Theorizing regressive nostalgia: Understanding exclusionary consumers as a brand threat

Abstract

This paper contributes to understanding the relevance of a negative nostalgia in branding research. The significance of nostalgia for consumer researchers has long been noted: it has been shown to delight and enchant consumers, influence consumption preferences, and lead to stronger brand attachment and loyalty. However, while the focus in marketing has been on nostalgia as a positive emotion, it is clear that aggression and exclusion are at the heart of many nostalgic narratives. This paper argues that these darker implications of nostalgia for brands have yet to be fully uncovered. In theorizing a form of negative nostalgia, which we term regressive nostalgia, we highlight three key characteristics: temporal dislocation to idealized and imagined past times which is articulated as a preference for racial and cultural purity, and heroic masculinity. We examine the James Bond brand, which came into existence over seventy years ago, to understand how consumers attracted to previous versions of a brand react adversely to new versions of the brand yet remain loyal. Our study also offers guidance to marketing practitioners on how to shield a brand’s contemporary positioning from potential negative connotations of regressive nostalgia.