Using digital layers to evoke nostalgia in hybrid gifting.

Gifting is a tradition in which people all over the world are familiar with and partake in habitually. Reciprocal gifting has been a part of life from primitive societies and have since become a foundation for modern social life and moral economy [1]. This research focuses on the idea of hybrid gifts, hybrid gifting is an emerging industry which involves a physical gift incorporating a digital aspect. An important aspect of this research is the introduction of nostalgia through digital layers. Nostalgia has been utilised in marketing and advertising to make people feel safe and used as a means for brands to connect with consumers [2], however little research is evident within gifting and nostalgia. Therefore, this research will aim to explore this gap in literature whilst creating innovative and exciting hybrid gifts. To explore this area there are three main aspects to consider, firstly is it possible to evoke nostalgia through personal data in a gifting scenario. Based off findings hybrid gift prototypes will be developed to explore the idea of evoking nostalgia through digital layers in a gifting context. A final aspect of this research focuses on the use of prototypes in a commercial environment to explore the application of nostalgic digital layers.