James Bond’s World

30th October, 2008

Tomorrow sees the launch of the James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, and the brand association is already in high gear. Watches, vodka martinis, fast cars - James Bond not only likes them, he sells them as well.

Every new Bond comes with new products, bringing big brands millions of dollars of profits even before the movie hits the big screen. The brand owners spend millions on advertising- it makes all news about ‘The Credit Crunch’ seem questionable.

Driving an Aston Martin, wearing an Omega watch with a beautiful girl by his side - is that not every man’s dream? But who can afford it? I’ve just been wondering how much this mysterious person from the cult novel has just become a way to sell a product.

We can already see Daniel Craig in an ad for Sony HD TV inspired by the film and with no hesitation you can say that James Bond is cool. But in High Definition, he’s state-of-the-art cool.

Avon has even gone so far as to produce a James Bond perfume for girls called 'Bond Girl 007'…Hmm, what’s that going to smell like?

Avon brand association

Coca Cola are linking the Coke Zero brand with the movie by renaming it Coke Zero Zero 7 for a limited period.

Even Sony Ericsson are doing a fine line in product placement; according to news you can spot quite a few limited editions of their phones in the Quantum of Solace. Because of the popularity of Bond worldwide, Sony Ericsson has launched its marketing campaign in 42 countries!

So James Bond has become a huge business opportunity, the name synonymous with slick, modern sexiness and more importantly, coolness. Even so, I don’t drink much coke, can’t really afford an Omega watch or Aston Martin, I’m not too keen on having the newest mobile phone, but as I am a fan of Bond (like most girls) I will probably give in to this advertising adventure and attend one of the late screenings in my local cinema, with my very own James Bond by my side.