I never thought I'd see the day. New(ish) James Bond, Daniel Craig will ditch Martini in the upcoming Bond movie "Skyfall" in favour of Heineken Lager. As outrageous as this all is, it is perhaps not too surprising. Heineken has made great steps in recent years in pursuit of its "man of the world" positioning. Indeed, Heineken spokesperson Lesya Lysyj (sounds like a Bond Girl to me) described Bond as the "perfect fit" saying that he was the epitomised the man of the world. In addition, Heineken is only the second biggest import in the USA with awareness levels tracking below the required levels. A move like this could step change this radically.
The news does not sit well with Bond aficionados however, particularly the older generation who feel the choice of lager over martini will almost certainly cheapen Brand Bond.
According to Britain's Sun newspaper, the move is blatantly linked to the release of the new movie (October) which also happens to coincide with summer - barbecue season. Actor Daniel Craig has come out in defense of the move saying that the without such partnerships, the movie would have not been financially viable. "This movie costs a lot of money to make, it costs as nearly as much again if not more to promote, so we go where we can" said Craig. He added, "The great thing is that Bond is a drinker, he always has been, it’s part of who he is, rightly or wrongly, you can make your own judgement about it, having a beer is no bad thing, in the movie it just happens to be Heineken"
Craig will also appear in a themed global Heineken ad campaign (to be directed by Sam Mendes, director of the actual movie) while his image will appear on limited-edition Heineken bottles.
No comments:
Post a Comment