License to chill: Bond shows ‘regressive nostalgia’ can freeze a brand's future

(Press-News.org) 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 fictional British secret agent that reflect contemporary societal values.  

Whilst loyal to the brand, these consumers prefer traditional, more exclusionary, versions of Bond which most closely follow author Ian Fleming’s original 1950s and 1960s vision – characterised as an arrogant, misogynistic, and racist Imperial British male. 

Publishing their findings today (17 October) in International Journal of Research in Marketing, consumer behaviour experts from the University of Birmingham and ESCP Business School, London note that regressive nostalgia is characterised by a preference for racial and cultural purity and heroic masculinity. The phenomenon harbours exclusionary and aggressive tendencies that 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. 

Finola Kerrigan, Professor of Marketing at the University of Birmingham, commented: “The James Bond franchise is a perfect example of how ‘regressive nostalgia’ manifests. Whilst 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. 

“These ‘super-consumers’ cling to Ian Fleming’s characterisation of Bond and the period during which the novels were written to justify their nostalgia. They actively resist attempts to modernise the franchise, dismissing as ‘woke nonsense’ recent movies such as ‘No Time to Die.” 

Chloe Preece, Professor of Marketing, ESCP Business School, London notes that these Super-consumers view Bond as a heroic, white, male icon providing a ‘safe space’ for those feeling threatened by contemporary discussion about creating a more inclusive society. The character’s ‘man-of-action’ persona allows this group of mostly male consumers to identify with the spy’s ‘heroic masculinity’ based on his ability to sleep with the ‘Bond girls’. 

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 whilst 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,” said 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 and have devised toolkit comprising of a series of questions to help brand managers assess the level of threat (see Notes to Editors).  

ENDS 

For more information, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham on +44 (0)782 783 2312 or t.moran@bham.ac.uk. For out-of-hours enquiries, please call +44 (0) 121 414 2772. 

Notes to Editors 

The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries. 

‘Theorizing Regressive Nostalgia: Understanding Exclusionary Consumers as a Brand Threat’ – Chloe Preece, Finola Kerrigan and Daragh O’Reilly is published in International Journal of Research in Marketing. 

Managerial toolkit to assess the threat of regressive nostalgia to a brand 

What is the brand’s connection with the past? 

What market research data does the brand have that supports the analysis of the brand’s relationship to the past? 

Does the brand actively use the past and nostalgia in its positioning? 

What does it cost the brand to sustain this connection with the past, and what is the brand benefit from doing so? 

How do the brand’s consumers and stakeholders relate to the past? 

What material and symbolic resources has the brand made available to consumers that relate to the past? 

How are social media and other platforms enabling consumer/customer agency with respect to regressive nostalgia? 

To what extent is the brand’s past copyrighted?  

How easily can this past be altered, faked, or deep-faked? (considering the threats of AI) 

What challenges may come from existing or historical celebrity endorsements, donations to political parties, merchandising figures, internet memes? 

Given the brand’s past (imagined or real), what is the nature and scale of the threat to the brand from regressive nostalgia?  

Is there any evidence of regressive nostalgia amongst consumers and if so, has this grown recently? 

How might the brand’s corporate reputation be at risk? 

In what way could regressive nostalgia possibly affect the brand’s strategic marketing and its marketing mix? 

How can the brand mobilise inclusivity, diversity, and equality to counter regressive nostalgia if necessary? 

What narrative(s) can and should be deployed, developed, adjusted, and managed by the brand to reflect contemporary positionings of the brand? 

What domains and frames of reference or meaning-making are available to the brand when working with these divisive and polarizing issues? 

END