Product placement

Paperbill

The new James Bond film will set a record for product placement, with a new report claiming that $45 million (1/3 of the movie’s budget) is coming from big brands.

Paperbill

Paperbill wrote:

The new James Bond film will set a record for product placement, with a new report claiming that $45 million (1/3 of the movie’s budget) is coming from big brands.

I know this is "old news" but keep it in mind when looking at the products offered in Skyfall. I would assume the previous companies will be given the "right of first refusal" but I expect some major changes

Hardyboy

Par for the course. Just a few days ago I watched Morgan Spurlock's documentary, POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, which shows how deeply in bed film producers are with corporations that want to get their brands out to the public. It's inescapable.

Thunderpussy

I agree it's now part of every Movie and so long as it's not too blatant, I don't have a problem with it. For many years I love watching a movie to see if it's a "Pepsi or Coke" movie, by the vending machines in various shots.

Mr Beech

I can't imagine that some of these won't be very blatant. With that many products, we are going to see a lot of labels on Bond's hotel vanity as he shaves that scruff off.

Thunderpussy wrote:

I agree it's now part of every Movie and so long as it's not too blatant, I don't have a problem with it. For many years I love watching a movie to see if it's a "Pepsi or Coke" movie, by the vending machines in various shots.

Quantum of Solace was a "Coke movie".

Thunderpussy

) with the plot of QOS, Perrier missed out there. )

Youknowthename

As a collector, I can only applaud ) Bring on the tie-ins and standees !

Strangeways

I can't believe that fans are so obsessed with this topic. Fleming packed the original books with brand names right from the start, so surely having Bond use up to date producs/designer goods is more a hark back to Fleming than people actually think! I for one love the fact that I can wear an Omega watch and sunspell clothing, use a SONY VAIO laptop, write with a Parker pen, drive an Aston Martin (OK, OK, that one's just in my dreams, but you get the jist!)

Mr Beech

Strangeways wrote:

I can't believe that fans are so obsessed with this topic. Fleming packed the original books with brand names right from the start, so surely having Bond use up to date producs/designer goods is more a hark back to Fleming than people actually think! I for one love the fact that I can wear an Omega watch and sunspell clothing, use a SONY VAIO laptop, write with a Parker pen, drive an Aston Martin (OK, OK, that one's just in my dreams, but you get the jist!)

Well, it isn't that we don't enjoy the chance to own some Bond history and style, it is more of a concern that they are letting companies buy their way into becoming Bond history and style to the point that it is distracting and not necessarily something that Bond as we know him would associate with. It isn't that new brands can't be involved, but there is just a rather large list when you think about Bond these days. The stuff is fun, but the business that goes down to get it into Bond culture isn't so fun.

Hardyboy

Getting back to the Morgan Spurlock movie I referenced: Spurlock interviewed a few name directors who mention that a man appears on their sets with a contract and tells them how the product must be seen in the shot. In that way, artistic control is taken from the director. Product placement, then, not only helps fund the movies, it takes away from cinematic art and provides consumers with commercials that THEY pay for. Ian Fleming referenced brands because he thought they were high-class and were what he believed a worldly secret agent would use. . .I don't know that he received enormous sums of money for mentioning products in his novels.