Why Old-School Tactics Are Back and Working Better Than Ever.

We once created a jingle for a sneaker brand play on local Boston radio so often that the client complained because they couldn’t get it out of their heads. Which, of course, was the whole flip’n point. We created a billboard for a vitamin brand that stopped traffic in Moscow. Literally. The police got involved. It was on the front page Kommersant. It was a whole thing. Mysterious crop circles in a remote cornfield had European media buzzing that aliens had somehow created shapes that look suspiciously like a new smart watch about to be launched. How they got there I’m not telling. But thank goodness we only use our super marketing powers for good, is all I’m saying. 

Today, in a world drowning in digital sameness, I’m seeing marketers rediscover what we never forgot: physicality sells.

Billboards Bigger Than Algorithms

For years, billboards were dismissed as relics—too analog, too blunt in an era obsessed with micro-targeting. Yet global out-of-home ad spending hit $46.2 billion in 2024, up 10% from the year before, proving that size still matters. In the U.S. alone, the market broke $9.1 billion, the highest on record. Netflix, the global streaming service, leaned into this power when it plastered a cryptic “Wednesday” teaser (the Addams Family spin-off series) across Times Square, a stunt that ricocheted back onto TikTok and Instagram. The lesson? You can scroll past a post but you can’t swipe away a 60-foot wall.

Direct Mail’s Retro Slide-In

The same logic applies to direct mail. The global market for it grew from $74.65 billion in 2022 to $76.95 billion in 2023 despite every prediction that print would wither. Why? Because in a world of disposable pixels, a piece of mail feels permanent. It also works: direct mail enjoys open rates of 80–90% compared to email’s 20–30%. Glossier, the U.S. beauty and skincare brand, proved the point when it sent 10,000 customers handwritten postcards; response rates spiked. That tactile envelope isn’t just a piece of paper—it’s proof someone thought of you.

Jingles and the Sonic Revival

Sound, too, is making a comeback. Ads containing sonic branding are 8.5 times more effective than those relying on visuals alone. Audio advertising drives 24% stronger recall and brand-matching music makes people 96% more likely to remember your name. Burger King, the global fast-food chain, launched its viral “Whopper Whopper” jingle—originally intended for broadcast—that took over TikTok then swung back into TV spots. In other words, earworms travel platforms like contraband. You don’t just hear them—you hum them into memory.

Print Magazines: The Flex of Permanence

Print hasn’t died; it’s flexing. Global print ad revenue is still $47.2 billion and luxury brands are leading the charge. Dior, Rolex and Gucci have rediscovered the permanence of Vogue and The Economist—magazines where their ads aren’t sandwiched between memes or sponsored posts. Engagement data backs it up: 46% of subscribers report being highly engaged with print ads in their favorite magazines, which translates into a 36% bump in brand favorability and nearly 50% increase in ad awareness. In other words, print is where luxury still looks like luxury.

Event Sponsorships and Physical Presence

If digital is disposable, events are unforgettable. Global media revenues are forecast to hit $853 billion in 2024 with live events a growing share. Hermès, the French luxury goods company, didn’t shy away from this even during a luxury slowdown, boosting communication spend by 30% to €260 million in just six months. Aperol, the Italian aperitif brand, went further, staging a massive takeover of Piazza San Marco during the Venice Biennale—an international art exhibition—creating a moment so photogenic that Instagram did the amplification for them. Being there means being remembered.

Merch as Media

What used to be called “swag” is now a business model. Branded merchandise carries an 85% retention rate compared to single-digit recall for most digital ads. It’s no surprise then that Liquid Death, the irreverent canned water brand, sells T-shirts that outsell indie streetwear labels. Every hoodie, tote or hat becomes a walking billboard with one crucial difference: your audience pays you to wear it.

Cinema Advertising’s Captive Power

The darkened cinema remains one of the few places where an audience is truly captive. Global cinema ad spend surged 15% in 2023, a rebound powered by the simple truth that you can’t skip an ad when you’ve paid $20 for a seat. Chanel, the French fashion and beauty house, leaned into this, premiering a No. 5 short film starring actress Marion Cotillard before Bond, the James Bond franchise. Luxury on luxury. When you pair an iconic brand with a big screen, the ad becomes entertainment, not intrusion.

Street Teams and Guerrilla Stunts

Then there’s the wild side. Experiential activations stick because they’re physical, unpredictable and personal. 92% of consumers say experiential stunts make them more likely to talk about a brand. Mattel, the U.S. toy company, proved it with Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse Airbnb pop-up in 2023, which drew global media coverage and an avalanche of social shares. You don’t scroll past a stunt if you’re standing in the middle of it.

Catalogs: The Unexpected Luxury Book

Catalogs may feel like the domain of Sears, the U.S. department store once famous for its thick mail-order catalogs, but they’re having a renaissance. Bain & Co. reports the global personal luxury goods market has ballooned from €85 billion in 1996 to €360 billion by 2023, and with it has come a renewed appetite for beautifully printed lookbooks. IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant, saw its farewell catalog become a collector’s item, while brands like Patagonia, the American outdoor apparel company, and Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness and lifestyle brand, are reviving the form. For Gen Z, who say catalogs give them “shopping inspiration,” it’s Pinterest in print. And, yes I heard the irony as I wrote that.

Handwritten Notes and Human Touch

Finally, the most analog move of all: handwriting. Notes generate response rates up to 112% higher than standard print pieces. Warby Parker, the American eyewear retailer, has made a habit of slipping handwritten thank-yous into orders, and the effect lingers—customers still post them years later. In a screen-first world, the human hand leaves a lasting mark. 

Tips for Marketers Rediscovering 1999

If all this sounds like nostalgia, it isn’t. These aren’t relics dusted off for retro effect—they’re tactics that cut through because they feel real, rare and human. The trick is knowing how to use them with today’s data, distribution and cultural speed. Here’s how to make old-school work like new again.

1. Billboards: Think intrigue, not URLs—make them conversation starters
2. Direct Mail: Personalize like email but let ink and paper deliver emotion
3. Jingles: Test audio hooks on TikTok or Reels before rolling them out broadly
4. Print: Use it as credibility theater—make ads collectible
5. Events: Focus on experiences, not logos; people Instagram the vibe, not the signage
6. Merch: Design merch people actually want—think collab, not giveaway
7. Cinema: Tell stories like short films, not sale flyers
8. Street Teams: Start small and local—one quirky activation can scale globally
9. Catalogs: Treat them as editorial showcases, not transactional dumps
10. Handwritten Notes: Scale authenticity—tech can replicate handwriting without losing charm

Final Hook

It turns out the sexy new frontier in marketing is…1999. Back then, I didn’t call it “multi-sensory engagement” or “experiential activations.” I called it “getting the damn jingle stuck in your head.” Today, in an age where sameness floods every feed, old-school tactics work not because they’re nostalgic, but because they remind us that physicality is sticky, analog is credible and what people can hold, hear or stumble into on the street is far harder to forget.

Sources: Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), revenue report, Signage Info, Global OOH Ad Spend, Cognitive Market Research, Direct Mail Advertising Market Report, CDS Global, Integrated Direct Mail, Postalytics, Direct Mail Statistics, Universal Production Music, Sonic Branding Statistics, Play Audio Agency, Audio Branding ROI, Forbes, Global Ad Revenue for Print, MediaMax Network, Luxury Magazines Engagement Data, Magna Global, Global Ad Revenues Forecast, Vogue Business, Luxury Sales and Communications Spend, Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), Branded Merchandise Impact, Statista, Global Cinema Advertising Spend, EventTrack, Experiential Marketing Report, Bain & Company, Global Personal Luxury Goods Market Report, Handwrytten, Handwritten Notes ROI