007 series had become known brandplacement area many years ago, but when world changes Bond stories change too and with them all the things MI6 agent promotes. Due to important integrated role which Sony Ericsson phones acted in movie under control of Sony Columbia (owner of MGM studious), appearance of new rebranded Sony Xperia smartphone was the most expected thing of the kind. But plot connected to cyber-espionage, which is a most popular spy news today (remeber messages on uknown viruses who destroy data in Iraq and other countries), made another Sony product major branded hero of the Skyfall movie.
And it is Sony VAIO which appears on first minutes and can be seen in the very last frame before end titles. MI6 and villian are fully equipped with Sony digital instruments. Now let's look at 'host' brand appearances in the movie.
(0:01:33, 0:01:37) - Bond discovers Broken Vaio with hard drive removed which plays important part in the action. There was information that should not cross area controlled by MI6.
(0:02:43, 0:07:25) Tanner (by Rory Kinnear) leads Bond with help of Sony monitor.
(0:18:00) Appearance of Mullory's VAIO, his computer will be seen in final frame before end titles.
(0:20:02) In M's car Tanner tries to locate signal source of cyber attack.
(0:24:22) Bond hears about attack on MI6 headquaters through Sony tv set in bar.
(0:35:01) Bond and Eve pass near VAIO. We understand that all computers in new headquaters are Sony computers too.
(0:37:04, 0:37:06) Tanner and Bond identify Patrice (by Ola Rapace) through analysis of bullet.
(0:42:15, 0:42:17) Bond receives information about Patrice arrival to Shanghai with help of Sony Xperia smartphone.
(0:50:53) M receives another message from yet unknown villian.
(1:07:33) M, Mullory and Tanner watch scandal news on killings.
(1:26:46) Silva's computer is Sony also.
(1:27:24) Committee people use VAIO to store important state secrets.
(1:28:20) Q tries to break code of Silva with his VAIO.
(1:29:29) Q is trapped by Silva's cyber trick.
(1:32:59) Q watches for Silva on Sony monitor.
(1:39:32) Tanner receives messages from Bond saying that M is in danger.
(1:43:26) Bond asks Q to create false path for Silva.
(2:16:56) Eve establishes herself as non-field employee by sitting after VAIO monitor.
Before release of the movie it looked like return of the Q (and Moneypenny) is possibly just because of need in more of intresting charachters. But now Q seems to be more important than that. Because such intensive use of computers is connected to struggle lines of the movie. On one side it is battle of two computer genius Silva versus Q. And on another side it is classical (more physical) power of Bond versus new technologies of espionage. Old ways against new ways.
And keynote of this struggle is line repeated in the movie.
'Sometimes the old ways are the best'
So classical agent with resolve defeats self-confident gadget lover. But computers are not discriminated, because to struggle man with the computer you need another man with the computer. And Q is the smart man on the right side.
When seeing Bond shaving not with Braun shaver Eve says 'How traditional', but when she finishes to shave him with razor she says 'Old dog, new tricks'.
So it is cyber technologies that help to track Silva, but finally Bond kills him with simple knife, which is more than efficient.
If Sony tries to benefit from new Bond gadgets, Omega tries to use his classical sides the same was as shoes supplier Crockett & Jones.
In Bond movie almost every important charachter wears Omega. Eve like lady wears different models through the movie. Silva doesn't but walking in through the London Underground he passes Omega posters (1:32:00). On left picture is model similar to Bond watches - Omega seamaster. Another enemy, Patrice, wears them which is seen when Bonds truggles him on the roof of car passing tunnel. Dr Hall (0:31:24) and unknown man in inderground (1:35:31) also wear expensive watches.
The most evedent appearance of Omega brand on hand of Bond is when he opens his new modified PPK (0:40:29). Omega appeearsin film earlier than VAIO, immidiately when we can see Bond figure more definetely. He wears them most of the time in movie, losing Omega for long period when falling from the bridge, being shot by Eve (0:12:07). And reason can be found in next propositions. Seamaster is waterproof model and it cannot be broken after falling in the water, so may be bond sold them (to unknown man in underground) to make some living independently from MI6, which is doubtful. Or he just took it off not to be remarkable among simple people in the bar on seaside.
Then watches are intruduced again when he checks time for meeting with M (0:33:40) where she conceals from him tests results. In other cases Bond is seen without Omega when swimming (0:42:02), taking shower or/and spending time with woman (1:06:48).
The most classical brandplacement for 007 movie is cars.
In the movie land Rover cars are used to transport Bond to mission (0:02:50) or to new headquaters (0:27:49). M's driver uses Jaguar for the similar purpose (0:17:40). Patrice drives Audi in the beginning (0:03:17). Then Bond uses Caterpillar to keep chasing train (still in Turkey) and he also crashes some VW beetles with it, Mercedes to keep chasing Patrice in Shanghai and classical Aston Martin DB5 (which appeared in many 007 movie since 1964 Goldfinger movie) to transport M in Scotland.
Needless to say that there is many other brands placed in movie. Just it deserves to be noted that there is plenty of alcohol, mostly whiskey, which MI6 people and their enemies drink in all possible cases(sometimes even together), may be celebrating double financial success of the movie - both with billion dollar box office and profitable brandplacement.
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