Okay, let’s just get this out of the way. I don’t like McDonald’s. But I do love marketing. I can sniff out a good marketing strategy from a mile away.

So when the Grinch fries started trending, I knew something was up. And when I realized they also dropped an adult Happy Meal with socks and DIY fry salt, I thought, oh, they are not playing. They are going straight for the 80’s kid in all of us.

Here is the truth. They are not selling fries. They are selling the feeling of being 8 again.

In this episode, I walk you through the entire promo from the socks (yes, four pairs, and yes, I would need to collect them all) to the shaking the salt in the bag moment that people cannot stop filming for the gram. McDonald’s basically built an experience around french fries. And it worked.

And if your brain has not already started spinning with ideas for your own business, it will.

Because nostalgia is one of the most powerful marketing tools we have and almost no one is using it intentionally.

In this conversation, we dive into:

Why we are always selling a feeling, not a product
How nostalgia makes people feel more like themselves and why that matters
The NKOTB moment in my book and why my editor instantly knew I was her people
The purple Grimace playground chair and how identity lives in moments
The conference DJ who nailed her audience with one song
The dōTERRA Breathe oil that smells exactly like Vicks VapoRub and why it always hits
Why pop culture references make you instantly relatable
How nostalgia can turn your marketing from noise into a dopamine hit

Then we take it further and talk about how you can add nostalgia into your brand this week. Nothing complicated. Nothing gimmicky. Just fun, smart, deeply human ideas you can put to work immediately.

We talk about:

Adding nostalgia to your offer through the name, the gift, or the experience
Using throwback language and why it builds connection
Creating something collectible like stickers, badges, or punch cards
Sharing childhood stories so your audience feels seen and connected

If you have been feeling stuck, boring, overwhelmed, or like your content is blending in, nostalgia might be the cheat code you have been looking for. And honestly, this might be one of my favorite episodes so far.

Let’s Connect

If memories came flooding in while you listened, I want to hear them. Send me a message on Instagram @tenapettis and tell me what came up. Your Happy Meal toy, your TGIF lineup, your scent-trigger memory, all of it.

Sharing this episode with a friend is the best way to support the show and it truly means a lot.

Grab the Book

If nostalgia is your jam and you’re looking for your next biz read, you may just want to grab up my book over on Amazon: Remind Them of No One https://a.co/d/f5ccqkm

Tena Pettis