A Little Bit of Déjà Vu: How Brands Use Emotion and Culture to Build Connections
A makeup compact shaped like a Totally Spies! gadget. A Lizzie McGuire eyeshadow palette covered in colorful references to the early 2000s. A return of Kylie Jenner’s iconic “King Kylie” era through a new makeup collection. These brands all have one thing in common: they use makeup to make people remember.
Nostalgia has become one of the most recognizable strategies that brands use to connect with audiences, especially Millennials and Gen Z. From fashion bringing back Y2K trends to beauty brands collaborating with childhood television shows, companies are turning our childhood memories into marketing opportunities. For public relations (PR) professionals, nostalgia is particularly powerful because it gives audiences an emotional reason to pay attention, participate, and talk about a brand. “For brands, that emotional response creates an opportunity to build connections by activating the deep sensory memories tied to familiar people, places, sounds, and experiences.”
From Childhood TV to Our Vanity
One recent example comes from Belgian influencer and entrepreneur Gaëlle Garcia Diaz, who owns Martine Cosmetics. In September 2026, Martine Cosmetics partnered with Totally Spies! for a beauty collection inspired by the iconic animated show. The collection included products based on objects such as the Compowder and lipstick laser, turning items fans remember from the show into makeup products.
Banijay, which owns Totally Spies! brand, described the collaboration as a way to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary while creating a beauty collection rather than simply producing traditional merchandise. “This partnership allows us to celebrate the show’s legendary gadgets in a creative and original way. The collection offers something truly special that fans will instantly recognise, and combined with Martine Cosmetics’ reputation for creating high-quality, trend-driven beauty products, it is a collaboration that perfectly captures the fashion-forward spirit of the show.”
The strategy is clever from a PR perspective because the product itself became a conversation starter. Someone who grew up watching Totally Spies! would immediately recognize the Compowder and want to share it with friends who also remember the show. The product isn't just makeup; it is a piece of childhood memory. The collection sold out online in only 10 minutes.
Lizzie McGuire x Colour Pop
This approach isn't new to the beauty industry. In March 2021, ColourPop partnered with Disney for a Lizzie McGuire makeup collection. The collection included an eyeshadow palette, lip products, glitter gels, and blushes inspired by the colorful aesthetic of the early-2000s series.
These collaborations work because brands don't have to build an emotional relationship with the audience from scratch. The audience already has one.
Someone who watched Lizzie McGuire as a child does not need an explanation of why the character matters. The emotional connection was created years before the makeup collection existed.
Why Nostalgia Hits Different
It’s where nostalgia hits and this is where psychology becomes important.
Nostalgia lets brands connect a new product to an existing memory. Instead of simply communicating, “Here is our new product,” a brand can communicate something closer to, “Remember this part of your childhood?”
The second message has an emotional layer that the first one does not.
As someone who grew up in France and experienced many of these trends from a different cultural perspective, I think this is especially interesting. Pop culture does not always stop at borders. A television show, celebrity, beauty trend, or fashion moment can become part of someone's identity even when it comes from another country. That is part of what makes nostalgia so interesting in global communication: memories can travel.
2026 Is the New 2016?
The same idea is happening with the current nostalgia surrounding the 2010s. This year, 2026, social media has brought back trends, aesthetics, music, fashion, and beauty looks from the 2010s. Beauty brands have also tapped into this feeling, including Kylie Cosmetics revisiting the iconic “King Kylie” era.
The “King Kylie” era is associated with Kylie Jenner’s makeup looks, her colorful hair, lipstick sets, and the highly recognizable aesthetic of the 2010s. The return of certain elements from that era allows people who lived through it to reconnect with a version of themselves from ten years ago.
Once again, makeup is becoming much more than just a product. It’s becoming a memory of a specific moment in time.
From “Buy This” to “You Remember This Too”
This is where nostalgia becomes especially powerful for PR. Instead of simply promoting a product, brands use familiar memories to create emotional connections with their audiences. A nostalgic campaign can make people want to share, talk, and connect over something they remember.
If two people both remember Lizzie McGuire, Totally Spies!, or the King Kylie era, they already have something in common. Nostalgia turns a campaign into a shared experience.
About the Author
Victoria is a senior majoring in Communications and Media Studies with a minor in Advertising and Public Relations. She currently serves as an Account Executive for GrandPR. Outside GrandPR, Victoria is President of GVPRSSA and Event Manager for Tri Sigma Sorority, where she enjoys leading initiatives and creating meaningful experiences for members. After graduation, Victoria aspires to pursue a career in communications, public relations, or event management.