You’re not imagining it. 2016 is trending again … and honestly? Kinda love it.
From chaotic Snapchat filters to unpolished posts and vibes over visuals, the internet is collectively rewinding and throwing it back.
But WHY is 2016 having its renaissance, and what does it mean for brands in 2026?
Let’s dive in!
2016 v 2026 – The Boom is Back
You might be thinking “For the love of god, why is this era back”
Well, the short answer is: nostalgia sells.
Long answer? Nostalgia brings people back, sparks memories and sends them straight down memory lane. And when people feel something, they engage.
Nostalgia is powerful in marketing because it acts as a short cut to connection. Familiarity builds trust faster than anything new ever could, and brands that tap into that familiarity don’t need to work as hard to earn attention
When something reminds you of a simpler time, you don’t just watch … you feel. And feelings stop the scroll.
Nostalgia isn’t lazy, it’s strategic
Nostalgic content feels comforting, familiar and deeply relatable. It taps into collective culture and shared timelines – and that is why it works.
2016 is universal.
Everyone has a memory tied to it.
First disco. First heartbreak. First festival. First Snapchat streak – all four if you’re lucky. For me? First disco in 2016, a character building moment.
That emotional connection creates two things every brand is chasing:
- Immediate attention
- Trust
By making your audience feel something, you’ve already won.
So … is nostalgia just lazy marketing? Or is it carrying the social space right now?
The data says…it’s carrying
According to TikTok, in the first week of 2026, searches for “2016” escalated by 452%.
The trend, which kicked off in 2025, encourages users to share their 2016 photos and memories, saying goodbye to overly-polished aesthetics in favour of chaotic, unrefined realness.
Blurry pics, random angles, unhinged captions. And people are loving it.
So… what is “2016 energy”?
Right, let’s set the scene:
- Snapchat filters are at their peak (yes, the flower crown, pink filter, dog ears – what a time to be alive)
- Instagram Stories launched
- Musical.y entered the chat (aka TikTok’s predecessor)
- Content was shared without overthinking
- Vibes > visuals
- Feeling > finish
It was social media before feeds became overly engineered, algorithm-obsessed and flooded with content.
It felt human.
What does this mean for marketing in 2026?
This trend signals a shift away from hyper-produced, ad-heavy content and towards community-driven storytelling.
We’re talking:
- Lo-fi visuals
- Messier edits
- Campaigns that feel almost unpaid
- Content that looks like it was posted on a whim – because it probably was
In practice, this means brands need to loosen the grip on control. The ones doing it well aren’t polishing every frame or chasing perfection. They’re prioritising personality, playfulness and cultural relevance.
Nostalgia is a strategy, not a gimmick
In 2026, success won’t come from chasing nostalgia outright. It will come from creating the right strategies that capture its:
- Playfulness
- Real human connection
- Shared memories
Less campaign-centric thinking, and more culture-driven intuition.
Nostalgia isn’t the trend, emotion is.
Why 2016 hits emotionally
For many, 2016 was a major era. Big firsts. A time of simpler socials. Cultural moments that we still reflect on.
AI was quieter, and there was more human connection and a stronger sense of shared cultural moments, before social feeds became chaotic. But it’s not about living in the past. It’s about remembering how it felt to genuinely laugh, smile and share content without a strategy deck behind it.
Brands that succeed now won’t replicate 2016, they’ll recreate the feeling behind it.
Some brands are getting it very right:
High School Musical
HSM leaned fully into nostalgia for its 20th anniversary, reminding fans why the franchise was iconic in the first place. When the first film premiered in 2006, it pulled in 7.7 million viewers, making it Disney Channel’s most commercially successful movie at the time. Fast forward 20 years, and those viewers are now adults – with disposable income and an emotional attachment. The launch of nostalgic dolls and throwback content wasn’t just about merch. It reactivated memories, reignited fandom and elevated the brand in people’s minds by tapping into joy, comfort and shared culture. What team?
IKEA
Everyone’s favourite flat packers leaned fully into throwback mode, reviving old school challenges like the Bottle Flip, Mannequin Challenge and Harlem Shake. Love.
They didn’t just reference the past, they recreated the energy.
Final thoughts from yours truly
Nostalgia works because it’s emotional. And emotion is what drives attention, engagement and loyalty. In 2026, the brands that win won’t be the ones that are the loudest, more polished or constantly posting. They’ll be the ones that feel human again.
Not by copying 2016 to a T, but by bringing back its soul.
So! Less perfection, more personality and more feeling.