Virile Bond, Viral Beer

NEW YORK "Shaken, not stirred" are three words you won't hear in a new Heineken commercial that ties into the upcoming James Bond movie Casino Royale.Nor does the martini-soaked catchphrase grace the "Making of the Heineken 'Casino Royale' Ad" clip recently posted on YouTube. Instead, both the 30-second spot and the four-minute video tout the 007 franchise's affair with beer. That beer would be Heineken Lager, "a brand that has the same personality as Bond," explains the brewery's international communications manager, Shane Hoyle, in the short documentary. "The core equities of the brand and the core equities of the film are virtually identical," echoed Kevin McKeon, executive creative director and partner of StrawberryFrog, which created the commercial (plus its 45- and 60-second versions). Just as Agent 007 exudes "cleverness," "worldliness," "fun" and "daring," so too globe-spanning Heineken embodies these attributes, continued McKeon. New Bond girl Eva Green appears in both the commercial and making-of productions. The latter, which Heineken executive produced, also features outtakes with the commercial's director, filmmaker Stephen Gaghan, and other members of the creative crew. The New York agency recruited Gaghan "because he understood filmmaking and storytelling and he's great with dialogue," said McKeon. That the director of Syriana and screenwriter of Traffic revealed himself to be a "huge James Bond fan" further established his bona fides, according to McKeon. (Gaghan's previous commercial credits include a MasterCard spot.) And his spiky aesthetics fit the look StrawberryFrog wanted. Said McKeon, "We didn't want a real slick commercial; we wanted something that had some grit to it." Having found their man, StrawberryFrog launched its mission "to script a drama that captured the elements of James Bond's sexiness and dry wit" and that would be "an extension of the spirit of the film." "We were looking to make more of a mini-film than a commercial," McKeon noted. Going for "authentic locations," the StrawberryFrog team re-created Casino Royale's Hotel Splendide in the Czech landmark Grand Hotel Pupp. The cost of the 35mm film shoot was not disclosed. The ads, which will run on TV and movie screens through December, are part of a multi-million-dollar campaign in association with EON Productions and Sony Pictures. It includes digital, radio and promotional events. The Dutch beer brand has tied in with prior Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day.When the newest Ian Fleming adaptation opens Nov. 17, look for a main character with a Heineken. Just don't expect it to be the titular gentleman spy. "He is the one guy in the film who will not be drinking beer," said McKeon.

Brand Marketing

Virile Bond, Viral Beer

Laura Blum

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Laura Blum