Productions featuring the iconic naval officer-turned-spy have been bombarded with pleas for product placements since 1962's Dr No. The ultimate case of a jet-setting ladies' man, the glamour of Bond appeals to women as well as men, and brands want to associate themselves with it.
In the last Bond film, a remake of Casino Royale, the series was brought back to basics, and the result was a resurgence of the Bond brand. 'Ultimately, Bond's reinvention has made him more gritty and more accessible to people and this is the reason why brands want to be associated with him,' says Martin Smith, head of planning at Saatchi & Saatchi.
Andrew Knowles, co-founder of JKR, believes that brands and Bond work in concert. 'With 007, brand associations like Omega and Aston Martin both gain and contribute to the Bond charisma,' he says. 'More prosaic brands like Coke Zero initially feel a less comfortable fit, but remind us of the enduring appeal of simple myths and symbols,' he adds. The brand is trying to celebrate Bond's masculine image and his adventures.
Although most of the tie-ins are male-oriented brands, the appeal of Bond is collective. The memorable Halle Berry Bond-girl bikini seen in 2002's Die Another Day, as replicated by Marks & Spencer, was a top seller - although this, according to Smith, had much more to do with men wanting their partners to wear it than women buying the sexy numbers for themselves.
'The Bond franchise is wide open and, to date, it has used male products to drive the endorsement factor, but I think it could well open up a much wider market,' says Rune Gustafson, chief executive of Interbrand.
In the latest instalment, which premieres on 29 October, a Ford Ka will feature, albeit in a metallic gold version. Previously, BMW used Tomorrow Never Dies as the platform to launch the Z3 roadster.
Bond has always had an association with the luxurious, fast and exciting. Smith believes that demonstrating some bling simply lends brands some kudos. They will always strive to associate themselves with the celebrity and, after all these years, Bond is still the epitome of this. 'I'm not a fan of James Bond, but I can definitely see why brands would use him to create aspiration as most schoolboys and even grown men want to be him,' Smith adds.
Bond's tie-ins
- MGM earned $100m on product placements in The World Is Not Enough.
- BMW launched the Z3 roadster in Tomorrow Never Dies.
- The new Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko, will star in ads for Heineken.
- A metallic gold Ford Ka is used in Quantum of Solace.
- Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in a Sony ad to demonstrate the long-term distributor and commercial partner of the film franchise.
- Coca-Cola renames Coke Zero to Zero Zero 7.
- As Bond, Pierce Brosnan wore only Brioni suits.
- Originally a Rolex-wearer, Bond now wears Omega watches.
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