ABBA And The Power Of Nostalgia Marketing
Credit: Baillie Walsh
If there was a perfect time for ABBA to reunite, it was early September, 2021. After teasing new music and a major announcement, the Swedish superstars shared a double single release last week, alongside the news that they’d be releasing their new album ‘Voyage’ and returning to the stage with an immersive live show.
What’s intriguing about the ABBA ‘Voyage’ live show is that it will be bringing back ‘ABBA in their prime’- according to member Benny Andersson. Rather than bringing today’s ABBA to the stage, 39 years after their last release, the event will see a digitised, de-aged version of the quartet perform in a custom-built arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London.
Over the course of five weeks, ABBA performed the songs from their live set and were recorded with the help of a team of 850 people and 160 cameras that captured their movements to help bring us a set from realistic ABBA avatars, who will be joined by a 10-piece live band across a run of shows from May, 2022.
With the twists and turns of the past year, ABBA have selected the ideal time to incorporate a healthy dose of nostalgia into their marketing plans. As they’ve offered a glimpse into the past with the recreation of their 1979 selves, and shared lyrics that touch on their re-emergence and a sense of hope, ABBA have tapped into something that artists haven't always been able to. That ‘something’ is our nostalgia for pre-pandemic times.
As virtual concerts expand and evolve, we’ve experienced a bittersweet feeling. We’re often impressed and dazzled by the high tech capabilities showcased by these events, and we welcome any experience that allows artists to showcase their music. But we’re also reminded that nothing can ever truly mimic the feeling of a face-to-face live performance. You might remember that was a feeling we couldn’t quite shake after viewing Splendour XR in July. So, time can only tell if a performance from ABBA’s avatars will have us saying ‘thank you for the music’ or if we’ll be left wanting more, when all is said and done.
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