Why does nostalgia seem to be everywhere? In this eye-opening episode, Alice and Marc pull back the curtain on the multi-billion-dollar nostalgia economy that surrounds us daily—from the Nintendo game that made Alice spend £60 on childhood memories to the political slogans that promise to restore imaginary golden ages.

Discover how companies have turned our emotional vulnerabilities into sophisticated business models using three types of nostalgia marketing: personal nostalgia (targeting your individual memories), collective nostalgia (exploiting generational experiences), and the most manipulative of all—simulated nostalgia, which sells people longing for eras they never experienced.

But this isn't just about commerce. Alice and Marc explore how the same psychological techniques that make you buy retro products are weaponized by politicians to sell mythical visions of the past. From "Make America Great Again" to Brexit's "Take Back Control," they reveal how nostalgia has become a cultural operating system that shapes how we see the world.

Learn to develop "nostalgic literacy"—the critical skills to recognize when your emotions are being manipulated while still enjoying the genuine comfort that healthy nostalgia can provide. Because understanding the game changes how you play it.

Perfect for English learners who want to understand the intersection of psychology, marketing, and politics while building vocabulary around media manipulation and consumer culture.