LONDON: "Spectre", the latest James Bond movie, has premiered in the UK and has its US launch in early November, prompting one leading marketing consultant to compare the 50-year-old franchise to the Olympics in terms of branding.
Jacques de Cock, a lecturer at the London School of Marketing, estimates that the 24 Bond movies have earned some £11bn ($16.9bn) in 2015 prices at the box office and another $4-5bn from marketing since “Dr No” debuted in 1962.
Although sponsorship of the Olympics dwarfs the amount spent on a Bond movie, de Cock told Reuters that the two could be compared in terms of marketing and branding.
"The marketing and co-marketing of the Olympics is close in terms of branding – in terms of revenue, no," he said.
"I looked at Star Wars, I looked at Harry Potter – they actually make more per movie, but they are only seven or eight movies long in terms of franchises. It's the longevity and depth combined that make Bond unique," he added.
As sponsors, men's grooming brand Gillette and Dutch brewer Heineken are both allowed to show Bond-themed ads and Heineken is reported to have spent £28m for product linkage in Bond's previous outing in "Skyfall".
Aston Martin, the exclusive British automaker, has long been associated with the franchise, but other major brands include Jaguar Land Rover and Sony, which provides 007 with his phone.
Jason Gonsalves, the chief strategy officer at advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, agreed that Bond offers a particular attraction for advertisers.
"Part of Bond's personality is discernment and sophistication and a lot of that is expressed by consumer choices, like which tailoring he uses and which car he drives," he told the Guardian.
"In Bond, almost more than any movie, the role of the brands is particularly heightened."
Jacques de Cock, a lecturer at the London School of Marketing, estimates that the 24 Bond movies have earned some £11bn ($16.9bn) in 2015 prices at the box office and another $4-5bn from marketing since “Dr No” debuted in 1962.
Although sponsorship of the Olympics dwarfs the amount spent on a Bond movie, de Cock told Reuters that the two could be compared in terms of marketing and branding.
"The marketing and co-marketing of the Olympics is close in terms of branding – in terms of revenue, no," he said.
"I looked at Star Wars, I looked at Harry Potter – they actually make more per movie, but they are only seven or eight movies long in terms of franchises. It's the longevity and depth combined that make Bond unique," he added.
As sponsors, men's grooming brand Gillette and Dutch brewer Heineken are both allowed to show Bond-themed ads and Heineken is reported to have spent £28m for product linkage in Bond's previous outing in "Skyfall".
Aston Martin, the exclusive British automaker, has long been associated with the franchise, but other major brands include Jaguar Land Rover and Sony, which provides 007 with his phone.
Jason Gonsalves, the chief strategy officer at advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, agreed that Bond offers a particular attraction for advertisers.
"Part of Bond's personality is discernment and sophistication and a lot of that is expressed by consumer choices, like which tailoring he uses and which car he drives," he told the Guardian.
"In Bond, almost more than any movie, the role of the brands is particularly heightened."
Data sourced from Reuters, Guardian; additional content by Warc staff
