The nostalgia economy is keeping high school prom alive

Sentimental celebs are fueling an online prom boom. With schools canceled, stars are strapping on their velvet dresses and bringing virtual dances to kids stranded at home:

• NBC’s Al Roker, plus Demi Lovato, hosted an online prom for Nebraska high school students.
• John Krasinski DJed a virtual prom alongside Billie Eilish and Chance the Rapper.
• Teen Vogue is preparing for 5k teens to roll up to its Zoom prom in May.
• Meanwhile, teens are holding mock proms on TikTok and on Club Penguin — or just giving up and settling for prom with their families.

In keeping with true prom spirit, these events have a few blips of excitement — but are generally disappointments.

The events biz can’t prompose a way out of this

Before the pandemic, a squadron of companies were waiting to cash in on the last-hurrah-of-HS frenzy.

High school prom is a ~$4B industry, and hairdressers, photographers, flower shops, limo services, and boutiques depend on it for revenue.

Households spend ~$919 apiece on prom, with $324 of that money going to increasingly elaborate promposals — giving a brief but concentrated boost to the skywriting industry.

The end of high school is supposed to be a cash cow 

But prom — and, soon, graduation — is not so easy to monetize remotely. While some photographers are still offering grad portraits on Zoom, most brands have shelved the spring 2020 season altogether.

And for high school seniors disappointed by the lack of prom? At least they have drive-thru graduation to look forward to.