Bond is back and and a new Bond movie means new Bond marketing. James Bond was the first film franchise to embrace product placement (not surprising considering Fleming’s original novels were full of brand name checks) and SPECTRE sees it stay ahead on the sponsorship stake.
September sees several of the film’s key sponsors start activating (well ahead of the movie’s release).
This year sees the return of some familiar Bond brands (such as Heineken, Sony and, yes, Aston Martin) as well as some new commercial partners (Belvedere becomes the latest in a long line of vodka brands to back the Bond franchise).
Partners and film producers are notoriously secretive about the size and costs involved in film tie-ins, but one tell-tale sign of the scale of investment in the sponsorship deal is who (as in which actor) fronts the brand’s Bond-led TV ads.
At the head of the SPECTRE sponsor pack is blockbuster beer partner Heineken for whom Daniel Craig himself stars in the sponsorship spot – Craig receives fees to promote products aligned with the films (see case study).
Next in line is Sony, whose ‘Made For Bond’ marketing is fronted by none other than Miss Moneypenny – well, actress Naomie Harris (see case study).
While Belevedere is a little further down the pecking order with TV ad starring Spectre Bond girl Stephanie Sigman – who plays the role of Estralla in the opening scene of the new movie (see case study).
And Aston Martin’s ‘Built For Bond’ commercial for its DB10 doesn’t feature any of the SPECTRE actors at all – its creative connection is simply based around the 007 logo. Mind you, when it comes to Aston Martin’s Bond marketing, it is all about the car.
