Never Say Never Again
James Bond is returning to his first love. No, not Ursula Andress — Aston Martin.
After five years of putting 007 behind the wheel of BMWs, Los Angeles-based MGM in August inked a deal with Detroit-based Ford Motor Co. to reunite Bond with Aston Martin. Terms were not disclosed.
The still-untitled 20th film in the Bond series, which will hit theatres November 2002, will feature star Pierce Brosnan driving Aston Martin’s new V12 Vanquish. The U.K.-based auto maker is working on “a host of activities” to complement the product placement, says chief program engineer Ian Minards. A media-supported sweepstakes and dealership activity are part of the plan, says MGM senior vp-worldwide promotions Mary Goss Robino.
Aston Martin was first featured in 1964’s Goldfinger. “We’re a small organization. We want to grow the brand in order to increase volume,” says Minards. (The V12, which retails for $228,000, is actually sold out through 2003.)
Neither MGM nor BMW would comment on the brand’s departure after tie-ins to three straight films. Woodcliff Lake, NJ-based BMW reportedly still holds first-refusal rights. VP-marketing Jim McDowell called the relationship “extremely successful” in a July interview with PROMO.
MGM will announce other partners next year for a program that will celebrate the series’ 40th anniversary, says Goss Robino.
The proposed mega-venture between Atlanta-based Coca-Cola and Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble is now looking more like a simple distribution deal. In February, the two CPG giants announced plans for a stand-alone company dedicated to juices and snacks that would house Coke’s Minute Maid, Hi-C, Five-Alive, and Fruitopia brands and P&G’s Sunny Delight and Pringles. But Coke’s latest SEC filing states: “We anticipate that the nature and terms of any transaction that may result will differ materially from the transaction originally announced in February 2001.”
Online auction house eBay, San Jose, CA, struck a deal with Culver City, CA-based Columbia TriStar Television Distribution to develop a daily syndicated TV show that will examine the stories behind products traded on the site. The show will be developed by eBay and LMNO Productions, the latter creators of Guinness World Records: Primetime and Boot Camp. The series is scheduled to debut in fall 2002.
Beloit, WI-based toy maker Patch Products began shipping three children’s games created through a licensing deal with McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, IL. “Parents looking for educational games will recognize the McDonald’s name in the game aisle,” says Patch licensing manager Lisa Huston.
Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL, teamed with girl’s apparel maker Candie’s, Inc., Valhalla, NY, to introduce a line of mobile phone accessories. Co-branded products include hard covers, cases, and personalization accessories that will be sold in department stores, specialty stores, and Candie’s own retail outlets starting next spring.
