Among the contemporary, upper-class merchandise on today’s toy store shelves (mini Cadillac Escalades and Project Runway paper dolls) a new method of marketing has emerged.

Well, new-ish.

In what seems like a frantic attempt to strike a sentimental chord among frugal parents, retailers are pitching retro in the biggest way. Atari “video classics,” Lincoln Logs and that creepy, smiley face plastic telephone are just a few vintage products giving consumers a blast from the past.

The toy industry isn’t the only sector cashing in on idle emotion. Companies sponsoring everything from soda to blue jeans have launched vintage advertisements looking to enfranchise the past.  

Chrysler’s holiday “Coming Home” television spot and Levi’s “Go Forth Campaign” (featuring cars from several different eras and the voice of Walt Whitman, respectively) have both generated a lot of buzz. From cool to kitsch, it seems as if we can’t enough of the past.

“As the recession continues taking its toll, marketers are trying to tap into food memories to help sell what few products shoppers are buying,” Stuart Elliot of the New York Times said.

What is it about period piece advertising that appeals to us? And can it effectively convince a largely apathetic generation to choose Tab cola over Red Bull?

It seems to be working on my spending habits at least. I absolutely love those retro General Mills cereal boxes at Target, and the “Go Forth” campaign is now one of my favorite commercials of all time.

I’ve always found the concept of nostalgia fascinating (in both marketing and as an involuntary response). A whiff of a certain type of shampoo or a favorite dessert browning in the oven can recapture an emotion from three decades ago, and I think that’s astounding.

Music is especially effective. I can’t listen to “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees without recalling my first T-ball game, when I heard it play on the radio. Likewise, R.Kelly’s “Ignition” takes me back to my first year of high school, hesitantly tasting my first sip of alcohol at an upperclassman’s party.

A stimulation of the senses can have a negative effect as well. In a morbid example, a classmate once spoke of a friend who was thrown from a car in a horrible accident, and could only hear Vanessa Carlton’s “White Houses” from where she lay. Understandably, my classmate’s friend can no longer hear the song without getting sick.

Some sights, sounds and smells also have a shared response. The flashing lights and familiar aroma of a county fair is pleasant, while the wail of an emergency vehicle’s siren is just the opposite.

Similarly, a sense-stimulant can trigger vastly different reactions from person to person. For instance, “A Bug’s Life” might evoke fond memories of childhood for some, while causing extreme anxiety for those who are highly allergic to insect stings.

Even more fascinating is how certain feelings and flavors evolve as we age. The scent of a chlorine-treated pool might connote a perfect summer day to a child, but to most adults, that nostril-stinging scent conjures images of screaming kids, sun-burned skin and urine-soaked water.

Likewise, the pungent bite of black coffee is disgusting to most children and almost medicinal to their parents.

Reminiscing on times past and re-issuing old products is likely as beneficial as it is profitable. A sense of unity, derived from the feeling that we are a part of something greater than ourselves is part of our cultural makeup. The era might be different, but the message is the same, “this is America.”

Sex might sell, but once again, so do avocado green appliances.