Effects of nostalgic appeal in advertising on older adults’ food product evaluation

The proportion of older people in Taiwan has reached 14% in 2018, which make Taiwan an “aged society”. Older adults locate in the later stages of their life course, and often recall the life of the past. They are more likely to try to stay connected with their “old good days” by consuming nostalgic products, which may bring to them the great memories and positive emotions. Therefore, it is vital to investigate the effects of nostalgic ads and products on older adults’ product evaluation and the purchase intention. The results of the present research reveal that older adults evaluate ads more favorably with nostalgic appeals than those with non-nostalgic appeals because it evokes nostalgic thoughts and feelings linked with the “good old days,” which result in favorable advertising evaluation. In addition, the results also show that older adults’ self-rated health status, level of happiness moderate the relationship between nostalgic appeals and older adults’ food product evaluation. By revealing the findings, the results of this research could be beneficial to both academic and practical implications.