007 Might Be The King Of Product Placement
Ever since Sean Connery stepped into Ian Fleming’s world of secret missions and intrigue as 007 agent James Bond in Dr. No (1962), product placement in Bond films has been a mainstay in the franchise. Of course, it didn’t start there. The James Bond novels themselves were bursting at the seams with brands: Gordon’s Gin, Bentley, and Moreland Cigarettes, just to name a few.
One thing is true though - James Bond would not exist as he does today without product placement. In this blog, Hollywood Branded takes a look at James Bond's product placement over the years and each product featured in the 25 Bond films.
Bond And His Brands
Brands and Bond are inseparable - the brands Agent 007 uses define him, they establish his style, his character, and his taste. But as the franchise got bigger and better, the brands also helped cover the production and marketing budget. These brands have a symbiotic relationship with the suave spy. Audiences associate Bond with the latest gadgets, the nicest cars, and the most impeccable style. Brands help to achieve this - Bond makes the Aston Martin look oh-so desirable, and the Aston Martin makes Bond look classy and rich.
Some brands like Bollinger have been Bond brands for years - every single Bond actor (minus Sean Connery), has sipped Bollinger champagne in one of the films. Other brands have been displaced by dollars or co-media partnerships as years went by - Rolex was replaced by Seiko, which was then replaced by Omega as Bond’s watch of choice, and Sony was just recently nixed from the franchise over creative issues having to do with Bond using “only the best” after years of partnership with the Bond films.
A Timeline Of James Bond Product Placement
Dr. No (1962):
Bond: Sean Connery
Sean Connery was the first, and arguably most iconic, actor to step into the role of Mr. Bond. While product placement in Bond films hadn’t quite exploded yet, there were certainly some blatant brand exposures here in Dr. No.
- Red Stripe
- Pan Am
- Royal Typewriter
- Smith and Wesson
From Russia With Love (1963):
Bond: Sean Connery
- Ever Ready
- Pan Am
Goldfinger (1964):
Bond: Sean Connery
- Aston Martin
- Aviation Traders Caviar
- Bentley Motors
- Dunlop Sport
- Harris Equipment
- Kentucky Fried Chicken
- Lotus Golf Shoes
- Ford Mustang
- Rolex
- Sunoco
- Rolls Royce
- Slazenger
- Smith and Wesson
Thunderball (1965)
Bond: Sean Connery
- Bell Helicopter
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Bond: Sean Connery
- Burroughs Corporation
- Hilton
- McDonnell Douglas
- Sony
- Toshiba
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Bond: George Lazenby
- BP
- Camel
- Gillette
- Playboy
- Toblerone
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Bond: Sean Connery
- Hertz
- Nikon
- Seaspeed
Live And Let Die (1973)
Bond: Roger Moore
This was the first of Roger Moore’s run as 007, but many people remember it mostly for the incredibly catchy song Paul McCartney penned for it.
- Bollinger
- Cadillac
- Pan Am
- Panasonic
- Rolex
- Smith and Wesson
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
Bond: Roger Moore
- American Motors Company
- Moet and Chandon
- Nikon
- Pepsi
- Rolex
- Rolls Royce
- Sony
- Tabasco
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Bond: Roger Moore
- Dom Pérignon
- Konica Minolta
- Seiko
- Sony
- Tabasco
- Wetbike
Moonraker (1979)
Bond: Roger Moore
- 7 Up
- AirFrance
- Bollinger
- British Airways
- Canon
- Christian Dior
- Glastron Carlson
- Marlboro
- Martini Racing
- Steinway & Sons
- Virolocks
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Bond: Roger Moore
- Guy Laroche
Never Say Never Again (1983)
Bond: Sean Connery
- Bentley
- Absolut
- Smirnoff
- Centipede
- Robotron: 2084
Octopussy (1983)
Bond: Roger Moore
- Seiko
- Land Rover
- Montblanc Pens
- Volkswagen
- BMW
- Mercedes Benz
- Enco
- Alfa Romeo
A View To Kill (1985)
Bond: Roger Moore
- Michelin
- Renault Auto
- Stolichnaya
- BP
- Philips
- Apple
- Lafite Rothschild
- The Sharper Image
- Cartier
- Bollinger
- Chevron
- Whiskas
- Seiko
The Living Daylights (1987)
Bond: Timothy Dalton
- Philips
- Aston Martin
- Unigate
- Audi
- Carlsberg
- Harrods
- Bollinger
- Cartier
- Rolex
License To Kill (1989)
Bond: Timothy Dalton
- Lark Cigarettes
- Olympus
- Aerospatiale
- Philips
- Kenworth
- Bollinger
- Hasselblad
GoldenEye (1995)
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
- BMW
- IBM
- Omega
- Perrier
- British Airways
- Parker Pens
- Jack Daniel’s
- Smirnoff
- Yves St. Laurent
- The Sharper Image
- British Telecom
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
- BMW
- Smirnoff
- Brioni
- Ericsson
- L’Oreal
- Heineken
- Dunhill
- Omega
- Bollinger
- Avis
- Visa
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
- BMW
- Motorola
- Bollinger
- Turnbull & Asser
- Omega
- Smirnoff
- Sunseeker
- CAT
- Church Presley
- Heineken
- Microsoft
- EA
Die Another Day (2002)
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
- Aston Martin
- Jaguar
- Ford
- Bollinger
- Finlandia
- Heineken
- 7 Up
- TyNant
- Revlon
- Brioni
- EA
- Samsonite
- Omega
- Philips
- Norelco
- British Airways
- Ferrari
- Lamborghini
- Mercedes
- Porsche
- Range Rover
- Ski-Doo
- Volvo
- Walther
Casino Royale (2006)
Bond: Daniel Craig
This one is one of the most memorable product placements for us. When asked by Bond Woman of the Hour if his watch is a Rolex, Bond replies, “Omega.” That’s a pretty big deal for a brand if you ask us.
- Brioni
- Turnbull & Asser
- Persol
- T. Dupont
- Albert Thurston
- Sunspel
- Converse
- John Lobb
- Nike
- Ted Baker
- La Perla
- Armani
- Omega
- Virgin Airlines
- Heineken
- Sony
- Ford
- Jaguar
- Lincoln
- Volvo
- Aston Martin
- Fed Ex
- Chateau Angelus
- Cybershot
- Smirnoff
- Bollinger
Quantum Of Solace (2008)
Bond: Daniel Craig
- Aston Martin
- Ford
- Volvo
- Range Rover
- Sony
- Omega
- Bollinger
- Virgin Airlines
- Heineken
- Tom Ford
- Coca-Cola
- Avon
Skyfall (2012)
Bond: Daniel Craig
- Land Rover
- Audi
- Volkswagen
- Jaguar
- Aston Martin
- Sony
- Macallan
- Heineken
- Omega
- Tom Ford
- Walther
- Coca-Cola
- Bollinger
- Proctor and Gamble
- Virgin Atlantic
- Literary Review
- Cartamundi
- Swarovski
- Honda
- AgustaWestland
- Anderson Wheeler
- Aurora
- BBC
- Belstaff
- Beretta
- Caterpillar
- Citibank
- CNN
- Courvoisier
- Mercedes
- Royal Doulton
- Scrabble
- Xperia
Spectre (2015)
Bond: Daniel Craig
Spectre and all the product placement surrounding it made our heads spin, but also very excited. The biggest gossip regarding this was the decision of Daniel Craig and the movie’s team not to use the Android-powered Sony smartphone- ending a many many-year partnership between Bond and Sony. In the leaked Sony emails, Craig makes it clear that Bond would only use the best and in his opinion, the Sony wasn’t “the best.”
- Peal
- Range Rover
- Aston Martin
- Belvedere
- Arsenal
- Heineken
- Bollinger
- Tom Ford
- Omega
- Mulberry
- Crockett and Jones
- Sanders and Sanders
- John Varvatos
- Macallan
- Burberry
- Persol
- Sunspel
- Missoni
- Gillette
- MAC
- Chateau Angelus
- Matchless
- Clarks
- Ghost Hollywood Salma
- Globe-Trotter
- David DeYoung
- Interstuhl
- Sony
- Fiat
- Jaguar
- Bollinger Champagne
- Mercedes-Benz
- Rolls-Royce
Some brands have stayed with Bond since the very beginning (think Bollinger champagne) and have become a staple for the secret agent. Other details, like his car, change from movie to movie, depending on what deals and integrations are in place for that particular film. Both James Bond and the brands featured in his films have each other to thank - they would not be where they are without the other.
More on Product Placement!
While you're at it, check out some of the other blogs we have written on product placement and branded partnerships!
- Top Brand Partnerships With Ant-Man And The Wasp
- Toy Story Effect: How Film's Product Placement Increased Sales Of Toys
- Product Placement Versus Brand Integration Explained
- Transformers Product Placement History [Infographic]
- Marvel: A Universe Of Product Placement Opportunities
Are you interested in integrating product placement into your entertainment marketing mix, but simply don’t know where to start? Our short video helps give you a broad overview and the next steps to make it happen for your brand!
