It's becoming an all time high after all. The involvement of commercial companies in a Bond film is nothing new. Product placement was already visible in the classic Bond films of the Connery era.
I consistently disagree with you over at the other forums and I'm going to continue the trend here; after reading your post there's not a single thing I agree with you on. Also, I'm out of lithium, so I'm not going to be in an agreeable mood anyway.
But after this news I'm becoming more and more wary of the uncontrolled commercial success of the Bond franchise. Read this issue statement from Jack White's management:
“Jack White was commissioned by Sony Pictures to write a theme song for the James Bond film Quantum Of Solace, not for Coca Cola. Any other use of the song is based on decisions made by others, not by Jack White. We are disappointed that you first heard the song in a co-promotion for Coke Zero, rather than in its entirety.”
It is already a fact. The segments you've heard in the new Coca Cola Zero ad was indeed the music of the Quantum Of Solace-theme song 'Another Way To Die'. I'm actually disappointed again of these few segments. They are unoriginal indeed and quite a rip-off from the 'You Know My Name' failed rock song.
Firstly, if you were familiar with Jack White, you'd know he's one of the most enigmatic figures in modern music. He doesn't give a hell of a lot away, and I'm pretty sure he's recorded more than one album on an independent label. I get the feeling that he's very anti-celebrity like Pearl Jam, trying to undo the fame he's built up around his name because he doesn't want it. He exists as a musician first and a money-maker second, which is why he wanted us to hear the song in its entirety first and not as some promotional thing.
Secondly,
You Know My Name was certainly not a failure. It had more soul than anything Chris Cornell had put out since 1994's
Superunknown, and had more fire in it than most modern rock albums. I could name half a dozen albums it bested from bigger names than Cornell; chief among them Metallica's
St. Anger. Nor did I notice any plagiarism from
You Know My Name. The sund may be the same, but I'm 95% certain that the main riff is not the same, though I play bass as opposed to guitar, so I naturally tune into the bass sounds first. Then again, you were the one who thought that because David Arnold's name did not appear in the song writing credits, he had absolutely zero involvement in the decision-making process.
But that's what I don't want to discuss about. My problem is that Sony Pictures and other commercial companies like sister company Sony Consumer Products, Heineken, Coca Cola and Ford Motor Company seem to control entire aspects of the Bond franchise.
We saw the heavily mobile phone texting in 'Casino Royale', which still irritates me to death. But the fact that Coca Cola can actually control the launch of the new Bond song is quite disturbing. Film franchises like Jason Bourne and Batman don't suffer from this uncontrolled product placement and way too extensive involvement of commercial ventures.
Don't be an idiot: Coca-Cola do NOT hae any control over this sort of thing. White signed the song to Sony, who control the distribution because they're the record label. Coca-Cola would have to ask permission first before using it, and it's likely they did so before the song was even recorded.
I hope Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Brocolli take some control back of the Bond franchise. Eon Productions should take in mind, that if they don't control the franchise more carefully, the Bond franchise will be treated as 'just' a million-dollar brand instead of high-quality entertainment. The Batman-franchise and Jason Bourne-franchise actually don't have this problem.
Could it be a matter of time that not only big companies like Coca Cola and Sony can influence the creative outcome of a Bond film, but maybe big Arabian companies as well? And do you agree Eon Productions and the Bond franchise are becoming much more a trend-follower which executes heavily marketing research instead of a trend-setter?
I think all the members of these forums have a better chance of winning their respective national lotteries for six straight weeks while aboard the International Space Station after having walked there than there is of commercial companies controlling the release of the Bond franchise. Use your head a little bit for once: EON are notorious taskmasters in that they like to hold on everything until they say it can be released. If the Bond theme had been recorded and Coca-Cola asked to use it before White and Keys were announced as the performers, it's likely EON would have said no.
And the only "insight" I'm getting from this discussion is how quickly you jump to conclusions.
Edited by Captain Tightpants, 15 September 2008 - 07:37 AM.
