James Bond has always famously been a vodka drinker, but it’s not always been the same vodka brand.
In Fleming’s Moonraker novel it was Wolfschmidth, several movies saw Smirnoff product placement, it was Absolut in Never Say Never Again, Stolichnaya in A View To A Kill and Finlandia in Die Another Day.
In the new Bond blockbuster, SPECTRE, the spy’s vodka of choice will be Polish brand Belvedere.
The century-old Polish distiller, owned by luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, has rolled out its global SPECTRE marketing with a campaign led by a new TV spot.
The ad stars Stephanie Sigman, who plays the role of Estralla in the opening scene of the new movie.
Carrying the classic #ShakenNotStirred hashtag, the commercial follows a martini being created without human interaction.
The campaign has been developed with agency BBDO and the spot was helmed by director Antoine Bardou-Jacquet.
As well as the global ad campaign, Belvedere will feature in the movie and the brand has an associated set of Bond marks and marketing rights around the film and promotional events and experiences, as well as on-premises and retail initiatives.
To celebrate the partnership announcement back in December 2014, Belvedere released two custom made and limited editions.
One saw Belvedere replace the iconic Belvedere Palace on its bottle design with the famous MI6 headquarters and switch the brand’s signature blue palette to a distinctive green to mirror the secret agency’s building colour scheme.
A further 007 twist was applied to Belvedere’s Silver Saber (self-illuminating) bottles.
They were first revealed at an exclusive Bond & Belvedere event at the ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition at the London Film Museum that included an Aston Martin DB5 and even genuine Bond girls.
Other Bond branded bottles are being rolled out with the movie release.
This is Belvedere’s first Bond partnership and, as with other first time 007 commercial partners, brand president Charles Gibb admits it comes with huge pressure.
‘This is a massive partnership for us,’ comments Gibb.
‘It’s the largest global collaboration that we’ve ever done. With that comes extraordinary responsibility. James Bond is recognized as the most admired and influential tastemaker in the world. We’re delighted that Belvedere has partnered with the movie SPECTRE, our largest global partnership to date.”
Comment
Like fellow Bond brand Sony, and unlike blockbuster partner Heineken, neither Craig himself nor the Bond character actually appear in the ad.
This Belvedere spot, which reverses the traditional male Bond-ordered martini scene, is one of several spots that have mimicked the brilliant 2003 ‘Honda Cog’ commercial’s classic creative approach.
When it comes to drinks, it is not just vodka that has long been part of the Bond on-screen furniture and/or off-screen commercial partnerships.
In Fleming’s books Bond despatches no fewer than 317 drinks: including 101 whiskeys, plus sake, champagne, wine and the self-invented Vesper Martini cocktail in Casino Royale.
A whole host of brands – from Red Stripe, Havana Club, Courvoisier and Dom Perignon, to Martini Rossi, Jim Beam, Bollinger, Moet, Absolut and even 7UP – have all played a 007 role.
Smirnoff was the first product placement vodka of choice at the very beginning of Bond in 1962’s Dr No.
It’s just a bit of a shame that the name of the character that SPECTRE actress Stephanie Sigman (who fronts this campaign) is the same as that of a major global beer brand.
Links
Belvedere YouTube:
http://youtube.com/belvederevodka
Belvedere Facebook:
http://facebook.com/belvederevodka
Belvedere Twitter:
http://twitter.com/belvederevodka
Belvedere Website:
http://www.belvederevodka.com/en-int/culture/collaborations/james-bond-belvedere-vodka-partnership
Sony Pictures Entertainment Website:
Adam & Eve DDB:
Rattling Stick:
SPECTRE Website:
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/spectre/
Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions Website:
http://jamesbond.wikia.com/wiki/EON_Productions
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Website:
