Bond No. 22: a 'Quantum' of affordable tie-ins
“Quantu
m of Solace” opens at the multiplexes tonight and though fans of the franchise may be disappointed that the phrase “Bond, James Bond” is never uttered (as reported earlier this week by our fellow blog Hero Complex), they won’t be disappointed that the “placement, product placement” the 22-film canon has become famous for, lives on.
The brand-name-dropping Bond films have always been a popular seeding ground for aspirational luxury brands, but as we were gathering string for this weekend’s Image cover story on James Bond’s new tailor Tom Ford, we were baffled not by the number of high-end, on-screen product tie-ins (Aston Martin cars and Omega watches among the more familiar) but the number of more affordable brands hitching their wagon to the Bond train, and ones that we don't actually recall seeing in the film -– or if we did they didn't register long enough to cause our "Gotta buy that!" synapses to fire.
Among the more interesting: Bond Girl 007, an eau de parfum from Avon that deploys actress Gemma Arterton (a.k.a. agent Strawberry Fields, who, in our humble opinion, is the best thing to happen to a Burberry trench coat since the invention of gabardine) as the face of fragrance described as "an irresistible cocktail of glamour and mystery" with "top notes of white peach and orange blossom" mid-notes of "jasmine, calypso orchid and freesia, followed by a drydown of amber, cashmere wood patchouli and musks (what, all that and no strawberry shout-out?) for $30 per bottle. Currently, if you order it online you get a free ticket to "Quantum" with each bottle. Speaking of which, the bottles remind us of something we just can't put our finger on ...
Another noteworthy and far from bank-busting tie-in that crossed our desk is with Swatch, not because it's the second involving a watch brand (Swatch actually owns the Omega brand) but because it refreshingly focuses on the Bond villains we've met over the last 46 years -- one for each of the movies.
So if you fancy a satin-brushed stainless steel lady's watch with band design that evokes the brass knuckles wielded by "From Russia with Love's" gray lady Rosa Klebb ($100), or a handsome-looking men's timepiece with the ace of spades on the face and black faux leather band meant to reference the tuxedo and card-playing prowess of "Casino Royale's" blood-weeping Le Chiffre ($110), you're in luck with the 007 Villain Collection.
Of course, if you've cleaned up at the baccarat table and are feeling flush, you can also call up Tom Ford's eponymous boutique on Madison Avenue at (212) 359-0300 and order yourself a pair of the 007 aviator style sunglasses with rhodium frames and smokey blue lenses (handmade in Italy) Craig wears in the movie for a cool $450.
Photos from top: Bond Girl 007 courtesy of Avon, actor Mads Mikkelsen as "Casino Royale" villain Le Chiffre and the Swatch watch inspired by the character, both courtesy of Swatch, Tom Ford sunglasses courtesy of Tom Ford.
