MLS in '96: the power of the time machines on social media The Instagram profile about nostalgia for American football in the 1990s

For a long time, there has been a desire to allow new generations to relive the past as vividly as possible. Social media in this sense are increasingly being used as time capsules, through nostalgia profiles that bring the protagonists, stories and style of the past back to life. Linked to all these aspects and to football in particular, I would like to bring to your attention a special Instagram page: @mlsin96.

MLS in '96 is a modern variation of the traditional idea of the time capsule. Instead of a box containing old objects such as cameras, tin cans, video games and t-shirts, here we find clips, articles, posters, rare highlights, interviews, news and results in chronological order of the first season of the American league, won that year by D.C. United. If you happen to take a look at the page you will feel absorbed by the energy of the 1990s, a decade that for football is very distant, despite the fact that the content takes place some 30 years ago. The events depicted seem like contemporary tales, as if we were living them today, a completely evocative way of experiencing memorable seasons.

For clubs, time capsule projects would serve to immerse fans in history and tradition, creating culture around the team and its values, but it would also help for merchandising purposes. As mentioned before, today's young fans do not hide their adoration for all things vintage or retro, and by awakening some hype around specific seasons or events, clubs can easily exploit this to offer merchandise and sell it thanks to the promotion created by their time capsules.