Today could not have been a more perfect day to read through So Chi Liu’s intriguing blog post which highlights the James Bond movies as films known for their strong product placement. Earlier in the afternoon I took my younger brother the the Vancouver Auto Show where we were awed by the shining, fully-loaded assortment of vehicles to look at. Being that I know very little about cars, I was not too great at identifying the different makes, however, when approaching the sleek Aston Martin available for viewing, I immediately said, doesn’t James Bond drive one of these? And the answer to this question of course is yes! What a boss!
Referring back to So Chi’s comment about successful product placement being understandable in a “natural, reasonable, but not exaggerating way”, I feel that the James Bond lifestyle and attitude aligns seamlessly with the Aston Martin brand. James bond portrays a debonair secret agent, with a passion for beautiful cars and beautiful women. Aston Martin is a brand known for their flawless fusion between class and speed. Each brand compliments the other. However, to me what is most astonishing about the product placement in the Bond movies, is how much these companies will pay to have their products highlighted in the film. The 2002 James Bond movie “Die Another Day” was reported to have made $100 million from companies for product placement. While it is an expensive undertaking in many cases, the fact that a car illiterate person such as myself can identify the car brand simply because of a movie indicates that they’re doing something right, right?
Overall, product placement is an amazing marketing tool that many companies enjoy utilizing, check out more below:
