Bond as Neocolonial Blueprint: The Case of Michael Power

This article analyses the Guinness “Michael Power” advertising campaign – which presented an “African James Bond" – as a sophisticated exercise in neocolonial image laundering. It argues that the campaign, developed by Diageo and Saatchi & Saatchi, adapted the imperial blueprint of the Bond franchise to the corporate sphere, using rhetorical strategies of identification and hegemony to promote a constrained model of African modernity. Through a close reading of the campaign’s evolution from Bond-aping shorts to the feature film Critical Assignment, this study demonstrates how the character of Michael Power was crafted to persuade African audiences that a British multinational shared their substance and aspirations. This identification is qualified, offering a second-class, pacifist heroism defined by consumer citizenship rather than political agency. The campaign’s hegemonic project is revealed in its mandated pacifism and the shift to a tagline – “Guinness reflects the power in you” – that frames empowerment as an internal quality to be recognised through consumption, obscuring structural inequalities. Ultimately, the narrative launders Diageo’s image, particularly its focus on water scarcity, inadvertently exposing the contradictions of a water-intensive corporation posing as a humanitarian ally. The campaign’s failure underscores the instability of the neocolonial bargain: the thrill of seeing oneself on screen cannot permanently conceal the reality of a transaction that offers dignity in exchange for acquiescence to a system of corporate control.