15 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

[box]

Ford rapped over Bond car advert

Car company Ford has been criticised by the advertising watchdog for wrongly implying its Focus model featured in Bond blockbuster Casino Royale.

An advert for the Ford Focus Zetec Climate used footage from the hit film, which actually features the Mondeo car.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) upheld two complaints from viewers who felt the advert was misleading.

Ford defended the advert, saying it clearly featured the Focus Zetec Climate's name, price and image.

The car giant was among a number of companies which signed deals to promote its products on the back of the James Bond film.

The ASA ruled: "We considered that, because of the difficulty in differentiating between the two cars, the ad was likely to give the misleading impression that the Focus Zetec Climate was used in the film Casino Royale, which could make it more attractive to some viewers."

It ordered Ford not to show the advert again in its current form.

Casino Royale has become the most successful James Bond film at the box office, generating $593m (

[bill007]

What advertising executive thought this scheme up? What executive at Ford approved it? Geezus! They got a 30-second commercial in the film.

[Qwerty]

Yeah, they were walking a fine line with that one. The Mondeo was in the film, the Focus Zetec Climate was not.

[Righty007]

I hate it when companies don't make it clear exactly which product(s) of theirs is in a film. Persol didn't advertise the 2244-S sunglasses at all.

[Skudor]

What advertising executive thought this scheme up? What executive at Ford approved it? Geezus! They got a 30-second commercial in the film.

A very painful 30 seconds for me, personally.

First the pure advert with DC driving the Mondeo. Then comes the Land Rover, which gets driven into a Jaguar parked next to a Volvo... I guess they really needed something to tie the Focus to the movie as well.

I would be a happier man without the extended 'look, Bond is driving a Mondeo' ad and the blatant Omega tie in on the train. But if that's what it takes to make a movie like this I guess I'll have to live with it....

[Santa]

Indeed, but on the other hand, who were the sad bastards that complained about how it changed their image of the Focus when they realised it wasn't in the film? That's the most disturbing part to me .

[Skudor]

Indeed, but on the other hand, who were the sad bastards that complained about how it changed their image of the Focus when they realised it wasn't in the film? That's the most disturbing part to me .

It is truly concerning that someone should actually worry about that... who would buy a Mondeo (or a Focus) purely because it was in a Bond film???

[Santa]

Or even, who would buy a Mondeo or a Focus?


Joking...

[Skudor]

Indeed. Who would?

[jaws_dentist]

lots n lots of people would , thats why advertisin execs placed it.

the movin image ... especially TV, places us in a very suggestible state of mind , people ditherin over what car to buy would have had their minds made up by such a product placement.

look at the discussions about omega watches on this forum , lots of peeps buy them cuz of the james bond connection... and intricately analyse and compare various models in various movies.

i wouldnt mind a brioni suit though , not because EON put them on their lead actor .. they are actually very splendid RTW suits indeed.

[bill007]

And I wouldn't either. For me, product placement isn't such a big deal. The Ford 30-second commercial didn't really bother me that much. A little o-b-v-i-o-u-s, but it didn't distract me from my Bond enjoyment. Bollinger, Marlboro, the list is endless.

What does get my goat, is Ford (America, Focus) riding on 007's back after Ford (U.K. Mondeo) already had it's shot. Advertising executives gone amok.

[Dell Deaton]

lots n lots of people would , thats why advertisin execs placed it.

the movin image ... especially TV, places us in a very suggestible state of mind , people ditherin over what car to buy would have had their minds made up by such a product placement.

look at the discussions about omega watches on this forum , lots of peeps buy them cuz of the james bond connection... and intricately analyse and compare various models in various movies....

Indeed, this was a very large subject of controversy for Omega SA last year in terms of watches it had and was planning to provide for James Bond films.

In January 2006, it was promoting its Omega 4832.51.31 De Ville Co-Axial Power Reserve as a 007 piece. Despite numerous communications with their corporate office, they stood behind this claim until early February. After dropping this promotion, the president of Omega SA then apologized for the placement (see LINK to letter). So Omega sure seems to have gotten this point.

A lot of people take this sort of thing very seriously. Myself included. Heck, if you're gonna be invested in something ~ whether it be watches, or continuity in films, or debates over which actor best delivers the role ~ why on earth wouldn't you want to be passionate about that interest?

[jaguar007]

I actually think the Mondeo would be a typical rental car Bond would get while on "vacation" from a rental agency. It is the music (which I love by the way) that turned it into a commerical for the Ford Mondeo.

[byline]

We have been swayed by Bond film product placement. We just purchased a 2012 Ford Fusion. OK, so we're eight years late. No time like the present!

[AMC Hornet]

...who would buy a Mondeo (or a Focus) purely because it was in a Bond film???

Indeed, or anything made by ... American Motors, for instance?

 

Only a hopelessly naive ingenue, that's for sure.

 

(I should know.)

[Call Billy Bob]

Indeed, or anything made by ... American Motors, for instance?

My dad had an AMC Matador in high school. He says he still misses that car.