BRAND NOSTALGIA

Bond shows that 'regressive nostalgia' can impact a brand's future

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024

Consumer nostalgia about a brand can be a positive. But it should not inhabit efforts to move with the times and modernise the brand.

Fictional super-spy James Bond is a prime example of ‘regressive nostalgia’, highlighting how certain consumer groups cling to idealised past versions of brands and resist attempts to move with the times, a new study reveals. 

 

Researchers examined the James Bond movie franchise – a cultural icon for over 70 years – and discovered that some ‘super-consumers’ react negatively to modern portrayals of the imaginary British secret agent that reflect contemporary societal values.

Photo: Mike Mozart of The Toy Channel via Flickr

While loyal to the brand, these consumers prefer traditional versions of Bond which most closely follow author Ian Fleming’s original 1950s and 1960s vision. 

 

Publishing their findings in the International Journal of Research in Marketing, consumer behaviour experts from two UK-based universities, the University of Birmingham and ESCP Business School in London, note that regressive nostalgia may pose significant threats to brands. 

 

The researchers have, therefore, produced a toolkit to help marketeers shield their brand’s contemporary positioning from the negative connotations associated with this form of nostalgia – allowing brands to evolve without alienating their core consumer base. 

 

Vocal part of its fanbase is anchored in the past 

 

“The James Bond franchise is a perfect example of how ‘regressive nostalgia’ manifests. While the brand has successfully adapted to changing times, a small but disproportionally vocal part of its fanbase is anchored in the past, highlighting the need for careful brand management,” comments Finola Kerrigan, Professor of Marketing at the University of Birmingham. 

 

While the study focuses on the Bond franchise, the researchers identify parallels with other groups’ appropriation of brand resources and associating them with anti-social causes. 

 

“Brands use nostalgia to connect with consumers – delighting and enchanting their customer base while connecting them to others – but this makes nostalgia potentially dangerous in drawing consumers to the past, when it creates a sense of loss combining a cherished past and a despised present,” says independent scholar, Dr Daragh O’Reilly. 

 

“In order to minimise the negative impact of regressive nostalgia, it is important that the brand does not pander to the nostalgia displayed by a minority of super-consumers. Brand stewards must not be swayed by these loud voices and become exclusionary.” 

 

The researchers note that marketeers should be alert to the risk posed by regressive nostalgia. Their toolkit comprises of a series of questions to help brand managers assess the level of threat to their product or service. 

 

You can find out more about the study, titled ‘Theorising regressive nostalgia: Understanding exclusionary consumers as a brand threat’ here.

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