Marketing

Nothing ever ends in the digital age of ‘foreverism’

An interview with Grafton Tanner, a sociologist at the University of Georgia

by Giampaolo Colletti

12 September 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

‘To make something eternal means to protect it from the ravages of time. In this way, the past does not fade away: it is not merely remembered, but rather brought to life again in the present.’ This is the paradoxical promise, but also the implicit risk, of the concept of foreverism coined by Grafton Tanner, a lecturer in communication studies at the University of Georgia and author of the American bestseller *Foreverism*, published in Italia by Effequ. His work focuses on the relationship between technology and neoliberalism, examining the way in which everything is recirculated. ‘Nostalgia is felt when we yearn affectionately for the past, whilst foreverism, on the contrary, drives us to revive the past and save it from dying forever. It represents a society which, rather than letting things come to an end, constantly tends to preserve, update and revive them,’ says Tanner.

Professor, let’s start with the definition.

‘Foreverism’ is a strategy that brings old things back into the present and prevents them from disappearing. Think of *Star Wars*, reboots, remakes and reunions, but also of the great historic brands.

How does this apply to brands?

For years, being ‘old’ was almost seen as a disadvantage. Today, the vintage aesthetic, analogue technologies, early video games and old cameras are once again in demand. The past has become a new form of competitive capital.

But we no longer accept that something can simply come to an end.

Certainly, but I would take it a step further. ‘Foreverism’ is a way of framing the relationship between the past and the present. Thus, businesses and politics import aspects of the past into the present rather than proposing new ideas. This approach offers two advantages: it relies on past successes to generate profit in the present, and it allows new battles to be waged against nostalgia, which has been a source of considerable unease in the Western world for centuries.

Is this a new phenomenon?

No, Western culture has long relied on popular reboots and vintage aesthetics. Brands know that delving into the past in search of product ideas is a safe bet. And many consumers, willing to part with their money just for the chance to catch a glimpse of the past, feel comfortable making these purchases.

What effect does all this have?

The risk is high because the tendency is to leave things as they are, resulting in incremental changes rather than genuine progress.

In the new economy of permanence, will products, characters and intellectual property live on forever?

Perhaps, but it is more important to note how political and business leaders encourage the public to feel nostalgia by presenting it in the best possible light, almost idealising it. All of this can create a sense of a permanent past.

What is the risk of the nostalgia effect on contemporary marketing?

The aim is to encourage consumers to feel nostalgic enough to make a purchase. But what happens when brands run out of the nostalgia they are trying to use to sell their products? There is also a possibility that this process could undermine performance to the point where no purchase is able to generate a profit.

Where does the line between authenticity and artificiality lie?

Companies want their intellectual property from the past to endure into the future, and are playing the nostalgia card just enough to stay afloat, so as not to go under.

How could AI speed up this process?

By immortalising the past and enticing audiences to return to the classic Star Wars stories featuring the voice of James Earl Jones, incorporating it into new films so that no one will ever have to miss Darth Vader again.

But if everything can be brought back to life, what room is left for something new?

There is always something new, thanks to artists and producers who are constantly experimenting. Rather, the real concern should be the constant presence and manipulation of the past. In the name of supposed longevity, the risks of ‘foreverism’ range from frustration to genuine political dilemmas and even ethical ones.