Weirdly nostalgic objects from around the world

Summary

In this video, JJ explores the global phenomenon of nostalgia-driven consumerism, focusing on how brands and products from the past have become collectibles and symbols of national pride. From Canadian stationery to East German snacks, JJ discusses the commercialization of nostalgia and its ties to material abundance, childhood memories, and nationalism. The video invites viewers to share their own examples of nostalgic consumer products, emphasizing the universality of this trend.

Takeaways

• 📺 The video discusses the global phenomenon of nostalgia for consumer goods, particularly those from one's childhood or associated with national pride.
• 🎶 JJ, the speaker, shares personal experiences of being targeted by ads for nostalgic Canadian products on Instagram, such as guitar pedals designed to look like vintage notebooks.
• 🎨 The video mentions 'retrontario', a company that sells merchandise featuring designs from popular Canadian brands like Hostess chips and Lenan colored pencils.
• 🏰 JJ has collected various nostalgic items, including a poster by Montreal artist Raymond Basinger, featuring retro Canadian package designs.
• 🍁 The iconic maple syrup can is used as a theme for various products, reflecting a multi-generational Canadian nostalgia.
• 📺 The video references YTV, a popular Canadian children's TV station, and its impact on the youth during the 90s.
• 🌍 Nostalgia for consumer goods is not unique to Canada; it's a global trend with examples from Mexico, Italy, Japan, and Germany.
• 🇩🇪 The term 'Ostalgie' is introduced, describing the nostalgia for East German products and the era before German reunification.
• 🛍️ The video suggests that the abundance of consumer goods post-World War II, the longing for childhood, and nationalism are key factors driving nostalgia for consumer products.
• 🌟 JJ invites international viewers to share examples of nostalgic consumer brands from their countries, highlighting the universality of this phenomenon.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script?

The main theme of the video script is the global phenomenon of commercializing nostalgia through consumer goods, particularly focusing on how various countries have developed nostalgic cults around iconic brands and products from their past.

Why does the narrator mention guitar pedals at the beginning of the script?

The narrator mentions guitar pedals to illustrate how social media algorithms target him with nostalgic Canadian ads, using the example of a pedal designed to look like a popular Canadian notebook from his childhood.

What is the 'homework series' of guitar pedals mentioned in the script?

The 'homework series' of guitar pedals is a line of pedals designed to look like a nostalgic Canadian notebook that was popular during the narrator's childhood, hence the name 'homework series'.

What is the significance of the colored pencils or 'crayons' mentioned in the script?

The colored pencils or 'crayons' mentioned in the script are significant because they represent a common item used by Canadian children and have become a symbol of nostalgia for many Canadians who grew up using them.

What does the narrator find intriguing about the nostalgic products he discusses?

The narrator finds it intriguing that these nostalgic products can evoke powerful sentimental memories and emotions, even for relatively mundane items, and how this phenomenon is not unique to Canada but is a global trend.

Why does the narrator believe the post-World War II era is heavily sentimentalized in consumer nostalgia?

The narrator believes the post-World War II era is heavily sentimentalized because it was a time of rapid economic growth and an explosion of new consumer goods, leading to a historically unprecedented level of material abundance and a true age of consumerism.

What is the term 'shaah Nostalgia' mentioned in the script, and what does it represent?

The term 'shaah Nostalgia' refers to the Japanese obsession with consumer goods from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, representing a cultural fascination with products from that era.

Why does the narrator think some former East Germans might feel nostalgic for products from the Communist era?

The narrator suggests that some former East Germans might feel nostalgic for products from the Communist era due to a longing for certain consumer goods that were made redundant after reunification, as well as a sentimentality for a period when East Germany had its own distinct identity.

What is the 'swadesi movement' mentioned in the script, and how does it relate to nostalgia?

The 'swadesi movement' was an Indian movement post-independence that emphasized buying Indian-made products. It is related to nostalgia as it represents a time when Indian products and brands were celebrated as symbols of national pride and self-sufficiency, which is now seen with a sense of nostalgia.

What is the narrator's theory on why nostalgic cults based on brands and products are a predictable byproduct of our current era?

The narrator's theory is that nostalgic cults based on brands and products are a byproduct of our era due to historically unprecedented levels of material abundance and consumerism, which have led to a wealth of consumer goods that people associate with their past.

What does the narrator ask his international audience to share in the comments?

The narrator asks his international audience to share examples of iconic consumer brands or products from their countries that have become the center of nostalgic cults, products synonymous with childhood or patriotic pride, and wackiest retro nostalgia products they've seen for sale.

Outlines

00:00

🇨🇦 Nostalgic Canadiana: The Allure of Retro Brands

The speaker, JJ, discusses their recent encounters with nostalgic Canadian products advertised on Instagram. These include a guitar pedal designed to resemble a once-popular notebook from the 80s and 90s, colored pencils reminiscent of childhood, and a hoodie featuring a vintage potato chip brand. JJ explores the power of nostalgia, particularly for items that were prevalent during their youth, and how these items can evoke strong emotional responses. The speaker also mentions a poster featuring retro Canadian package designs and various memorabilia based on an iconic maple syrup can, highlighting the commercialization of national nostalgia.

05:02

🌐 Global Nostalgia and Its Impact on Consumerism

JJ expands the discussion to include the global phenomenon of nostalgia in consumer culture. They mention similar trends in Mexico, Italy, and Japan, where nostalgic products from the past decades are commercialized. The speaker theorizes that this nostalgia is a byproduct of the material abundance following World War II, when consumerism exploded, and people developed emotional attachments to the goods of their youth. The second theory is the longing for a lost childhood, where even trivial items can bring joy and a sense of reliving one's carefree past. The third variable is nationalism, where nostalgia for domestic brands can be a form of celebrating a country's unique identity and history.

10:04

🏳️‍🌈 Nostalgia, Nationalism, and the Fusion of Consumerism

In the final paragraph, JJ delves into how nostalgia is intertwined with nationalism and consumerism. They use the example of East Germany, where nostalgia for pre-reunification products has led to a market for 'Ostalgie' goods. The speaker suggests that this nostalgia is not just about the products themselves but also about reclaiming a sense of national pride and identity. They also mention the 'swadeshi' movement in India, which promoted domestic products as a symbol of patriotism. JJ concludes by inviting international viewers to share examples of nostalgic consumer brands from their countries, highlighting the universality of this phenomenon.

Keywords

💡Nostalgia

Nostalgia refers to a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. In the video, nostalgia is central as it explores how consumer products from the past are commercialized to evoke feelings of nostalgia. The video discusses various products like guitar pedals designed to resemble Canadian notebooks, colored pencils, and potato chips that trigger sentimental memories, especially among those who grew up during the 80s and 90s in Canada.

💡Consumerism

Consumerism is the social and economic order and ideology that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. The video discusses how the post-World War II era saw an explosion of new consumer goods, leading to a culture where material abundance and consumerism are deeply intertwined. This historical context is used to explain the current trend of commercializing nostalgia, as people have a wealth of consumer products from their past to feel nostalgic about.

💡Guitar Pedals

Guitar pedals are electronic devices that alter the sound of a guitar or other musical instruments. They are used to produce a range of effects, from distortion to reverb. In the video, the 'homework series' of guitar pedals is mentioned, which are designed to resemble a popular notebook from Canada, illustrating how everyday objects can be repurposed into something with a nostalgic appeal.

💡Nationalism

Nationalism is the sentiment of loyalty and devotion to a nation, often with the belief in the inherent superiority of one's nation. The video touches on how nostalgia for consumer products can be intertwined with nationalism, as seen with East German products. These products are not only nostalgic but also represent a time of national pride and distinctiveness, which has been somewhat lost after reunification with West Germany.

💡Globalization

Globalization is the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale. The video discusses how globalization has led to a world where many consumer goods come from transnational brands, but nostalgia often looks back to a time when domestic brands were more prevalent, reflecting a longing for a less globalized past.

💡East Germany

East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic, was a socialist state that existed from 1949 to 1990, and was part of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. The video mentions 'Ostalgie', a term used to describe nostalgia for the former East Germany, particularly for consumer goods that were popular before reunification with West Germany. This nostalgia is commercialized through products that evoke the era, such as retro East German chocolate bars.

💡Reunification

Reunification refers to the act of making or becoming united again, often used in the context of countries. The video discusses the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990, which brought an end to the Cold War division but also led to the disappearance of many East German brands, sparking nostalgia among some for the products and era of the former East Germany.

💡YTV

YTV is a Canadian television channel that was popular among children and teenagers in the 1990s. The video mentions YTV as an example of a nostalgic brand, with its neon green skull logo being particularly associated with after-school and evening programming. This logo is used on a t-shirt in the video, demonstrating how media brands from the past can become symbols of nostalgia.

💡Shabonostalgia

Shabonostalgia is a Japanese term referring to the nostalgia for consumer goods from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The video discusses how this form of nostalgia has led to a market for products inspired by the era, such as stickers featuring household electronics, kitchenware, and milk containers from that time. This term highlights the global phenomenon of commercializing nostalgia for past consumer products.

💡Swadeshi

Swadeshi is a term from the Indian independence movement that promotes the use of Indian-made products over foreign ones as a symbol of self-reliance and patriotism. The video mentions the 'swadeshi movement' and how certain Indian products, like a specific brand of cookies, have become nostalgic symbols of this era. These products are not only reminders of childhood but also of a time of national pride and resistance to colonial influence.

Highlights

JJ discusses the prevalence of nostalgic Canadian middle-class knickknacks in ads on Instagram.

Description of a guitar pedal designed to resemble a popular Canadian notebook from the 80s and 90s.

Mention of the brand 'Lenon' colored pencils and their nostalgic significance for Canadian millennials.

Introduction to 'Retrontario', a company selling nostalgic Canadian products like hoodies with old package designs.

JJ's personal collection of nostalgic Canadian items, including a poster of retro Canadian package designs.

Discussion of the iconic maple syrup can and its influence on various merchandise.

Nostalgia for YTV, a popular Canadian kids' station, and its logo on a shirt.

Global phenomenon of commercializing nostalgia through consumer goods.

Examples of nostalgia-inspired products from Mexico, Italy, and Japan.

Explanation of 'Ostalgie', the German term for nostalgia for East Germany-era products.

The 'East Mart' online shop selling modern recreations of classic East German products.

JJ's theory on the connection between material abundance and nostalgia for consumer goods.

The role of childhood memories in the formation of consumer nostalgia.

Nationalism as a factor in the commercialization of nostalgia for domestic brands.

The 'swadesi' movement in India and its connection to nostalgia for domestic products.

JJ invites international viewers to share examples of nostalgic consumer brands from their countries.

Transcripts

Hello friends my name is JJ and because

social media knows me better than I know

myself I have been getting a lot of ads

on Instagram lately for nostalgic

Canadian middle class knickknacks let me

show you a couple so I don't know much

about music but my understanding is that

this is what they call a guitar pedal

it's like a thing that modifies the

sound of guitar makes in some manner

anyway this one is made up to look like

a kind of notebook that was quite

popular in Canada when I was kid hence

why they are calling this line of pedals

the homework series they still sell

these notebooks at like Staples and

things but they are nowhere near as

ubiquitous as they were when I was young

and they were like your only option

during back to school shopping but it's

for that reason that any Canadian like

me who grew up during the 80s or 90s is

likely to have powerful sentimental

memories associated with them did offer

this brand of colored pencils or as we

say in Canada

crayons lenan brand was every Millennial

Canadian kids goto and Instagram has

informed me that there is a company

called retrontario that sells a hoodie

with the package design on it they also

sell one with the little hostess goblins

Hostess being a popular Canadian potato

chip brand back in the day I think they

were the company that invented the

ketchup chips that Canada has become so

known for now I of course am a giant

sucker for this kind of stuff so let me

just show you some of the nostalgic

Canadian junk that the internet has

convinced me to buy over the years this

for example is a very cool poster

featuring a big Montage of retro

Canadian package designs that I grew up

with like Windsor brand salt and Robin

Hood brand flour look I actually have

some Windsor brand salt right here it

was done by a Montreal artist named

Raymond Basinger who does a lot of cool

Canadian nostalgic art of this sort I've

also collected a number of knick-knacks

based on this iconic maple syrup can

this thing is actually from a bit before

my time I grew up getting my syrup from

these opaque plastic jugs I think that

the can was more of a boomer thing but

Nostalgia for it has nevertheless

spanned multiple Canadian generations

and you can buy all sorts of stuff done

up in its iconic look like this candle

or these mints or this card game or this

pillow and then there is this shirt that

I wearing which features a logo from YTV

which was a popular Canadian kids

station when I was growing up youth

television is what it stood for YTV had

a lot of different logos during the 9s

and this neon green skull was the one

that they'd use during after school and

evening programming I guess it was

supposed to make the pre-teens who were

staying up late to watch episodes of

reboot or Are You Afraid of the Dark

feel all cool and edgy now the making

and selling of fun product products

based on National Nostalgia isn't

something that is remotely unique to

Canada in fact I suspect that most

countries on this planet are home to

online shops selling various Trinkets

and bobbles based on popular products

and brands of decades past for instance

another ad I saw on Instagram the other

day was for a store called Mexi stuff

which sells a bunch of nostalgia

inspired things from Mexican culture

like these slippers done up in the style

of a popular store-bought snack cake or

this rolly suitcase based on an iconic

peanut marpin candy that Mexican parents

might buy for their kids from one of

those guys who sells you things at the

stoplight I was also pitched this

beautiful poster made by an Italian

artist which apparently depicts the

iconic ice creams of the unforgettable

Italian Summers and it in turn reminded

me of some similar posters I've seen

advertised by this artist from new New

Zealand who sells all sorts of very cool

prints depicting beloved New Zealand ice

creams and candies in various creative

ways and of course longtime viewers will

be very familiar with my new Found Love

of so-called shaah Nostalgia which is

the term that the Japanese used to

describe their obsession with consumer

goods from the 60s 7s and 80s there is

no shortage of trinkets you can buy

based on shaah era stuff but here are

some stickers that I bought at the

Japanese import store the the other day

this sheet shows a bunch of different

household Electronics this one is

Kitchen wear and this one is different

little containers of milk like you might

get for your lunch at school now one of

the more extreme versions of this sort

of thing is what the Germans call

oaly or

ealia which is Nostalgia for all things

associated with the former East Germany

East Germany was of course a Communist

dictatorship that was set up to run the

eastern half of Germany after World War

II and didn't reunite with so-called

West Germany until 1990 the

reunification of the germanies was one

of the great triumphs of democracy that

brought the Cold War to an end but as

time has gone on some former East

Germans have nevertheless begun to slip

into a bit of sentimentality about life

under the old regime sometimes the

Nostalgia is explicitly political you

know the communist government kept us

safer or whatever but more often it is

just defined by sentimental memories of

certain consumer goods that were made

redundant after reunification a lot of

the old communist run east German

companies couldn't compete with the

higher quality West German Brands so

their products steadily disappeared from

Eastern supermarkets and shopping malls

a fact which would then occasionally

provoke bursts of sentimental longing

from East Germans who grew up in the 80s

or earlier this cool website Al see lden

or east Mart is an online shop that

sells modern Recreations of all sorts of

classic East German products like this

communist pasta sauce or this old type

of flower flavored soda or these

chocolate bars done up in the style of

the old East German money I have to say

some of the stuff they're selling is so

hyp specific it can be a somewhat

unsettling glimpse into just how strong

this East German nostalgic can get like

I guess some people must have a real

powerful longing for this particular

brand of discontinued drain declogger

but if the choices are too overwhelming

you can always just buy one of their

giant ealia boxes packed to the brim

with a wide variety of e stalgic Goods I

bet these are popular birthday gifts for

East German gen xers so anyway this is a

very fascinating Global phenomenon eh

the fact that so many countries are all

commercializing nostalgia in such

similar ways all over the world world

it's gotten to the point that whenever I

travel to a foreign land figuring out

what specific brands or products are at

the center of their local Nostalgia cult

is always one of my top priorities along

with buying up some good souvenirs of it

but why is it happening well I have a

few theories Theory one is just that

nostalgic Cults based Rune Brands and

products are a predictable byproduct of

our historically unprecedented levels of

material abundance after World War III

almost everywhere on Earth experienced a

period of Rapid economic growth and with

it an explosion of new consumer goods it

was the dawn of the true age of

consumerism and it hasn't been runed for

that long if you look at this chart from

the US you will see that consumer

spending as a share of the economy had a

big spike after the second world war and

Rose pretty steadily after the 1980s the

numbers from other countries tend to

show similar Trends so it is probably no

coincidence that these tend to be the

eras of consumerism that are the most

heavily sentimentalized today a guy

living a hundred years ago by contrast

might have had some Nostalgia for like a

certain type of cookie that his parents

used to buy at Christmas or something

but it would be a much less elaborate

consumer Nostalgia just because the

consumer culture of that time was much

less elaborate people were poorer and

owned fewer things and the things that

they did own were far less functional

and beautiful than the stuff we have

today so it makes perfect sense for

anyone who grew up in the post-war

period to feel nostalgic for Consumer

life because consumer life has gotten

pretty good I think it would be a pretty

spoiled and decadent society that didn't

have any Nostalgia for consumer goods at

all all right so the second Factor would

be longing for a lost childhood

childhood is a generally happy and

carefree phase of life life and we only

become more aware of just how happy and

carefree it is as we age so it's only

natural that we develop fond memories of

anything that reminds us of that time of

our lives even relatively frivolous or

unimportant things like the brand of

colored pencils that we used in

elementary school children also tend to

be more grateful than adults and derive

more meaning and Joy from things like

toys and snacks and school supplies but

what's interesting is that this

emotional attachment often doesn't fade

as we get older so when we reencounter

beloved consumer goods from our

childhoods were're often surprised by

just how joyful they still make us feel

now obviously we shouldn't be too

backwards facing we should have faith

that our futures will be full of great

things too but when a retro product

advertises itself as a way to help you

relive your childhood it is making a

pitch that resonates because it appeals

to our longing to appreciate the

pleasures of the material world in a Pur

sort of way and the third variable I

would identify is nationalism today of

course we live in a hyper globalized

World driven by unprecedented amots of

international trade in which a lot of

our consumer goods come from giant

transnational brands most nostalgic

Goods however tend to come from the late

20th century or earlier when the

consumer culture of most countries tend

to feature a lot more unique domestic

Brands than today when we celebrate

those Brands we thus celebrate a period

of our nation's past that was seen as

more patriotically

self-confident even if not necessarily

better none of the companies that made

those iconic Canadian pencil crayons or

notebooks or potato chips exist anymore

they were all bought up by larger

American companies and their products

were displaced in Canadian stores by

American brands objectively this was a

good thing since the American companies

made higher quality products that have

made the lives of Canadians better but

Canadians are also more than a little

insecure about the degree that increased

trade with the US can also flatten out

some of the small differences between

the two countries so embracing

distinctly Canadian goods from the pre-

NAFTA era becomes a way to keep that

distinct iess alive this is also clearly

the case with those East German Products

East Germany has lost a lot of its

distinctiveness now that it's been

absorbed into the west and even though

this has been good for the East Germans

from a quality of life perspective it

has also robbed them of the pride they

were once able to enjoy as a separate

country with its own flag and national

anthem and Olympic team and all of the

rest re-embracing even objectively

inferior consumer products can thus be a

way way to reclaim some of that Pride

without whitewashing the tyranny of the

old regime here is another good example

that I learned about recently when India

became independent from England in the

late 1940s they had this whole thing

called the swadesi movement which

emphasized the importance of buying

indian-made products from Indian

companies rather than British ones this

brand of cookies is considered a real

icon of that era it is very boned up in

a lot of nostalgic sentimentality among

middle-aged middleclass Indians both as

a symbol of their youth but also a

symbol of a certain sense of

old-fashioned Indian patriotism if you

go online these days you can buy all

sorts of stuff with the cookie package

on it as well as stuff with some of the

other iconic swad dishy snacks now today

of course Indian grocery stores are full

of all sorts of Western Brands and it's

no longer seen as unpatriotic to like

Oreos or Pepsi or whatever but cookies

like these which are still being sold

and still have the same package design

that they've had since the 1950s are a

great example of how Nostalgia

nationalism and consumerism are so often

fused together in modern times now I

have to confess the purpose of this

video is engagement bait I know I have a

very International audience and I always

love it when my overseas viewers give me

examples of a thing that I'm talking

about from their country so on that note

allow me to ask explicitly what are some

examples of iconic consumer brands or

products from your country that have

become the center of little nostalgic

Cults in recent years what are some

products that are considered synonymous

with childhood or patriotic Pride even

if they're a little crappy and

old-fashioned and what are some of the

wackiest retro Nostalgia products that

you've seen for sale I would be

particular particularly curious about

some non food examples like the Canadian

notebooks or the showah kitchen wear I

feel it's very easy to get sentimental

about candy but getting sentimental

about a specific type of kettle well

that's pretty unique so yeah give me

some examples in the comments and maybe

next week I can follow up with a video

with some of the best ones thank you so

much for watching do not forget to like

And subscribe and I will see you next

week