The Engine's in the Front, But its Heart's in the Same Place: Advertising, Nostalgia, and the Construction of Commodities as Realms of Memory

The article explores how advertisements representing the past could inform and advance the field of collective memory research. How advertisements present commercial goods as memories to be purchased are considered. The size and impact of the advertising industry contributes to the collective memory process. Several advertising researchers have examined the ways in which consumers react towards the term nostalgia. The role of advertising as a symbolic system is noted. The construction of commercial realms of memory through advertising campaigns are discussed.