Spennies007: License to Shop
January 15th 2007 09:03
Now for something a bit lighter.
Walking out after the latest James Bond feature, I felt compelled to wonder what everyone should after watching a good spy film. Where did all the cool gadgets from?
Once upon a time the answer to this question could only come from the imagination, or could be shrugged off in the style of all spy films: ‘He’s a spy, he has cool gadgets, that’s it’.
But not this time. I surprised myself by answering my own question without a second of hesitation: Bond got all those cool gadgets from Sony. And how did I know this? It was probably the not so strategically placed product placement that did it.
In an interview with the BBC about Casino Royale, latest Bond actor Daniel Craig shrugged the product placement off as somewhat of a necessity, claiming the film could not have been done had it not been for all the blatant ads. The film features Bond using his trusty Sony VAIO laptop and his Sony Ericsson cyber-shot mobile phone to get him through the tough times. This, Craig says, is what Bond is all about.
[link]
However, I'm inclined to disagree. And so would Ian Fleming I presume, who undoubtedly did not have Sony and BMW in mind when he created 007.
Product placement in films is nothing new, but lately it’s been tecchy gadgets that keep winning the serve in this game.
Apple comes in a close second in the product placement wars, with an increasing number of characters in films sporting iPods and Mac products, from Inside Man to Firewall, where a pink mini iPod saves the day in the hands of the always reliable Harrison Ford.
Computer company Dell also makes a few appearances here and there, most notable in V for Vendetta, where it seems all electronic brands have been outlawed save for Dell and JVC – and almost everyone seems to always be watching TV or playing with a computer.
Next up is Microsoft. Does anyone remember that incredibly long scene in The Island where the clones fight each other in a virtual reality Xbox fighting game? Sure it’s a cool idea and makes you wish it was possible, but somehow the blatant product advertisements seem to cheapen the movie’s message, especially when you’re talking about a world corrupted by corporate image.
Finally, there must be something about spy movies that sends the advertisers nuts. The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy together rack up the glory of brands Panasonic, Motorola, Fujitsu and Nokia, which is a lot of gadgets. It seems every character is sporting a different brand of mobile phone.
If you can keep an eye out for this sort of stuff then at least you’ll be safe in the knowledge that it hasn’t all been subliminal, that you’re not going to randomly buy anything you’ve seen on the screen, that you’re at least aware that this is happening. Or at least you hope so.
Walking out after the latest James Bond feature, I felt compelled to wonder what everyone should after watching a good spy film. Where did all the cool gadgets from?
Once upon a time the answer to this question could only come from the imagination, or could be shrugged off in the style of all spy films: ‘He’s a spy, he has cool gadgets, that’s it’.
But not this time. I surprised myself by answering my own question without a second of hesitation: Bond got all those cool gadgets from Sony. And how did I know this? It was probably the not so strategically placed product placement that did it.
In an interview with the BBC about Casino Royale, latest Bond actor Daniel Craig shrugged the product placement off as somewhat of a necessity, claiming the film could not have been done had it not been for all the blatant ads. The film features Bond using his trusty Sony VAIO laptop and his Sony Ericsson cyber-shot mobile phone to get him through the tough times. This, Craig says, is what Bond is all about.
[link]
However, I'm inclined to disagree. And so would Ian Fleming I presume, who undoubtedly did not have Sony and BMW in mind when he created 007.
Product placement in films is nothing new, but lately it’s been tecchy gadgets that keep winning the serve in this game.
Apple comes in a close second in the product placement wars, with an increasing number of characters in films sporting iPods and Mac products, from Inside Man to Firewall, where a pink mini iPod saves the day in the hands of the always reliable Harrison Ford.
Yeah you're hot, but have you seen my Sony laptop anywhere?
Computer company Dell also makes a few appearances here and there, most notable in V for Vendetta, where it seems all electronic brands have been outlawed save for Dell and JVC – and almost everyone seems to always be watching TV or playing with a computer.
Next up is Microsoft. Does anyone remember that incredibly long scene in The Island where the clones fight each other in a virtual reality Xbox fighting game? Sure it’s a cool idea and makes you wish it was possible, but somehow the blatant product advertisements seem to cheapen the movie’s message, especially when you’re talking about a world corrupted by corporate image.
Finally, there must be something about spy movies that sends the advertisers nuts. The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy together rack up the glory of brands Panasonic, Motorola, Fujitsu and Nokia, which is a lot of gadgets. It seems every character is sporting a different brand of mobile phone.
If you can keep an eye out for this sort of stuff then at least you’ll be safe in the knowledge that it hasn’t all been subliminal, that you’re not going to randomly buy anything you’ve seen on the screen, that you’re at least aware that this is happening. Or at least you hope so.
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