocent times growing up. Even being a health nut, this author still can appreciate comfort foods, provided it doesn’t become a regular habit, because what resonates post-‐ meal is more than a full belly. Childhood memories of sharing a bowl of Top Ramen with her mother on nights her brother and dad were out late for baseball practices give more meaning to a square-‐packed microwavable dinner than its 22-‐cents price could ever convey. Another cultural marker: Dunkaroos – a brown-‐bag sugary staple every 90s child can appreciate and vow they never traded out around the lunch table. Beyond specific brands, there is nostalgic value in memories with certain foods as well. For example, this author associates simple scrambled eggs with being in the kitchen with her grandmother, fashioning herself in arm candy so that she could whisk eggs and mirror her grandmother’s clanking bracelets during the process. It is these memories and each individual’s own relationship with home-‐ cooked meals and commercialized commodities from his or her childhood play-‐days that create a world of options for building on nostalgic noshes. There is so much to explore in the context of this crave-‐worthy craze, beginning with the origin of nostalgia in American culture to its role now 6 as a buying motive in consumption behavior. This author is fascinated by nostalgic food’s ability to fill the desire for gratification and cultural comfort and the success food businesses have had thus far in capitalizing on the trend using resonating marketing tools and strategic brand messaging. This thesis will seek to investigate this trend and how store-‐ brand foods, vendors of food trucks, big conglomerate restaurants and sole proprietor establishments have captured and cultivated playfulness and nostalgia in preparing food and delivering an experience that meets the needs of cultural consumption. Passion for food fills the drive for answers here, but it is consideration for the importance of listening and the application of this author’s master’s course work at USC that have provided for this need to dissect the nostalgic food trend. The challenge will be to filter through these with the following questions: -‐ What elements of nostalgia are most prevalent in the food business? -‐ How are already-‐established food brands and establishments making this trend work for them? -‐ What makes something work? Adversely, what and why do some takes on nostalgic food and dining experiences not stick or fade out? -‐ How is this trend motivating new food business concepts? -‐ At what point does a niche trend become a mainstream norm? 7 We undoubtedly live in an age where technology runs rampant and a brand’s relevance is defined by its ability to rewire its services and products to engage with segmented audiences across a mobile environment. Why then, is simple nostalgia winning audiences’ attention? B. Methodology The author uses a combination of primary and secondary research to explore the evolution of the nostalgic food trend, as well as to analyze and look for common themes in consumer branding, messaging and serving nostalgia effectively. Secondary research primarily consists of literature review and analysis of prior research surrounding nostalgia. Nostalgia, as a concept, has a deep historical root in American medical research; however research about nostalgia in the context of consumer behavior is still in its exploratory stages. Thus, this thesis is limited in its scientific-‐based material supporting nostalgia as a positive trigger for consuming foods from the good ole days. The author’s intent is to develop ideas about the human experience with nostalgic foods and observe how brands and restaurants are making nostalgia work for them. Ethnographic and netnographic research is used to gather a holistic cultural impression of the nostalgic food trend. The 8 author immerses herself into the foodie field, both online (netnographic) and through direct observation (ethnographic) in order to answer the theses underlying questions. Netnographic research includes investigation of virtual cultures and communities using online forums and social networks to learn, embrace, talk and share information about nostalgic food. The author specifically researched computer-‐mediated communications on social media sites, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, and popular restaurant review site, Yelp to see (a) what types of conversations have occurred (and are occurring) surrounding the topic of nostalgic food and (b) what restaurants and nostalgic foods are being embraced in large part by consumers. While the author is always exploring and experiencing great food, she specifically sought out eateries dishing out nostalgic noshes, acting as a taste-‐tester and first-‐hand observer during the course of writing this thesis. The purpose of personal observation here was to add a narrative, storytelling element to the thesis, and to provide insider insights for all products and restaurants referenced to. Immersing herself into the nostalgic food scene via restaurants not only provided another perspective, but the physical settings also provided for additional 9 analyses of consumers’ reactions and levels of affinity with specific nostalgic foods while actually consuming them. This means of exploration, while in-‐depth and descriptive, does not yield quantified data. Nostalgic experiences are often individualistic, and at large, communitybased. Nostalgia is thus highly subjective. Consequently, the author’s research design produces informal, unsystematic results. Another limitation to research is that the author’s sampling of nostalgic foods, those especially recognized for being in popular demand, is limited to her geographic parameters. The author does not claim the implications of her research to be representative of all research following the nostalgic food trend, but issues that despite its limitations, this research design denotes a multi-‐ layered exploration of the trend that yields valuable insights. C. Nostalgia and Retro-branding Background Though this thesis seeks to break down the nostalgic trend in foods, nostalgic themes are evident across many product and media categories in the American culture and have been a staple to influencing consumer behavior for decades. Clothing, cars and entertainment are all product categories that have been affected by the recycling “waves of nostalgia” i and have been host to comeback product campaigns with a fresh twist. Likewise, programming and advertising efforts to “manufacture 10 memories” have been a popular approach to commercializing products and messages (i.e. beer and car commercials). ii The uncertainty of today’s complex economy has created a somber ambiance among today’s buyers and consumers – much like during The Great Depression. The product of the “The Great Recession,” as coined by today’s economists, was a whirlwind of financial burdens – rising food prices, high unemployment, an unstable housing market, etc. Resultantly, consumer confidence has suffered a dagger to the heart. To combat the dry buying motive, marketers have been keen to bring back the brands and concepts of yesteryear with the intent of tapping into audiences’ desires for simpler times. The hope in this approach is to “re-‐grab a slice of the old marketing magic” that once worked and make it work again. iii The mark of nostalgia on branding efforts may have earned mainstream notoriety now, but its definition and history is most certainly a complex and multi-‐dimensional one. 1. Early Nostalgia The word nostalgia comes from the Greek root word νοστω (pronounced nosto), meaning “to return home,” and αλγια (pronounced algia), eliciting “a painful condition.” iv Reference to nostalgia and its earliest definition: “a longing to return home or 11 homesickness,” is evident as far back as in the Old Testament of the Bible (Psalm 137:1). Homer also alludes to nostalgia in The Odyssey, noting that Ulysses “cried and rolled on the ground when thinking about returning home.” v The 17 th century marks the earliest study of nostalgia, as it was the topic of concentration for one Swiss physician’s MD dissertation. Johannes Hofer focused on studying nostalgia as a disease while attending the University of Alsace. According to Hofer, nostalgia is a disease that “originate[s] from the inner brain where, at that time, it was thought animal spirits resided.” vi Hofer studied members of the Swiss military and observed a thematic, extreme emotional condition experienced among those who served time away from home over an extended time period. The condition often correlated with feelings of depression, and in worst-‐case scenarios, suicide attempts. vii Hofer was the first physician to talk of nostalgia as a clinical condition. His work was a groundbreaking contribution to psychological and psychosomatic medicine in that he provided evidence that the mind could affect the body. viii 2. Nostalgia Modernized Nostalgia continued to be cast as a disease much through the 17 th and 19 th centuries, chastising those affected as infected victims. ix It 12 was not until the late 1970s that the definition shifted from its medical base to a sociological marvel. Fred Davis pioneered the sociological study of nostalgia in 1979 through his publication, “Yearning for Yesterday.” Davis essentially re-‐conceptualized the meaning of nostalgia. His contemporary investigation on the subject matter brought to light new word associations related to nostalgia, such as “warm,” “old times,” “childhood” and “yearning.” x According to Davis, “Not only does the word nostalgia appear to have been fully ‘demilitarized’ and ‘demedicalized’ by now but, with its rapid assimilation into American popular speech since roughly the nineteen-‐fifties, it appears to be undergoing a process of ‘depyschologization’ as well.” xi Davis sought to bring clarity to nostalgia by breaking it down into three levels: simple nostalgia, reflexive nostalgia and interpreted nostalgia. xii Simple nostalgia is the “belief that things were better in the past.” Davis used reflexive nostalgia in context with someone who “appraises the past for historical accuracy rather than viewing the past sentimentally.” The last order of nostalgia – interpreted nostalgia – occurs when an individual seeks to pin down why he or she feels nostalgic towards an experience. xiii Furthermore, “nostalgia-‐proneness” differs amongst individuals depending on age. Davis hypothesized that nostalgia-‐proneness 13 hits its peak during an individual’s middle-‐age years and again at the advent of retirement. This suggests there is a “collective identity” amongst same-‐generation groups and what types of experiences evoke nostalgic feelings. xiv A desire to connect with what is old-‐school is a fad that reintroduces itself during times of economic destitution and poor faith in the future fiscal forecast. There was evidence of nostalgia for the 1950s during the 1970s, a revival of the 1960s during the 1980s, and a comeback of the 1970s during the 1990s. The pattern has continued as many of today’s nostalgic trends have historical ties to the 1990s. xv A 2009 article from the New York Times, “Nostalgia is New Again – When Did Nostalgic Food Become Popular” claims, “hard times have frequently inspired fond looks in the rear-‐view mirror.” An early wave of the nostalgic boom hit during World War II, what with the making of movies like “Meet Me in St. Louis” and songs like “Long Ago and Far Away.” xvi Again in the 1960s, the American Tobacco Company showed it was an old brand with new tricks by reintroducing a filtered version of one of its staple cigarette brands, Sweet Caporal. xvii Fast-‐forward to present day and nostalgia is everywhere. On screen, film franchises continue to 14 resurrect old themes and storylines into movie plots. In the music studio, artists take inspiration from classic favorites, re-‐master those songs and re-‐release them for a fresh type of audible consumption. America’s love affair with nostalgia continues to beat just as strong. New science around nostalgia has been further explored by Dr. Clay Routledge, associate professor of Psychology at North Dakota State University and leading expert on the psychology of nostalgia. Routledge revolutionized the study of nostalgia by using a more empirically scientific lens. Routledge and his colleagues conducted laboratory experiments that systematically contrasted nostalgic memories with other emotion-‐related memories so as to truly understand and assess the effects of nostalgia. In order to effectively do this, participants were assigned into two separate groups: those induced with a nostalgic experience and the control group. xviii Findings essentially dismissed Hofer’s proposal that nostalgia is a mental disease that has negative effects on individuals, such as anxiety, insomnia, irregular heartbeat and disordered eating. xix It instead supported that nostalgia is good and benefits an individual’s health and well-‐being. Results showed a link between nostalgia and psychological benefits, such as an 15 increase in self-‐esteem and perceived feeling of social connectedness. xx Routledge further examined the causes of nostalgia suggesting it is triggered by a negative mood and loneliness. Thus, people are more prone to nostalgia as a coping mechanism to deal with the threat of negative experiences, feelings of vulnerability and anything compromising a social connection with others. xxi This shift in gears and new appreciation for nostalgia as a potentially psychological benefit is one that has also been strongly supported by University of Southampton psychologist Constantine Sedikides. Sedikides and his colleagues conducted participant studies similar to Routledge, using a questionnaire called the Southampton Nostalgia Scale. As a personal advocate to its positivity, Sedikides sought to test the effects of nostalgia by having participants read about a disastrous fatal event and then proceed by filling out a personality test aimed at identifying their mood. Understandably, people were left depressed and felt lonely. They were more inclined to respond positively to nostalgic stories that subsequently made them feel less depressed and lonely. The scale test supports that people have a better sense of “self-‐ continuity” if they think back to the good ole days more frequently 16 and that nostalgia helps counteract loneliness, boredom and anxiety. xxii “Nostalgia serves a crucial existential function,” Routledge says. “It brings to mind cherished experiences that assure us we are valued people who have meaningful lives. Some of our research shows that people who regularly engage in nostalgia are better at coping with concerns about death.” xxiii The most recent studies further add that an individual need not have lived a personal experience to feel a nostalgic connection toward a certain experience. Christina Goulding explored the notion that nostalgic images and experiences, like films, music, advertising, retail, political imagery and historical reconstructions, are not exclusive to those who experienced them in real time. Goulding refers to this type of nostalgia as “vicarious” – making the distinction that nostalgic consumption and nostalgic socialization can be experienced through books, films or other narratives. She uses her 2002 thesis to show the relation between aesthetic consumption and preferences for objects and experiences from a bygone, unfamiliar time and references. Vicarious nostalgia thus suggests that nostalgia is a “learnt emotion” and proneness to nostalgia is just as strongly based on a 17 “degree of socialisation” and positive accounts of family and friends’ nostalgic experiences. xxiv It does not necessarily matter that consumers own personal memories, because it is possible to idealize images of cultural history. For example, the percentage of those Americans that grow up in a place comparable to Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A is relatively small, yet even without the personal nostalgic relationship to it, strolling down Main Street elicits a warm, fuzzy feeling. 3. Connecting the Dots: Nostalgia and Today’s Consumer Conjuring up memories of a bygone era, one where anxiety and stress had no place, is a conscious marketing tool that when done right can be a consumer’s ray of sunshine in today’s uncertain world. Nostalgia can make us happy, and as marketers and public relations professionals, that is the overarching goal in any campaign. Whether it is pitched to elicit personal nostalgia or vicarious nostalgia, nostalgia has the potential to conjure historical consciousness and bring back experiences that are better than the audience’s present condition. Strategy involves, first, reappraising and re-‐circulating early forms of material culture that have long lost their cultural centrality and, second, pushing it back to a more mainstream place. British cultural critic and theorist Raymond Williams (1977) refers to this 18 as a type of “residual” cultural practice. Residual content can become the object of nostalgic yearning, consciously evoking past associations and memories and pushing audiences to re-‐circulate content among their cultural communities (97). xxv Residual may also suggest that a material’s sentimental and symbolic interest can transpire into economic value as retro fans open up the materials to new potential markets, thus increasing their shelf life (104-‐105). xxvi The word “residual” in both of these contexts then suggests that revival of something old is the product of both promotional art, as well as fan spreadability. At face value, the Internet may seem to be a deterrent to a widespread sense of nostalgia for the past; however, research has proven quite the opposite. Will Straw argues, “the Internet has strengthened the cultural weight of the past, increasing its intelligibility and accessibility.” The Internet serves as a “high-‐ capacity storage mechanism” that allows audiences to breed retro revivals, as well as commentate on and annotate conversations circulating about such nostalgic objects (97). xxvii Lifestyle journalist M. Astella Saw credits the “craftsmanship” in nostalgic marketing as reason for its success, adding, “objects that refer to the past bring with them a sense of authenticity that is not found in digital solutions.” xxviii 19 The ideal goal of nostalgic communication is to harmonize the past with the present and to trigger emotional bonds. However, just as with all strategies, the opportunities are met with threats. Attempts at retro-‐branding and nostalgic marketing need to be approached with caution and flexibility, because nostalgia can reflect unpleasant emotions. Without proper concern for heritage, designing nostalgic experiences can create discontent and be met with rejection of change. xxix Nostalgia is also difficult to pin down because what is nostalgic to one individual may not mean anything to another. Economic crises, while previously acknowledged as opportunities, can also be threats. In the advent of an upturn in the economy it may no longer be appropriate or applicable to use nostalgia as a positive trigger. If an individual becomes more optimistic about the future then that individual will be less nostalgic – a concept Nawas and Platt (1965) reference as the adverse effect of “future-‐oriented nostalgia.” xxx Research about nostalgia in the context of consumer behavior is still in its exploratory stages, but qualitative information and common themes exist in analyzing brands’ attempts at employing nostalgia as a public relations and marketing tool. Of those, a concern for authenticity reigns high for what sticks with 20 consumers. In their business manual, Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want, James H. Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine II argue, “Consumers may be willing to pay a higher price for something they deem more authentic—a pair of designer jeans, fair trade Ethiopian coffee, or acupuncture from a certified practitioner.” xxxi Of course the market for knock-‐off goods has popularized places like Manhattan’s Chinatown in New York and has practically turned the purchasing of fake designer handbags into a hobby. Pirated music and bootleg music can also be argued as two threats to the purchase of authentic material, but the key is making the difference between authentic material and imitations highly desirable. The product must possess what Barbara Kirshenblatt-‐Gimblett calls the “value of difference”(1995). xxxii Pabst Blue Ribbon, a brand of yesteryear (1844), recently appealed to a multigenerational audience and modern beer drinkers in an attempt to resurrect the brand. PBR capitalized on positioning itself as authentic and allowed for rediscovery, taking caution that what may be nostalgic for some, may be new to others. Metropoulos, owner of PBR, revitalized the brand with some self-‐ascribed “T.L.C.” and “guerilla marketing.” Social media, like Twitter, as well as celebrity endorsement (i.e. using comedian Zach Galifianakis as campaign spokesperson and Will Ferrell in 21 commercial advertisements) played large roles in increasing the consumer fan base. Smart rebranding took PBR from “poster boy of cheap-‐o beers to an implausibly fashionable favorite among the hipster set,” according to The Week. xxxiii Old Spice’s campaign is another stellar example of a brand with the nostalgic “wow” factor. In an attempt to push re-‐discovery on Generation Y, Old Spice created an authentic story that fans could rally around. The brand used its “old-‐school nostalgia equity” to build out Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign. xxxiv The campaign was a perfect marriage of comedy and fan engagement, and the featured Old Spice Man, former NFL practice squad receiver Isaiah Mustafa’s personalized videos for fans and Twitter conversations made it one of the most popular viral campaigns of all time. xxxv Within a five-‐month timeframe of its launch in February 2010, the original ad attracted 19 million views. Even more astounding is the number of viral custom-‐made video responses Old Spice fans created to participate in the story. According to Visible Numbers, The “Old Spice Responses” was a bigger craze (over a 24-‐hour timeframe) than Obama’s victory speech. xxxvi 22 Old Spice’s continued efforts with nostalgic transmedia storytelling illustrates that a once-‐forgotten brand can most definitely resurge within popular culture. Old Spice is that old brand with new tricks. Authenticity, rediscovery and building a community around an old-‐school brand/concept are all elements that make successful nostalgic branding. In addition to these elements, brands have had success resurrecting something old-‐school by finding a happy medium between staying true to established values while also contemporizing. This is often represented in the marketing of new cars. The auto industry has jumped on the “nostalgia bandwagon” in many recent “retro-‐marketing” campaigns aimed at highlighting old aesthetics with new technology. xxxvii Volkswagen’s Beetle and Ford’s Mustang are just two examples of automobiles that have been reintroduced several times since their original production dates, without straying too far from their iconic looks. Maintaining a recognizable design while upping the cars’ technology and performance enables both brands to appeal to old consumers and a new generation of consumers who have no history with it. VW has been playing with this “tricky balancing act,” keeping the car’s 23 heritage alive and its unmistakable Beetle shape intact with each revised model. For example, the second wave of Beetles, (produced in 1999) were introduced to the public as “optimism on wheels” with a campaign that consciously “poked fun” at the previous Beetle’s engine power. VW ads ran with taglines: “Less flower. More Power” and “0-‐60? Yes.” VW continues to prove nostalgia is the key to the survival of its products, using it as a strategy yet again with the redesigned 2012 Beetle. xxxviii The CW Television Network’s play with nostalgia, as evident by its attempt with comeback shows Melrose Place and 90210 among others, are cracks at sparking new cultural value using residual media. The idea behind 90210 and Melrose Place was to fuel popularity and create a kind-‐of agreed upon desirability amongst different viewing communities, essentially using an old story line on a new platform. Unfortunately, for the CW, innovation and experimentation with nostalgic entertainment did not produce as strong of an engagement as intended. The 90210 series was canceled after five seasons, never generating as strong a fan base as predecessor, “Beverly Hills, 90210.” xxxix Reappraisal and recirculation of products in the automotive industry, advertising, entertainment, fashion and music are 24 categorical in defining nostalgic communication. Remembering the good times and reflecting on times when life was more carefree, and we all had fewer responsibilities is comforting and are powerful sensory experiences. When nostalgic communication tugs at our hearts, bringing back memories of social interactions and momentous life events, a beautiful “aesthetic and emotional experience” takes over. xl When nostalgic noshes are brought to the table, food then becomes so much more than about nourishment for the stomach – but it, too, creates possibilities for comeback dining trends and a heartwarming foil for insecurities and the world’s uncertainties. II. Exploring Nostalgic Food Trends A. Introduction Food is a very special sensory experience. Consumption experiences of food are valued on scents, tastes, visual presentation and smell. Food is also a gateway to happiness for those of us who “eat to live.” We turn to food in times of celebration or mourning. When we feel stressed or anxious, food is the coping mechanism that curbs our discontent – even if only for a moment. The symbolic value of food goes beyond what the eye can see, too. It is socially ascribed and projects a certain image or status quo. It is culturally 25 specific and reflects a sense of nation, community, family and identity. From pub food to haute cuisine and retro-‐carnival treats to mom’s home cooking, nostalgic tastes are catapulting from a backseat trend to a front seat mainstream contender for consumption. Re-‐mastered versions of old fare are selling off the menus. B. Which Foods Provide Nostalgia? Nostalgia is influenced by one’s cultural, social and economic environment. xli Thus, dishes and snacks factored into the definition of nostalgic foods are a culmination of individuals’ childhood memories, beliefs and opinions, collective norms, passed-‐down traditions, socio-‐ economic status, etc. A nostalgic diet is an open book of interpretations, of which this author concludes the following to be fair game (as supported by her research): -‐ Sweet Blasts-from-the-Past. Old-‐fashioned desserts for the modern age are taking the pastry world by storm and making a sweet spot on menus across the country. Whether an ode to childhood candies, a slice of a Southern specialty pie, ice cream truck novelties or reinventions of what Grandma used to bake, chefs are stepping it up a notch, churning out nostalgic confections. Think whoopie pies, cake pops, S’mores, cupcakes, donuts and more. -‐ Comfort food. Hearty entrees like chicken and dumplings, chicken and waffles, BBQ, etc. are prime examples of comfort food. The 26 definition of comfort food has also changed over the years because of America’s changing demographics and generations. Culture is not static and Generation Y-‐ers and Millennials are more ethnically diverse today than previous generations, thus the culture of comfort food has changed too. -‐ Mom-made dishes. Reinventions of mac-‐and-‐cheese and grilled cheese (with tomato soup) are examples of dishes that consumers identify best as homemade. They bring with them a host of memories from when times were simpler. -‐ “Take me out to the Ball Game” staples. Bacon-‐fat popcorn, gourmet hot dogs and next-‐generation burgers are examples of foods influenced by stadium staples that are now features in the market of nostalgic food. -‐ Man food. Stereotypical “man food” – anything from pizza and beer to chicken wings – is notoriously high in calories and fat. Interpretations of these nostalgic eats are showing up on happy hour menus as lightened-‐up versions and small bar bites. -‐ Lunchbox staples. Traditional brown-‐bagged sammies, like tuna on white bread and peanut butter-‐and-‐jelly, are getting a modern upgrade in today’s food scene. From food trucks to restaurants, healthy servings of school-‐time nostalgia are being rehashed, making it socially acceptable to eat like a kid again. 27 C. When Did Nostalgic Food Become New Again? The nostalgic food trend is a mix of rejuvenation, innovation and tradition that, just like other nostalgic booms, often rebirths during times of economic turbulence. For the purpose of this author’s thesis, post-‐ September 11, 2001 will be the time frame for which the nostalgic food trend is studied, for reasons that will be explained. American life before the 2001 recession is the trip down memory lane that today’s consumer longs to walk down, and it is food from that era that is what those same consumers are craving. Sandy Ryan, a food scientist and product developer for The Coca-‐Cola Company attributes the success of marketing nostalgia with the fact that “people seek the familiar during tough times.” Davis (1979) proposes that nostalgia is a symbolic “shield against life’s uncertainties.” xlii Immediately following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, foods from the good ol’ days were in high demand, as consumers sought comfort in a time of crisis. Restaurateurs across the country showed an increase in sales of comfort food items, such as soup, mashed potatoes, puddings, and macaroni and cheese. xliii The consumption of nostalgic foods is a way for individuals to maintain control when all else feels out of 28 control. Nostalgic food is a metaphorical security blanket, bearing safety and evoking emotions of when times were better. xliv The growing desirability for nostalgia is also supported by its continued place holding in consumer food trend lists that stem from a variety of examples. In 2010, predictions pulled from Technomic, the National Restaurant Association and industry expert, “Supermarket Guru” Phil Lempter revealed that reconnecting with “comfort foods” and favorite foods of childhood would surface as a top 10 culinary trend. xlv The Daily Beast glorified ‘Nostalgic Comfort Food’ as part its ‘The 10 Biggest Food Trends for 2010’ list. xlvi More recently, the year 2011 was pumped with optimism for the nostalgic food trend. Good Housekeeping listed ‘Comfort Food Comeback’ as a ‘Top 10 Food Trend of 2011,’ xlvii as did the Philadelphia Inquirer in its ‘Culinary Trend-‐Spotting for 2011.’ xlviii The trend, ‘Retro Packaging and Ad Campaigns’ was spotlighted by Ad Age in its ‘The Year Ahead: 2011 Predictions for Marketers’ list.’ xlix According to USA Today’s marketing trends for 2011, ‘almost homemade’ was a trend to look out for. l Nostalgia and words synonymous with foods that make you feel good and remind you of simpler times remained buzz-‐worthy through 2012 as well. Of its 16 listed hottest food and dining trends for restaurants and 29 hotels in 2012, international food and restaurant consultants, Baum + Whiteman predicted that, “comfort food [would] hit the wall and [be] reinvented.” li Upturn continued rolling into 2013 with trends like “’Grown Up Comfort Food” (Nestle), “Fun Food” (Food Network), “Global Comfort Food” (Hour Detroit), and “Your parents’ cocktails including Rob Roy, Tom Collins and Manhattans” (US Foods). lii Coca-‐Cola recently blogged too that “dishes our mothers made are back in style.” liii Bringing back the good ol’ days by eating like we are in the good ol’ days is a trend with recurring movement; however, with the rise of globalization, international travel, shifting immigration patterns and demographics and the vast accessibility of food choices, the preferred nostalgic food trend is not always clear-‐cut. D. Where’s Nostalgic Food Trending Now? 1. Social Media The nostalgic trend captivated audiences through street food, filtered its way through the restaurant scene and food and beverage retail, and is now trending online. Food nostalgia has motivated blogs, books and social media conversations and consumer engagement. One Flickr photo-‐sharing site has over 9,000 photos honoring 30 childhood favorites and encouraging onlookers and active participants to share photos of “vintage kitchen items, comfort food, classic candy, old school food advertising and vintage food products.” liv Another website’s sole purpose is to serve as a community forum to create generational inside jokes and rehash positive products from the past (www.doyouremember.com). The nostalgic food craze has further initiated a market from which to profit. Aspiring entrants hungry to profit from the nostalgia craze have taken to online channels, retailing nostalgic products in high demand. One such website, Food From Home provides target customers (individuals who grew up in Winnipeg, Canada) with accessibility to comfort foods from their hometown. The website’s innovative strategy is delivering ex-‐Winnipegger’s with the opportunity to treat themselves to their most crave-‐worthy tastes from home. lv Online scavengers and innovators of the nostalgic food trend have contributed to its spreadability, lvi posting recipes, creating visuals and initiating online conversation about their favorite childhood treats. The author searched ‘nostalgic recipes’ on GroupRecipes.com and found 32 pages of recipes and nine pages of ‘groupies’ dedicated to nostalgic food. lvii Forums also exist for communities and fans to 31 post about foods from the past. One example, a forum on www.caloriecount.about.com provides such opportunity to celebrate nostalgic food. One of the forum’s members, an apparent fan of Food Network’s Unwrapped, writes: “I am watching “Unwrapped” on the Food Network right now. They just did a feature on a website called www.hometownfavorites.com. It’s a very cool site where you can order items that are hard to find in your local grocer (remember “Count Chocula and Boo Berries?).” lviii Instagram, the popular photo-‐sharing app, is a format that both amateur bloggers and professional foodies have flocked to post pictures of their food and creative concoctions. The author unapologetically claims to be one of those diners who uploads photos of her food to Instagram, and thus sought to explore Instagram as a platform for tracking the nostalgic food trend. As of July 18, 2013, #nostalgicfood was used on 73 different photos, featuring everything from kiddy cereals to comfort-‐food classics. That number grew to 91 photos as of August 24, 2013. #Hashtags, “vintagefood,” “childhoodmemories,” “childhoodfood,” and “comfortfood” are frequently used in relationship to “nostalgicfood.” Of these, Instagramers connected with #hashtag “comfortfood” the most -‐ about 290,000 times as of August 24, 2013. Photos tagged with #comfortfood often referenced the user’s childhood memories in the 32 photo’s caption space. There was also a reoccurring theme of posts tagged with #comfortfood that were posted when users were having a bad day. These users would frequently justify their decision to indulge in comfort food with the fact that it would emotionally fulfill them. On Instagram, a plate of food is transformed into a work of art. Active users are tangibly rewarded with “likes,” comments, and often, an increase in followers. Each authentic post formulates new forms of historical consciousness, generates new value and creates re-‐ experiences of food that are usually past their prime. The renewed value of nostalgic food on Instagram is one that shows potential for continued growth – a fair assessment, following the 100 million-‐user mark the photo-‐sharing network hit in early 2013. Furthermore, Instagram has tripled its user base since Facebook bought the app in 2012, and rumors are circulating the app will become bigger than Facebook. In an interview with Fast Company, cofounder and CEO Kevin Systrom boldly stated, “By definition, if it keeps growing at this rate, yes, it will be bigger.” lix All of this is great news for the insta-‐ game of posting nostalgic food photography. Pinterest is another popular online destination for foodies and cooking inspiration. Thousands of pins pertaining to food and drink 33 nostalgia have been collected and shared since its launch back in 2010. lx Pinner Holly Gerhad created a board titled “food & drink nostalgia” with 710 pins (as of August 24, 2013). Her pins include discontinued cereals and snacks; old-‐school advertisements for fast food establishments like McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Long John Silver’s; candies and sodas in their vintage packaging, etc. A host of other pages showcase nostalgic foods, comfort foods, and even more specifically, nostalgic fair foods and nostalgic junk foods. Pinterest has given rise to American food classics in the form of shooters and skewers. Milk-‐and-‐cookie shooters, mini corn dogs with ketchup, grilled cheese triangles with tomato soup-‐shooters are just some of the mini versions of nostalgic noshes Pinterest hosts as variety of inspirations for social events. The author recently attended a wedding where the bride and maid of honor attributed the wedding’s fashionable ‘candy bar’ purely to Pinterest inspiration. 34 The Internet weekly theme days, “Throwback Thursday” and “Flashback Friday” are days that active users of social media turn to sites like Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook to post photos from the past. This “throwback” and “flashback” activity, which simply involves participating and observing using #hashtags, “TBT, “ThrowbackThursday,” “Throwback,” or “FlashbackFriday” lxi is a web trend with content heavy in nostalgic food. Millions of people are 35 having fun with this worldwide event, and the nostalgic food culture has contributed to the celebration of simpler times. Throwbacks to childhood treats (mostly from the 1990s (i.e. Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Rollups, Gushers, Dunkaroos, Lunchables, Yoo-‐Hoo) illustrate that, sometimes, the emotional value of a snack is just as, if not more, important to the consumer as its nutritional one. Use of social networking sites is a major activity amongst Internet users today, young and old. According to a telephone interview 36 survey conducted by the PEW Research Center in May 2013, 72 percent of U.S. adults are engaged in social media. This number is up from 67 percent in 2012, and up from 8 percent in 2005. And while the most avid of adopters are younger adults, the older adults are embracing these platforms more and more with each passing year. lxii Social media characteristically lends itself to reliving old memories, and with roughly three-‐fourths of America part of the social networking culture, feeding the nostalgic food trend is an advantageous way to give social audiences what they are craving. 2. Books Authors have been some of the most active contributors to the nostalgic food trend upsurge. English author and former fashion model Sophie Dahl’s cookbook, Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights (2010) is accented with stories from her childhood and how she came to love the family recipes she now shares with her readers. Its success inspired a television show for BBCTwo, created by British food personality Jamie Oliver’s production company, as well as spin-‐ off sequel, Miss Dahl’s Guide to All Things Lovely. lxiii One of 2010’s best selling cookbooks, The Essential New York Times Cookbook, features over a thousand recipes that have all been featured in the paper’s archives over the past 150 years. The book 37 elicits tradition and nostalgia with recipes like tomato soup courtesy of an 1877 print piece. lxiv Authors Dan and Annie Shannon drew inspiration from The Betty Crocker Cookbook in reinventing iconic American food for today’s vegan family in their book, Betty Goes Vegan (2013). Robin Robertson, best selling author of Quick-Fix Vegan, 100 Vegan Recipes and Vegan Planet praised Betty Goes Vegan issuing, “Betty Goes Vegan is a celebration of nostalgic comfort food deliciously transformed into fun and fabulous vegan fare. Destined to be a classic, this groundbreaking cookbook will delight and inspire vegans and omnivores alike." lxv The cookbook is currently ranked sixth (out of a list of 100) on Amazon’s best sellers in ‘vegan diets’ category. lxvi Another breakout ode to nostalgia, Lara Ferroni’s Real Snacks: Make Your Favorite Childhood Treats Without All the Junk is the product of strategic genius, combining the trend for nutritional food with nostalgia. Ferroni re-‐created childhood snacks like Oreos, Twinkies, Goldfish Crackers and even Girl Scout’s Thin Mint Cookies, making eating like a kid feel guilt-‐free. One such review even raves, “[It’s] all the childhood treats I’m nostalgic for in one smart volume.” lxvii 38 3. Marketing AMC’s hit series Mad Men, a quintessential example of nostalgia within itself, is most appropriate to quote in support of the power of nostalgia in advertising and marketing. In a pitch for a new slide projector called the Wheel, the infamous “ad man” character, Donald Draper, strongly submits to the two Kodak executives in the room that the “potency of nostalgia” is the product’s selling point, as it is a “reminder of a place we ache to return.” The room quickly becomes transfixed on Don’s message of harmonizing the brand’s heritage with the present. For that moment, the executives (and other agency executives in the pitch) figuratively stepped out of their suits and, as marked by their facial expressions, began re-‐experiencing their own cultural history with the soothing words of Donald Draper echoing behind them. This nostalgic approach to advertising is one food and drink brands have been experimenting with, putting a positive spin on what’s old and giving consumers reason to surrender to their childhood craves. PepsiCo jumped on this trend in 2009, advertising “throwback” Pepsi and Mountain Dew bottles, both sweetened with real cane sugar. The growing opposition to high fructose corn syrup-‐based soft drinks prompted Pepsi’s switch to nature’s sweetener, something it had been doing pre-‐1980s. The Throwback cans reflect the pre-‐1980s 39 look. Arguments circulated over whether the tweak inside the cans made Pepsi taste better, lxviii but the tweak on the outside was a refreshing blast from the past. Shiv Singh, head of digital for PepsiCo substantiated this return-‐of-‐the-‐old by saying, “There’s a massive teen trend around simplicity and authenticity.” lxix There was a consensual thumbs-‐up for the retro revival from Pepsi’s 40-‐plus audience and the combined-‐Generation Y’er and tweens. lxx As a result, what was intended to be an eight-‐week campaign, turned into months. Eventually, the Throwback cans became a permanent staple on Pepsi’s suppliers’ shelves. lxxi Pepsi’s second global campaign and currently featured television commercials, featuring pop sensation Beyonce, encourage consumers to “Embrace Your Past and Live for Now.” The nostalgic undertone encourages audiences to connect with the past, but also remember how important it is to use those experiences to propel one forward. lxxii Pepsi’s arch rival, Coca-‐Cola, failed to see the nostalgic power of its product when introducing a new kind of Coke in early 1985. Ads spoke to New Coke as a type of fine wine, claiming “[it’s] smoother, rounder yet bolder.” However, it was a fatal flop with fans, many of who got in touch with their inner-‐hoarders, rushed to the 40 supermarket and stocked up on the old stuff. lxxiii The savviest of them sold old Coke on the black market for $30 a case (a value of about $65 today). lxxiv Fans went so far as to compare Coke’s change to that of “trampling the American flag.” lxxv Coca-‐Cola sought to tweak tradition and essentially fix an unbroken product. Had the brand asked the ultimate question, “Do our consumers want change?” this marketing fiasco could have been completely avoided. If but one good thing came of this experiment it is, as John Craven, editor of BevNet.com, a website that monitors national beverage industry trends, pointed out, “The [only] success of New Coke was that it got people pissed off enough to care about regular Coke again.” lxxvi On a more positive note, Diet Coke delved into nostalgic branding in 2009, reviving its 1982 promotional theme, “Just For The Taste of It.” lxxvii The slogan made its return as part of Diet Coke’s partnership with The Heart Truth, a national campaign meant to raise awareness about heart disease in women. Coke representative Susan Stribling spoke to the strategy of the comeback saying, “The tagline still has a lot of equity, not just in that it’s great tasting, but also that it’s tasteful and sophisticated.” The campaign’s fashion-‐forward symbolic red dress logo and the charm of international supermodel Heidi Klum serving as the campaign’s original brand ambassador made the resurgence of this old mantra a sheer pleasure. lxxviii It’s safe to say 41 that Diet Coke’s bold move to brush off an old tagline proved just as catchy here as it did its first time around, in that the brand recently celebrated its sixth successful year as a proud sponsor of The Heart Truth campaign. lxxix Cereal is a consistently trending category for nostalgic conversation. Adult consumers get a nostalgic sugar high thinking and talking about cereals once loved, and now lost. General Mills has captivated this craze, listening to the desirability for sweet, crunchy nostalgia. In 2009, it rebranded five of its Big G cereals into the form of throwback boxes. The boxes can still be seen at Target stores today. lxxx It appears the perceived hype for nostalgic cereal is being pushed even more so now, as General Mills recently announced a resurrection of all monster-‐themed cereals to celebrate Halloween 2013. The limited-‐time offering of Monster Cereals each Halloween is a tradition spawned by the voiced passion of fans across social media. This year, however, is the first time all five Monster cereals will be available at the same time. Frute Brute (discontinued in 1982) and Yummy Mummy (discontinued in 1992) are joining Count Chocula, Boo-‐Berry and Franken-‐Berry this Halloween season. Bringing back the two old-‐school cereals was a result of strategic listening and “an effort to give fans what they asked for,” according to Julie Anderla, integrated communications senior manager at General Mills. General 42 Mill’s cherry-‐on-‐top to this deal will be its exclusive relationship with Target to costume-‐up all five Monster Cereals in their retro packaging. lxxxi Hostess Brands LLC’s revival of the iconic Twinkie snack cake banked on nostalgia for its sales, after its temporary demise. When the company went bankrupt in 2012, fans panicked and rushed to stock up on the sweet cake, as well as Ding-‐Dongs, Ho Hos and several others before the “Twinkie-‐pocalypse” hit. Consumers generated their own economic value for the sweet treats, auctioning them on eBay with bids starting as high as $200,000 (shipping included) for one box, and as high as $5,000 for an individual Twinkie. lxxxii Word of the eventual comeback of Twinkies generated over 430,000 “likes” on Facebook. lxxxiii The strategy was to bring back the original cream-‐filled, spongy cake but with a new tagline: “The Sweetest Comeback in the History of Ever.” lxxxiv To herald the strategy of reinventing the Hostess brand, the company ran a multi-‐platform campaign across social media, Vine videos, billboards, towering building advertisements and a website called “Prepare Your CakeFace.” Guerilla marketing efforts included a food truck at county fairs and music festivals, as well as a street team of brand ambassadors handing out T-‐shirts and buttons reading, “I Saved the 43 Twinkie.” lxxxv The author can recall driving through downtown Los Angeles in the early 2013 summer months, seeing one of the near-‐ distracting advertisements plastered on the side of Figueroa Hotel. The massive Ding-‐Dong chocolate cupcake billboard read like a movie release advertisement, with only the return date, “7.15.13” accompanying the Ding-‐Dong. Hostess President Rich Seban stressed the importance of capitalizing on the nostalgia of the brand in this campaign, while not leaning to heavily on its 83-‐year history so as to appeal to the young, relevant consumer. lxxxvi Dave Lubeck, executive director for the brand’s advertising agency (Bernstein-‐Rein) also spoke to this strategy, telling USA Today, “We want people to know that it's the same Hostess, but with a different attitude… It's younger, more aggressive." lxxxvii Twinkie’s unchanged taste was “a once-‐in-‐a-‐lifetime opportunity to leverage the firm’s inherent nostalgia and, at the same time, return to shelves with a new attitude that’s bolder and even more relevant to today’s consumers,” according to Daren Metropoulos of C. Dean Metropoulos & Co. – the company that acquired several Hostess brands for $410 million prior to the July 15, 2013 re-‐launch. “America wanted Hostess back – they wanted the original.” lxxxviii 44 For Hostess, innovation did not mean compromising the authenticity of what made Twinkies so iconic in the first place – a true testament to nostalgic branding. Milk’s favorite cookie, the Oreo lxxxix is a bite-‐sized time machine that elicits tradition and childhood happy memories. The art of eating an Oreo, whether it’s twisting it open to lick the frosting first or just dunking it in milk, is a nostalgic experience cookie lovers over the past 100 years can revert back to. The battle of cookie vs. cream prompted one Reddit user (eternallyxii) to cease the quandary with his interpretative take on Oreo-‐meets-‐Dunkaroo. The “Moreo” is the product of a naked Oreo cookie with cream packaged alongside it, so as to provide milk’s favorite cookie as a make-‐it-‐yourself option. xc The “Moreo” is a recipe that truly defines one fan’s affinity. Oreo has stood the test of time and has earned its permanent spot on shelves as a passed-‐down generational icon due in large part to the brand’s nostalgic branding efforts. The brand’s strategy – to essentially own America’s childhood and dually appeal to children and parents through their shared love for Oreos – has been a valuable asset for Oreo. xci The company recently used nostalgia to its advantage by marketing and advertising its 100 th Anniversary by 45 inviting its fans to take a comforting call back into their own personal histories with the cookie. They were encouraged to be part of the aspiring one million Oreo moments posted to the official website. This powerful strategy strengthens the Oreo-‐loving community and most notably appeals to Millennials by encouraging fans to orchestrate their own creative content online. User-‐generated posts also strengthen Oreo’s symbolic value as a staple commodity to the American culture without obnoxiously forcing audiences to reaffirm it. The trend toward old formulations, old ads and old designs was inspiration for an array of restaurant’s rebranding efforts. Famous for its Grand Slam breakfasts, Denny’s spent an estimated $60 million in 2011 to market its friendly service and simple, cheaper “value” menus. The nostalgic campaign was supported by the tagline, “America’s diner is always open” so as to reposition the brand as a diner, as opposed to its previous reputation as a family restaurant. xcii Fast-‐food favorites, like the classic American combo of burger and fries speaks to the nostalgic childhood memories of special trips to the drive-‐thru as a reward for good behavior or grades. McDonald’s is a repeat player in the arena of nostalgic marketing. In trying times, the brand has capitalized on its consumers’ bank of happy childhood 46 memories. Recessionary pressures create instability in the mind of the consumer, so it is natural to fall back on foods that are comfortable and safe choices, and turn to brands with longevity. McDonald’s made nostalgia fit for it in its 2009 Sweet Tea commercial, which begins with a man sipping on a McDonald’s Sweet Tea and quickly turns into a trip down memory lane as he transcends into a flashback of his old neighborhood and the good ole days when his mother poured him sweet tea. xciii McDonald’s “Feed Your Inner Child” commercials (2005) are an authentic approach to nostalgia that focus not on advertising a certain product, but instead appealing to the viewer by advertising an emotional connection. xciv It’s a feel-‐ good campaign that McDonalds used to position itself as a trusted, sustainable brand that is just as good today as it was when its older consumers were children. Lunchtime is packed with nostalgic memories of sifting through your brown bag of goodies, crossing your fingers in hopes that mom packed cookies or chocolate pudding, and then deciding what to share and trade. Subway rehashed school-‐time lunch in 2011 with its commercials that feature grown adults talking in kid voices about Subway sandwiches. The brand attempted to harmonize the past with the present with memories of childhood quarrels over who gets a share of the sandwich with adult characters acting out the scenes. 47 However, the image Subway creates feels like a mockery to nostalgia, which might explain the consequent discontent from audiences who touted the commercials for being annoying. xcv III. Dishing Out Nostalgia at Popular Eateries The notion that it is much more comforting to think of times when we had less responsibility and everything was simpler commands the attention of American food culture. Food trucks, mom-‐and-‐pop shops and conglomerate, franchised restaurants see the value of feeding into consumers’ nostalgic relationship with food and are thus packaging, plating, serving and delivering on this desire. The author supports this reality by focusing on the following particularly popular nostalgic foods: cupcakes; S’mores; hybrid desserts, specifically the Cronut; and classic American sandwiches, with emphasis on the grilled cheese and peanut butter and jelly. A. Cupcakes For most consumers, part of growing up is practicing healthy eating habits (or at least being more conscious of food choices in comparison to adolescent years). However, reliving childhood memories and recapturing the flavors of nostalgic sweets provide throwback tastes that curb hard-‐to-‐ignore sweet tooth cravings. 48 In 2011, stores specializing in nostalgic sweets reported annual growth of about 20 percent. xcvi In Bell Flavors & Fragrances annual list of the top 10 flavors and fragrance trends to watch in 2013, a “desire for nostalgic and familiar American flavors” was reflected. xcvii CNN Living posted a story boasting the title, “Cupcake passion more than a trend” in early 2010, supporting that “the nostalgic cupcake craze is prepared for a long stay.” xcviii The nostalgic appeal for high-‐end cupcakes is a popular choice and reminder of the good ole days of box-‐mix cupcakes at elementary school classroom parties. A modern case for yesteryear sweets is best exemplified by Sprinkles Cupcakes, which opened its doors in 2005 xcix and created what the Los Angeles Times called the “haute cupcake craze.” The Food Network hailed Sprinkles as “the world’s first cupcake bakery.” c Sprinkles Cupcakes is a product of a holistic approach to nostalgia. Cupcakes were not yet a trend when founder Candace Nelson approached her business venture, but she has now “reinvested” the way America feels about cupcakes. ci Nelson had no business experience, nor professional baking education, but simply wanted to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother’s knack for desserts. When she and her husband built Sprinkles Cupcakes, the agreed-‐upon approach to the operation was using simple, pure ingredients. Nelson experimented for two years with different 49 ingredients and branding, and explored all possible options for a location until she came to what is now a thriving business of reinvented classic cupcakes. cii The red velvet cupcake, Sprinkle’s most popular flavor, ciii exemplifies a successful delivery of nostalgia, in that Nelson made something old new again by taking a classic 1940s-‐1950s bakery staple and “sampling up the cocoa, toning down the food coloring and creating a well-‐balanced cream cheese frosting” to make it a unique Sprinkles recipe. civ Sprinkles Cupcakes has authenticity, originality, heritage and the best peanut-‐butter-‐chocolate chip cupcake that this author would vouch for any day. The author remembers her first experience at Sprinkles and making a field trip of it with her mother, who was in town visiting her while away at college in Arizona. She un-‐shamefully still holds the receipt from that first experience and carries the memory of that day when the two of them indulged without a care about calorie content, sharing one cupcake with two forks and reenacting a scene better than their nostalgic memory of sharing a bowl of Top Ramen noodles. Nelson used nostalgia to essentially create something out of nothing, battling an untapped market with no proven business model of success and the height of the low-‐carb diet craze (in 2005) standing in her way. cv Now, the brand has reinvented another two American classics – ice cream 50 and cookies, serving them up in its Beverly Hills, Dallas and Newport Beach, Calif. locations. cvi In a market saturated with frozen yogurt, Nelson took the route of differentiation as a strategy and brought back the desirability for old-‐ fashion ice cream. The line-‐up of ice cream flavors include classics with a twist (i.e. butter pecan, mint chip), along with flavors inspired by Sprinkles Cupcakes flavors (i.e. black and white, red velvet). There is even an ode to Captain Crunch cereal in scoop-‐able form. The full ice cream experience is in the delivery, in that Sprinkles provides the option of having your ice cream in a red velvet waffle cone, pressed between Sprinkles cupcake tops -‐ like a play on an ice cream sandwich -‐ or in a retro version of a sundae. cvii The author’s trip to Sprinkles Newport Beach for Sprinkles Ice Cream was one expected to deliver on high expectations and nothing short of sweet nostalgia, just as its parent, Sprinkles Cupcakes, had done prior. The line was long – always a good sign, and before even getting a peak at the creamy concoctions to choose from, she was distracted by the consumers all posting to Instagram, photos of their almost-‐too-‐pretty-‐to-‐eat treats. It was hard to imagine that it was every person’s first time in this store, yet by the obvious excitement among all groups there, it would have been a fair judgment. Sprinkles Ice Cream was where the “cool” could be found, 51 and was where you wanted to be tagging yourself on social media for all to see. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Nelson attributed her inspiration for Sprinkles Cookies to her childhood obsession with Mrs. Fields Cookies. Nelson said, “[I] was obsessed with Mrs. Fields growing up. She reinvented the chocolate-‐chip cookie and represented the ultimate 80s ‘working girl’ to me.” cviii Nelson is now her own legend with cupcakes, ice cream and cookies that all deliver on the brand’s nostalgic promise: basics with a twist. Of those nostalgic promises, the bakery’s special-‐edition S’mores cupcake is one flavor that has fans wanting “some more,” and a time-‐honored backyard treat that other chefs are playing with in their kitchens. B. S’mores Sprinkle’s Cupcakes first debuted its S’mores flavor in 2012 as a limited time cupcake for charity. Due to its rampant popularity, Sprinkles and project partner, actress Blake Lively, raised $35,000 for Oxfam, an international organization working to fight poverty and injustice. Its popularity also prompted a promise to Sprinkles customers that the S’more cupcake would reappear as part of Sprinkle’s menu of rotating monthly features. cix 52 However, Sprinkle’s Cupcakes was not an early adopter in saluting to the traditional combination of a roasted marshmallow and slab of chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers. A S’more, which has been generally accepted as a contraction for “some more,” has been a summertime campfire necessity since the 1920s. The first recorded recipe is a salute to the Girls Scouts of America in the 1927 publication, Trampling and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. cx The S’mores mania has since carried over into the kitchen, thus formalizing the S’more eating experience to more than the traditional roughing-‐it-‐while-‐camping one. Popular eateries put S’mores “back in style” in 1997, according to Restaurant Business. The article highlights restaurants and food establishments throughout the country that recreated the gooey S’more as part of joining the then-‐booming nostalgic food trend. cxi Fast-‐forward to today and the S’more is being introduced as a product of cutting-‐edge technology and innovation. It is no longer relegated to the campfire as it is a flavor trend that is popping up in cereals, ice cream, donuts, nutrition bars and cocktails. New York City even hosts a bakery solely dedicated to the omnipresent outdoor snack, called S’mores Bakery. cxii 53 One of S’mores many makeovers is evident in Dairy Queen’s June 2013 Blizzard of the Month: the S’mores Blizzard. Mixing nostalgic gooey and crunchiness with a nostalgic cool classic (ice cream) is best described by Dairy Queen itself as “campfire in a cup.” cxiii Dairy Queen reinvented a classic, providing a convenient and refreshing way to enjoy S’mores. Connecting with consumers over a collective imagination of the flavor of S’mores triggered a strong attachment to memory amongst its focus group participants. According to Barry Westruum, executive vice president of Marketing for American Dairy Queen Corporation (ADQ), “The S’mores Blizzard Treat tested off the charts.” cxiv Desirability for the nostalgic treat is still high, as it is trending on Twitter as #SmoresBLIZZARD. Fear of the S’more Blizzard-‐apocalypse has fans tweeting that it needs to be made a permanent treat. cxv Some of its 6.3 million fans on Facebook are speaking out, claiming it is the “best blizzard ever.” cxvi Dairy Queen has increased the sustainability and endurance of the S’more, but has also captivated the nostalgic craze beyond the campfire-‐ staple flavor. It’s line up of ‘Candy Cravers’ Blizzards feature candy mix-‐ ins like Reese, Smarties, Skor, Crunch Bar, Rolo and Kit Kat, cxvii all of which are brands that parents and their kids, Gen Yers and everyone in between can pin-‐point as part of the American culture. Dairy Queen’s 4.3 54 million-‐member Blizzard Fan Club may not be a direct relationship to its success with nostalgia, but it is a fair measurement of its ability to understand its consumer audience. cxviii Dairy Queen’s interpretation of the S’more is a “cool” (literally) and fun approach, but on the opposite spectrum, others have sought to dissect the classic elements of a S’more and create a treat for the more sophisticated palate. The author savored one such example of a gourmet S’more at a hometown favorite of hers, Haven Gastropub in Orange, Calif. Haven’s in-‐ house pastry chef Santanna Salas cxix highlighted a coconut-‐infused marshmallow in her dessert as an ode to the lavish campfire dessert. The marshmallow appeared to have been torched and layered over milk chocolate, honey ganache and graham cracker. The subtle substitutes were still familiar enough to relate to, but customized to an adult palate that the author found charming and delectable. For that matter, Haven Gastropub’s complete dessert menu nails down nostalgia, what with options to indulge in ‘Cookies and Milk’ or ‘House-‐made Doughnuts’ served alongside Jameson caramel and Nutella sauce. cxx Other alternatives that are breaking the rules to the traditional S’more taste are the S’more in a jar, the spiked S’more, deconstructed, almost-‐ 55 unrecognizable substitutes, and this author’s two personal favorites: the bacon S’more and the S’muffin. Shon Foster, the chef at the Amangirl resort in Canyon Point, Utah has been recognized by Bon Appetit for his hickory-‐meets-‐pear flavored bacon S’more. He plans to feature it at the Southern Ground Music & Food Festival in Nashville in Fall 2013, at which point this author will be scouring online for pictures to digitally drool over. cxxi Bon Appetit also recognized Carmen Linder, a self-‐ascribed “Los Angeles mom,” and her creation, the S’muffin. cxxii S’muffins are mini muffins with a traditional graham cracker and marshmallow component that are topped and stuffed with a chocolate candy of choice, including either milk, dark, cookies and crème, Almond Joy or chocolate with caramel. The cherry on top (only figuratively speaking) is that S’muffins are then dipped in either dark or white chocolate. cxxiii Since first being featured on ABC’s show ‘Shark Tank’ on February 15, 2013, cxxiv the accessibility of the S’muffin has reached new limits, as evident by its availability at popular Los Angeles markets and bakeries cxxv and online at Williams-‐Sonoma. cxxvi Equally as nostalgic as its taste is the experience of learning how to make a S’more. This author personally cannot have a S’more without thinking about the scene from the 1993 movie The Sandlot, when Ham Porter takes Smalls through the step-‐by-‐step process of making his first S’more 56 at a team tree-‐house sleepover. This sentimental, comical moment still resonates 20 years later and is an experience restaurants are re-‐creating by offering a build-‐your-‐own S’mores dessert. The author can recall enjoying her first indoor S’more at Cosi restaurant in Southern California’s Costa Mesa Metro Pointe back in 2010. Cosi eliminated the need to buy beach wood and camp out at a bonfire to experience roasting marshmallows on an open flame. Cosi’s unique twist: adding Oreo’s to the plate of staple S’more ingredients. Another tableside S’mores experience, Salut Kitchen Bar in Tempe, Ariz. markets its make-‐ it-‐yourself S’more dessert with a bottle of wine for 20 dollars on Monday and Tuesday nights. cxxvii Salut Kitchen Bar appeals to the town’s massive network of college students from Arizona State University, providing a nostalgic escape for their feelings of homesickness and summertime campfires, while also appealing to a new hobby of theirs: happy hour. The burden of student loans does not weigh so heavily on the swipe of a credit card when a nostalgic deal like this is available. C. Hybrid Desserts & The Cronut Nostalgia is not just an end effect of a product, but is often the root cause for inspiration in many chefs’ retro reformulations of old recipes. The rise of the hybrid dessert trend shows that everything old really can become new again when chefs put their inventor caps on. 57 Hybrid desserts are a fusion of two classics that (are intended) to proportionately clash, creating a new mind-‐blowing flavor. Childhood-‐ inspired confections are often the origin for these mash-‐ups. Cake pops are a crowd-‐pleasing example in the category of hybrid desserts that provide fun-‐sized, less-‐guilty portion-‐controlled balls of cake on a stick. These petite morsels of cake and frosting went viral in 2008 after Angie Dudley, an Atlanta graphic designer by day and baker by night, shared her kitchen experimentation on her Bakerella blog and later appeared on Martha Stewart’s daytime show. cxxviii Forbes recognized cake pops as a Top 10 Food Trend for 2011 cxxix and this trendy treat has continued to stay relevant as it was listed on Epicurious’ Top Food Trends for 2013. cxxx These treats taste no different than classic cake yet they elicit the fun and innovative components of a nostalgic dish, as well as versatility and portability – two components today’s instant gratification-‐ demanding consumer wants. Pinterest is popping with online pinboards dedicated solely to cake pop ideas, providing Pinners with a refreshing take on nostalgic classics, like wedding cakes and birthday cakes. This author has been a witness to the high request and demand for cake pops at social scenes, like birthday parties and weddings, and is a frequent buyer of Starbucks’s birthday cake pops. She attests that there is no better cure to a mid-‐week slump like throwing a party for your palate 58 with a pink sprinkled birthday cake pop. And, it can be said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and while it may be an unintended compliment to Ms. Bakerella, the fact that cake pops are a staple in Starbuck’s food case is an accolade that has earned this trend mainstream fame. cxxxi State and county fairs are host to an array of coma-‐inducing hybrid concoctions, as this author can recall seeing fair attendees at this summer’s Orange County Fair, enjoying sweet and salty combinations of chocolate-‐covered bacon and Texas Maple Doughnuts. Traditional fair fare is nostalgic within itself, as it is generally food not enjoyed on a daily basis and is, for most, enjoyed for a limited time upon the local fair’s annual arrival. Adding new hybrid desserts to the mix of options every year adds an element of re-‐invention to the traditional event. The launch of Carl’s Jr.’s breakfast-‐dessert hybrid, the Strawberry Pop-‐ Tart Ice Cream Sandwich, brought nostalgia to the drive-‐thru. It is the combination of an old-‐fashioned classic ice cream sandwich and that sugary mockery of breakfast that every 90s child can recall begging their mother to buy. After its brief testing phase in the Orange County, Calif. market in April 2013, news spread like wildfire and the Pop-‐Tart Ice Cream Sandwich quickly went viral. Jimmy Kimmel boasted about it on his Late Night Show saying, “Is Carl’s Jr. reading my dream journal?” cxxxii 59 Carl’s Jr. successfully expanded the imagination of nostalgia by creating a new product based on old ideas. America’s newest hybrid obsession is the gastronomic mash-‐up of a donut and croissant – the Cronut. The “Cronut Craze” has amassed a large following on social media and its reputation has yielded itself as the most viral dessert to date. cxxxiii The mastermind behind this unconventional recipe, Dominique Ansel served his first batch of Cronuts on May 10, 2013. Just one month later, first-‐timers and repeat customers began taking the phrase “early bird gets the worm” to a whole new level, lining up in front of Ansel’s New York bakery as early as two-‐and-‐a-‐half hours prior to opening, at which point the bakery would sell out of its daily batch of 300 within just 30 minutes. cxxxiv Ansel was forced to respond to such high demand by limiting in-‐store purchases to two per customer and pre-‐order purchases to six per order. cxxxv This pastry has spawned new markets, including the Cronut movement (www.cronut.org) cxxxvi and the Cronut black market, where Craiglist scalpers wait in line and resell them online up to five times the original price. cxxxvii The phenomenal rise of the Cronut and its supporting cult can be attributed to fan affinity from local influencers and a clear and controlled business model. However, Ansel’s focused strategy on differentiation is the root of the Cronut’s competitive advantage. Ansel succeeded in 60 creating a demand for a product in a market not yet born by capitalizing on the popularity of two existing foods. Intentional or not, choosing the doughnut as part of his crossbred re-‐creation was an advantageous move in regards to industry trends. Doughnuts are a nostalgia-‐inducing treat that is gaining popularity on its own grounds. According to research firm Datassential's (2013) Menus Trends data, doughnuts are on 4 percent of all restaurant menus in America, which is an increase of 27 percent since 2008. Additionally, made-‐to-‐order doughnuts were nowhere to be found in the segment of fine dining in 2008, and now (in 2013), they appear on six percent of all menus. cxxxviii The Cronut is evidence that convergence of nostalgia is twice as sweet as a treat made from scratch. His latest invention, the Frozen S’more, further justifies his attention to the nostalgic craze and is a product that consumers are more than willing to pay a high premium for. cxxxix D. Classic American Sandwiches To create the greatest thing since sliced bread, chefs, restaurateurs and food truck owners across the country are taking to sandwich bread like a blank canvas and creating edible art inspired by America’s most comforting sandwiches. The grilled cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are American staples reserved not just for childhood lunch time, college dorm dinners and lazy weeknights, but are spreading 61 themselves thick across menus in America as customized, gourmet reinventions. 1. The Grilled Cheese The simple combination of bread, butter and cheese gained popularity in America in the 1920s as an opened face version, referred to at the time as either “toasted cheese” or “melted cheese.” The grilled cheese warmed the hearts and bellies of Americans during the Great Depression of the 1930s, where it earned its mainstay in American kitchens and school cafeterias for it was a cheap, convenient and relatively nutritious option. cxl Today, Americans consume more than 2.2 billion grilled cheese sandwiches a year, according to the consumer research firm NDP Group Inc. cxli The glory days for the grilled cheese sandwich are here to stay, as evident by a Google search on "how to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich" that produces nearly 7.3 million hits. Food & Wine, Woman’s Day, The Huffington Post and CBS Los Angeles are proponents for its newsworthiness as well, as all have featured stories advocating where to find the best grilled cheese in the United States. cxlii Restaurants and food trucks across the country are satisfying sandwich aficionados’ nostalgic taste for the glorious grilled cheese, putting an adult spin on the quintessential white bread-‐and-‐processed cheese combo. The Melt Shop in New York City set up shop on the grounds of 62 “serving the most delicious grilled cheese on the planet.” Since opening its doors in April 2011 during National Grilled Cheese Month, Melt Shop has been a hot ticket press item with features in Zagat, Cooking Channel, New York, CNN Eatocracy, Eater, CBS New York, ABC’s Good Morning America and many more. cxliii Entrepreneur and owner Spencer Rubin expanded the consumers’ taste horizon with contemporary updates to the grilled cheese before anyone else in the city had thought to capitalize on the nostalgic possibilities. cxliv Rubin capitalized on a simple love for grilled cheese sandwiches but also pushed past safe borders of what constituted the classic grilled cheese. The Melt Shop speaks to the gourmet palate with options like the ‘Truffle Melt’ with havarti and truffle oil. It also speaks to the man-‐food connoisseur with its ‘The Dirty’ version, which includes crunchy potato chips, pickled jalapenos and pepper jack cheese. cxlv The Melt Shop meets the demand for innovation and a contemporary update, but holds true to the budget-‐friendly root that gave rise to America’s fixation with the grilled cheese. Unfortunately for West Coasters, The Melt Shop is merely a nostalgic dream that one can only experience vicariously through its commendable, rich-‐in-‐detail Yelp, Urbanspoon and Seamless reviews. The author has had the experience of indulging in Los Angeles’ The Grilled Cheese Truck. The business started out as a weekend activity for 63 L.A. chef Dave Danhi who then proceeded to enter the Los Angeles Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational in 2009. The avenue for profit seemed so clear when Danhi saw the hour-‐long wait fans were succumbing to in order to enjoy a gooey serving of nostalgia. However, where Danhi differentiated himself from the grilled cheese trend taking off in restaurants and eateries was by bringing his product directly to the consumer, via a mobile foodservice. cxlvi Furthermore, The Grilled Cheese Truck harnessed the power of Internet technology in its strategy by providing fans with location tracking information on its social networking sites and official website as it rolled out from Los Angeles to Texas. Fans flocked to the innovative concept before the first taste. The Grilled Cheese Truck official Twitter page reached 2,500 followers before Danhi had keys to the truck, and within five months, the page had a following of over 13,000. cxlvii L.A.’s foodies of TheDailyMeal.com recently awarded The Grilled Cheese Truck as one of “Los Angeles 15 Best Food Trucks for 2013” and University of Southern California’s students hail it as a “Top 10 Mac & Cheese Joint in L.A,” for a reason that will soon present itself. cxlviii Its chain of complementary business activities, such as its operations and strategic attention to customer service provide The Grilled Cheese Truck with a competitive advantage, but its innovative menu is the moneymaker. The array of melts offered reignite a bit of childhood 64 nostalgia. National and cultural preferences are accounted for with the build-‐it-‐yourself option, so there is no discrimination for what defines a consumer’s nostalgic grilled cheese sandwich. Some options even offer a double serving of nostalgia. For example, the “Cheesy Mac and Rib” combines two childhood favorites: macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese, while the “S’more Melt” salutes the campfire treat between a Panini press as opposed to over an open flame. cxlix The Grilled Cheese Truck does not hold back in its contemporary updates to the traditional sandwich. The grilled cheese has been a host to generations of palates and while the trend is changing the traditional taste, the traditional inspiration still creates a gratifying comfort and sentimental retro-‐feeling. 2. The Peanut Butter and Jelly The traditional combination of sweet jelly and slightly-‐salty peanut butter is one nostalgic treat spread thick across America. According to the National Peanut Board, “The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before he/she graduates high school.” cl Consumption has now transformed into a nostalgic indulgence that is no longer reserved for the brown bag. 65 Food combinations often come and go and fall as victim to the label of yesterday’s fad, but the winning combination of peanut butter and jelly is a marriage of flavors with lasting influence. One of the first places to dress up the classic peanut butter and jelly was the Peanut Butter & Co. shop in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. cli The shop offers 20 options, ranging from classics like the unaltered “Lunchbox Special” with peanut butter and strawberry or grape jelly, to its pregnant lady-‐inspired concoction of peanut butter and pickles. The shop’s plate of celery, peanut butter and raisins (“Ants on a Log”) is a nosh that Peanut Butter & Co. reinforces as a nostalgic ode to childhood snack time by beginning the dish’s description with: “Memories of kindergarten will come flooding back as you munch on…” clii Owner and president of New York’s world famous Peanut Butter & Co., cliii Lee Zalben began whipping up wacky peanut butter-‐based sandwiches amongst friends at late night study sessions during his undergraduate years at Vassar College (New York). Peanut Butter & Co. is a product of Zalben’s own nostalgic love for the protein-‐filled glue, otherwise known as peanut butter. He further leveraged innovation when he bottled up his own peanut butter formulas in retail jars, selling them in-‐store and online just a year after opening up shop. cliv Peanut Butter & Co. pioneered the market for specialty peanut butter, with now 10 different flavors to-‐date, including Mighty Maple, The Bee’s Knees (honey blended in with peanut 66 butter) and Dark Chocolate Dreams. clv The brand has reinvented both the dining-‐out sandwich eating experience, as well as the American family’s peanut butter pantry. From 1998 to now, chefs have been reverting to their inner child cravings for peanut butter and jelly. We see them using artisan breads and gourmet mix-‐ins to transform a lunchbox tradition into childhood-‐meets-‐ grown-‐up delicious decadence. This author’s favorite’s to-‐date are definitely not like mom use to make, but sweeter, and fried. The 320 Main in Seal Beach, Calif. serves their version of the nostalgic treat with strawberry jelly, marshmallow fluff smashed between French bread and deep-‐fried. clvi The 320 Main provides fine diners with a nostalgic ending to a sophisticated meal of a 35-‐day dry-‐aged rib eye and wine, making it socially acceptable to surrender to a childhood craving and throw manners off the table once dessert is served. Constructing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich has evolved from a traditional 3-‐ingredient recipe to one open for interpretation, substitutions and personal touches. While the purity of the original version will forever hold a spot in America’s food culture, the perpetual quest to refine the PB&J is an escalating trend. Menus across the country are featuring the combo at the crack of dawn in the form of pancakes and French toast. Flip the menu to the dessert side and one will see that the 67 classic pairing is being mixed with sugar, flour and other baking essentials and being served in the form of shakes, brownies, tarts and cookies. Peanut butter and jelly knows no boundaries now and is inspiring Pinners (of Pinterest) and Instagram foodies to create and share their own plays on PB & J at home. Bruxie, the Southern California sweet and savory gourmet waffle sandwich shop, nixes the bread for a light and crisp waffle in serving up its peanut butter and jelly and grilled cheese adaptations. clvii The shop’s first location opened in historic Old Towne Orange, Calif. in November 2010. clviii The Orange location fits the ambiance of Old Towne Orange’s nostalgic vibe of antique shops and vintage candy stores. Its peanut butter and jelly and Tillamook cheddar-‐and-‐gruyere grilled cheese adaptations are throwbacks to simpler times and have been especially popular to the surrounding college students of Chapman University, who make the shop’s line-‐to-‐order overwhelming any time school is in session. Bruxie’s price point pays homage to America’s sensitive budget during economic downturns. Food critic Shuji Sakai attested to this in an OC Weekly review saying, “Even though nothing on the menu costs more than $8, it's obvious [Bruxie is] using premium ingredients (the smoked salmon, the prosciutto, the chocolate, the cane-‐sugar-‐sweetened fountain drinks made by an Orange County soda company) and prepare the food with technical precision." clix Bruxie defends the consumer during 68 economic hard times, upping the cultural value of previously mundane sandwiches. New waves of nostalgia continue to support America’s love affair with food that reminds them of simpler times. Restaurants, food trucks and mom-‐and-‐ pop eateries are catering to this renewed interest for old-‐fashion American food, giving consumers nostalgia they can savor, sip on or sink their teeth into. For the purpose of this thesis, the exploration of foods rising with the nostalgic food trend will cease here. However, the evolution of the nostalgic food trend is just as all encompassing and quick-‐to-‐change as the culture of the people it serves. IV. The Lessons Learned: How to Make Nostalgic Food Leave a Tasty Impression Lust for feel-‐good foods that connect consumers with the days when living was easy is the pull factor driving the success of the nostalgic food trend. However, this author argues that the trend has turned mainstream, and that the now-‐mainstream love for nostalgic food is owed to the winning combination of strategic tracking, planning and analysis, paired with talent and passion. Public relations “best practices” teaches that proper process, checks and testing will lessen the probability of problems and unforeseen complications 69 in any project. clx A strategic evaluation of the nostalgic food trend and where some have succeeded and others have failed is a reliable qualitative tool for an aspiring entrant into the market. Likewise, executing a nostalgic dish and achieving the desired response is a product of understanding consumer behavior and competing, or complementing industry trends. Finally, talent in the kitchen, self-‐driven passion and a forward-‐thinking mindset are essential ingredients to any nostalgic dish with a lasting impression. Many of the menus and nostalgic foods this thesis explored are products of restaurants and brands that embodied these impressive elements. More often than not, they are not by definition, “vintage,” yet they have succeeded in branding, messaging and producing food with an air of nostalgia. The success of these restaurants and brands provide a framework of implications worth asserting as useful approaches to making nostalgic food stick. The thesis thus far lends the answer to what elements of nostalgia are most prevalent in the food business and what elements have been key in creating a mainstream love for nostalgic foods. It lays out examples of how restaurants and brands are adopting the trend by either contemporizing nostalgic classics or using it as a marketing tool. The succeeding three broad approaches are thematic strategies this thesis has shown to provide success for nostalgic menus and branding. 70 A. Understanding & Connecting With Your Audience In order to truly strike an emotional responsive cord with a target audience, it is important to understand them. The imperative question, “How do you get them to care?” is a matter of knowing what the consumer wants and needs. Tapping the nostalgic vein in edible fashion is a matter of understanding what drives eating behavior and also understanding the diners’ defining psychographics, like culture, current lifestyle and their formative years. Knowing and understanding the target audience is the ultimate currency in inspiring adoption of a nostalgic food trend. Updating favorite childhood food experiences into haute epicurean versions is effective when culture and community traditions are accounted for. Connecting to culture involves attention to authenticity, and in the case of nostalgia, an attention to simplicity. It is also important to note that America is the melting pot of culture and thus is host to an array of regional cuisines and traditional comfort foods (i.e. Southern, American barbeque, etc.). Combine that with the fact that each passing generation becomes more ethnically and culturally diverse bears the importance of taking into account culture when it comes to pleasing palates. clxi Fortunately though for the nostalgic food trend, culture is not static. Diversity, travel and globalization connote an America made up of more adventurous palates with which restaurants and eateries can work. 71 All of these elements are key to understanding target audiences and thus getting that audience on board with a specific nostalgic food trend. Understanding a target audiences’ current lifestyle is an equally important factor in getting them to gravitate towards a nostalgic food trend. Just as with any effective attempt at product adoption, the seller must make adoption easy and an opportunistic trade-‐off. The nostalgic food trend works the same way in that restaurants and brands will be more effective at getting today’s consumers to accept the retro spin on their favorite food if it meets their needs for convenience, choice and budget-‐friendly options. Today’s consumers’ desires for convenience and choice have become strategy for restaurants building on the nostalgic food trend. When L.A. chef Dave Danhi put his food concept on wheels with The Grilled Cheese Truck, he created a convenient and fun approach to dining that resonated with an array of audiences hungry for a grilled cheese. Additionally, Danhi provided a variety of sweet and savory choices beyond the traditional grilled cheese, as well as a customize-‐your-‐own option. Recall that the Peanut Butter & Co. shop serves 20 choices and the option to savor the shop’s peanut butter at home. Convenience and choice create value for nostalgic childhood foods as part of everyday life once again. 72 The “healthy” choice has also impacted consumers buying and eating habits over the last decade. The year 2003 was the year the low-‐carb diet craze swept the nation and cardiologist Arthur Agatson’s The South Beach Diet was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 96 consecutive weeks. clxii The next year, the award-‐winning documentary, Super Size Me hit theaters; chronicling filmmaker Morgan Spurlock’s deteriorating health during his month-‐long experiment eating only McDonalds, thus creating a new fear of fast food. clxiii Between 2008 and 2009, the Organic Trade Association reported an increase in demand for organic products and an annual sales increase of $4.8 to $24 million. clxiv Fast forward to 2013 and the demand for organic and natural ingredients is still widespread, along with foods to fit the trending gluten-‐free and clean-‐eating lifestyles. clxv The restaurant and food industries are meeting the demands for this macro trend of healthy choices without compromising on nostalgia. Substitution ingredients are key to better-‐for-‐you versions of traditional nostalgic foods. Sprinkles Cupcakes met the challenge of providing for the non-‐standard sweet-‐tooth aficionado by putting a gluten-‐free, sugar-‐free and vegan twist on its classic red velvet cupcake. clxvi Peanut Butter & Co.’s shop provides health-‐conscious New Yorkers, tourists and everyone in-‐ between with the option of “whole wheat” or “vegan black” bread if “bakery white” does not suit their tastes. clxvii 73 While this thesis only alludes to comfort food as part of the nostalgic trend, it is a market of consumption now trending with healthy versions of old traditions. This observant author has been especially keen to the advent of healthy staples into traditionally high-‐caloric, fattening foods. For example, restaurants are slanting the ultimate Southern comfort meal of fried chicken and mashed potatoes into lean, clean dishes, making oven-‐baked chicken the “new” deep-‐fried chicken. Colonel Sanders jumped on the bandwagon with the launch of KFC Grilled Chicken in 2009, promoting it as a healthy alternative to its fried chicken recipe. clxviii Stigma for starches and renewed interest for high-‐protein, low-‐carb diets have prompted the trend for mashed cauliflower in replacement of the standard potato-‐based side dish. The health-‐conscious choice is a powerful part of consumers’ driving behavior, and thus a valuable tool in considering how to slant a traditional dish for nostalgic pleasure. Part of the ambiance of indulging in nostalgic food is the happy sentiment of swallowing a less than overwhelming bill. This thesis supports that nostalgic food gains traction during economic downturns, as consumers look to consume foods that remind them of simpler times. They also make a point not to participate in commercial transactions that add to financial stress. The Peanut Butter & Co. shop, the Grilled Cheese Truck and Bruxie are just a few examples referenced in this thesis that adhere to the value-‐ 74 conscious client who demands traditional nostalgic food at a lower price point. On the other hand, evaluation of consumer behavior towards nostalgic food trends also shows consumers are willing to pay a premium for an individual item with which they have a strong nostalgic relationship. This is shown evident by the demand for the Cronut. Sprinkles Cupcakes is also a premium that consumers are willing to splurge on, what with prices set at $3.25 per cupcake in-‐store and $4 at Sprinkles Cupcakes ATMs. clxix Both the Cronut and Sprinkles Cupcakes are fresh takes on differentiation and are examples of previously-‐cheap thrills made into premium fare. Consumers’ age and formative years are both key to their identity and behavioral drive in food consumption. Every consumer has a bank of childhood memories, many of which are influenced by the social norms of the generation in which they grew up. Choosing what nostalgic dish to rehash in the kitchen is contingent upon the targeted generation and their nostalgic relationship with a product. The idea is to mirror the targeted generation’s childhood with the present. For example, the resurgence of the 90’s food culture, as evident by Carl’s Jr.’s Strawberry Pop-‐Tart Ice Cream Sandwich (among others) is an example of a strategic throwback and a piece of history that today’s twenty-‐something demographic mutually recognizes and can now enjoy together again. 75 While eating styles and behaviors are demographically different, nostalgic food allows for the convergence of generations. Nostalgia is truly an intergenerational phenomenon. For example, grandparents and grandkids and Generation X and Generation Y may all have different memories of eating a S’more, but among all, there is a common thread of propensity toward nostalgia when S’mores are of conversation. When a generation collectively reminisces over adolescence, their memories resurface as new memories for the next generation. Fred Davis, author of Yearning for Yesterday: A Sociology of Nostalgia (1979), investigated this process of recycling nostalgic revival, noting that, “When today's adolescents reach middle age it is probable that their nostalgic revivals will include symbolic fragments and residues of what had been the nostalgia of their parents." clxx And, while demographics are important in understanding audiences’ relationship to nostalgia, several researchers suggest nostalgia need not be limited to individual experiences. Marketing researchers Havlena and Holak (1996, 2007) argue that consumers can have an emotional preference for objects that were before their time through memories of families and friends (interpersonal nostalgia) or through different channels of entertainment (virtual nostalgia). clxxi Thus, the potential favorability of a nostalgic food trend can be for everyone so long as the food connects to a collective imagination. 76 The nostalgic food trend speaks to culture and individual wants and needs and creates a warm feeling of refuge from today’s current instability. B. Making It About More Than The Food Food is not an isolated experience. It is profoundly social. Food is culturally valued as a bonding experience. A meal brings families together around the table and provides the opportunity to make “family dinner” a part of children’s’ heritage and their future. Brunch and happy hour are convenient excuses to savor and socialize. Food is an occasion for celebrating, expressing thanks and even mourning. As Charles Camp argues in his book American Foodways: What, When, Why, and How We Eat in America, “Food matters culturally because it expresses, reflects, and enacts values which are both openly attested to and privately held” (Camp 1989: 23). clxxii Nostalgia further amplifies the social experience to one where both plates and memories can be shared. Nostalgic menu items have the ability to call forth narratives of history and values and foster communities over a bond for food. When a nostalgic food can rehash memories of favorite childhood dishes, family occasions, traditional celebration meals or first attempts in the kitchen, those consumers now have a bond not just with 77 the food, but now have a new memory and new bond with the restaurant/brand. Nostalgic food typifies edible fun and a near-‐guilty pleasure. Thus, when restaurants capitalize on the social experience of dining and make something old new again, diners have the opportunity to expand their taste horizons and explore something new together. This author can recall the heightened expectations that she and her mother had of their planned Sprinkles Cupcake visit; and also, seeing for-‐the-‐first-‐time the television commercial for the Dairy Queen S’more blizzard and making a date with her boyfriend on the couch to go the next day. Reliving the good ole days in new ways never gets old. C. Use the Spreadable Force of Social Media to Build a Community The social experience of dining has been further fueled by the influence of social media. Digital media and social networks have impacted food culture and the way today’s tech-‐obsessed, mobile-‐connected consumers share and connect with others over a meal. A study jointly developed by consumer research firm The Hartman Group and Publicis Consultants USA called Clicks & Cravings: The Impact of Social Technology on Food Culture, reveals that almost 50 percent of consumers learn about food through network sites, like Twitter and Facebook, and 40 percent search for recipes and culinary trends through websites, apps or blogs. clxxiii 78 These statistics illustrate a modern shift in food culture as one that is truly digitalized. Social dining is no longer limited to physically enjoying a meal together in real-‐time. The infiltration of social media into the food experience has created a new market for consumers to share their dining experience with the online world and crowdsource – or utilize information contributed to the general public, often via the Internet and without compensation clxxiv – for information amongst like-‐minded foodies, favorite restaurants and beloved brands. clxxv Social media provides restaurants and brands with access to consumers beyond the point-‐of-‐purchase and expands outreach beyond the confines of the restaurant space. Virtual space is a powerful asset for enriching relationships and building up a community of active brand participants and repeat customers. As previously referenced, The Cronut catapulted into a craze as a result of New York foodie fever and local influencers who flocked to social media and blogs and made it viral. clxxvi The Los Angeles-‐based Grilled Cheese Truck grew its business by injecting a social dimension into its dining experience, providing the 79 option to add the business to one’s Twitter notification list via his or her mobile phone, to receive instant text messages with information on the truck’s daily location, menu specials and hours of operation. clxxvii The success story of Carl’s Jr.’s nationwide launch of the Strawberry Pop-‐ Tart Ice Cream Sandwich is one attributable to social media monitoring. The initial strategy was to test the product at limited locations in Southern California in spring 2013. After its short-‐lived test-‐run, nostalgic outcry for its return grew loud across social media. Carl’s Jr. listened and in July, rolled out its hand-‐scooped Strawberry Pop-‐Tart Ice Sandwich to its nearly 1,400 restaurants. clxxviii Recall that Oreo gave voice to fans, inviting them to share their memories with Oreo and post their stories on the brand’s official website as part of its 100 th Anniversary global campaign. Oreo planned a party that its over-‐ 25 million Facebook fans across 183 countries could all attend. clxxix Oreo’s powerful strategy strengthened the Oreo-‐loving community and most notably appealed to Millennials by encouraging fans to orchestrate their own creative content online. The brand took a forward-‐thinking approach to fan integration by encouraging the use of YouTube and Facebook, but maintained authenticity and playfulness by resurrecting a celebration of the “the kid inside” its consumers. clxxx 80 Social networking is an advantageous shift in consumer attention. Networking sites lend themselves as storytelling platforms for nostalgic memories to be marketed and shared and are constructive avenues for tapping into fan emotions. Nostalgic food fans are championing products and dishes amongst their communities and providing value for restaurants and brands that take part in creating exciting and valuable content for online communities. To really master the nostalgic food trend, successful restaurants and brands are living online and working with the popular culture’s digitally social behaviors. Understanding your audience, socializing the food experience and embracing social media are effective strategies feeding the growth of the nostalgic food trend. The trend will continue to pulsate if restaurants connect with timeless consumer values, follow fads consumers are into, and allow for rediscovery of nostalgic foods amongst multigenerational and multicultural audiences with each passing year. V. Detractors to the Nostalgic Food Trend Identifying detractors is an important part of any successful strategic plan. Challenges and emerging detractors to the nostalgic food trend are worth weighting in order to understand how the trend will persist and maintain its mainstream attention. As so, the author has concluded the following detractors as formidable to the nostalgic food trend. 81 A. Skeptical Consumers Strong inclination towards original versions of family recipes and simple culinary memories are possible detractors for restaurants and brands that deliberately change and deconstruct traditional nostalgic treats. Nostalgia could taint childhood experiences of fond memories that people once cherished. Missing the mark can be especially problematic in today’s consumer-‐ driven world, one where the Internet empowers everyone to speak, create, and share his or her opinions with the world. Yelp and blogs specifically provide platforms for skeptical consumers to exercise their opinions and ill experiences with a restaurant and food. Skeptics may also view the constant backward gaze as problematic. In an article titled, “20 Things Everyone Thinks About the Food World (But Nobody Will Say),” authors of FirstWeFeast.com argued that nostalgia props up really bad food. “We fool ourselves into thinking that we are now adults by letting chefs serve us ‘elevated’ (read: more expensive) versions of the same shit we ate when we were 10, but at the end of the day perhaps we’re all just too scared to move on.” clxxxi 82 B. Financial Differences in Audiences Disposable income is a demographic trait that influences preferences, aversions and perceptions towards certain foods, and often creates a divide amongst consumers. One consumer might look at a particular food as a positive nostalgic reminder of childhood fun, while another may look at that same food as an unfortunate, shameful staple to one’s diet. For example, Top Ramen may remind food-‐secure consumers of college dorm days and is a group that can appreciate its nostalgic undertone, while the lower-‐income consumer may look at a renewed nostalgic ode to Top Ramen as a reminder of his or her family’s financial instability. clxxxii C. Expensive to Execute As with any innovation, the attempt to recreate a classic nostalgic dish is an expensive gamble that often involves high investment into advertising and marketing. Interbrand managing director Graham Hales cautions, “it is wrong to simply assume consumers will ‘dial into’ brand messages.” clxxxiii D. Diets Food memories cause even the most refined palates to swoon over Twinkies and grilled cheese sandwiches, but consumers choosing to rediscover a healthy relationship with food can be detractors to the nostalgic marketing push for high caloric, sugary junk food. The trend 83 toward gluten-‐free everything can be a challenging deterrent, and one worth watching. The gluten-‐free foods market grew 17 percent from 2012 to 2013, according to the Gluten Intolerance Group. clxxxiv Conscious vegans, the resurgence of low-‐carb and no-‐carb diets, paleo lifestyles, among others, are detractors to the nostalgic food trend. It is not impossible to appease these consumers and their lifestyles, but special attention to dietary restrictions and eating choices is an added effort. Failure to hit the nostalgic mark can encourage rejection for change and consequent discontent with new nostalgic food. VI. Closing Argument The nostalgic food trend is inspired by the old, but is one with new possibilities and unrestrictive growth. This thesis took a deep investigation into nostalgia, illustrating what, where and why nostalgia works in motivating consumer purchasing behavior. Restaurants and brands succeed in bringing past foods to their prime by harmonizing tradition, authenticity and consumer values with innovation, sociality and room for spreadability. This thesis further provided strong supporting examples of such restaurants and brands that appealed to multicultural, multigenerational audiences with heavy emphasis on creating a social experience and connecting with the 84 power of social media. Nostalgic food is a conversation starter; a reason to indulge; a trip down memory lane; and Instagram-‐worthy all wrapped together in a single serving. PR practitioners specializing in food must understand – and frankly, embrace – the deep psychological ramifications of nostalgia as both business and public relations strategy. It may come and go in waves, depending on what is happening economically and socially, but there will always be a need for nourishing comfort and reassurance in both personally and collectively vulnerable times. Nostalgic food will never go out of style and is a trend with mainstream flavor. 85 i Rutherford, Jana, and Eric H. Shaw. “What Was Old Is New Again: The History of Nostalgia as Buying Motive in Consumption Behavior.” Proceedings of the 15th Conference on Historical Analysis in Marketing. Ed. Leighann C. Neilson. New York, NY: Association for Historical Research in Marketing, May 2011. 157-‐166. ii Havlena, William J., and Susan L. Holak. “The Good Old Days: Observations on Nostalgia and Its Role in Consumer Behavior.” NA -‐ Advances in Consumer Research. Vol. 18. Eds. Holman, Rebecca H., and Michael R. 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Aug. 2013. <http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=best+grilled+cheese+shops+in+ ountry&ie=UTF-‐8&oe=UTF-‐8>. cxliii “Press.” Melt Shop. Oct. 2013. <http://meltshopnyc.com/press>. cxliv Dan. “Millennial Entrepeneur: Spencer Rubin.” Weblog post. Scratch. 26 Feb. 2013. Viacom Media Networks. Aug. 2013. <http://scratchblog.viacom.com/tag/melt-‐shop/>. cxlv “Menu.” Melt Shop. <http://meltshopnyc.com/menu>. cxlvi Kneiszel, Judy. “The Grilled Cheese Truck.” QSR. Journalistic, Inc. Aug. 2013. <http://www2.qsrmagazine.com/articles/ones_to_watch/142/grilled_cheese_truck 1.phtml>. 93 cxlvii Kneiszel, Judy. “The Grilled Cheese Truck.” QSR. Journalistic, Inc. Aug. 2013. <http://www2.qsrmagazine.com/articles/ones_to_watch/142/grilled_cheese_truck 1.phtml>. cxlviii “The Melty Buzz.” The Grilled Cheese Truck. 5 Dec. 2013. Grilled Cheese Inc. Aug. 2013. <http://www.thegrilledcheesetruck.com/Pages/PeopleTalk.aspx>. cxlix “Menu.” The Grilled Cheese Truck. 2011. Grilled Cheese Inc. 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Asset Metadata

Creator Boyle, Alecxandra (author)

Core Title Nostalgia: more than just the flavor of the week: a critical look at the movement of nostalgic food from "trend" to "mainstream"

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Strategic Public Relations

Publication Date 02/19/2014

Defense Date 05/16/2014

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag comfort food,food trends,nostalgia,nostalgic food,OAI-PMH Harvest

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Advisor Tenderich, Burghardt (committee chair), Floto, Jennifer D. (committee member), Lynch, Brenda (committee member)

Creator Email alecboylevb@aol.com,alecxanb@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-363150

Unique identifier UC11297407

Identifier etd-BoyleAlecx-2257.pdf (filename),usctheses-c3-363150 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-BoyleAlecx-2257.pdf

Dmrecord 363150

Document Type Thesis

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Boyle, Alecxandra

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The culinary evolution of nostalgic food was studied and supported with palatable evidence from past and present popular restaurants and food and beverage brands, which artfully and strategically dished out nostalgia on menus and in, what often became, top-selling, crave‐worthy products. Primary research regarding nostalgia as scientific and psychological literature was used to further illustrate the reoccurring incredible powers of nostalgia, especially in trying times of uncertainty. The author’s observation‐based secondary research serves as another supporting tier to the thesis’s ultimate conclusion—that America’s palate for nostalgic food, while it has its ups and down, is not a here‐today, gone‐tomorrow trend, but a mainstream cultural commodity rooted deep in our country’s appetite.