News

 

DATE=12/22/97

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-38515

TITLE= B-M-W AND AGENT 007

BYLINE= JOHN BIRCHARD

DATELINE= WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

 



INTRO: THE FICTIONAL SECRET AGENT DOUBLE-OH-7 -- JAMES BOND -- IS

BACK IN A NEW FILM AND THE FAMED MOVIE HERO IS AGAIN SHOWING HIS 

SPECIAL BRAND OF DERRING-DO. BOND IS KNOWN FOR EMPLOYING 

HIGH-TECH GADGETS AND DRIVING FANCY CARS.  V-O-A'S JOHN BERCHARD 

REPORTS THAT IN HIS NEW FILM,THE SECRET AGENT'S VEHICLES COME 

FROM THE GERMAN CARMAKER, B-M-W.



TEXT: THE LATEST BOND FILM MARKS THE SECOND TIME HE HAS CHOSEN 

B-M-W PRODUCTS. IN LATE 1995, THE COMPANY'S NEW Z-3 ROADSTER MADE

ITS WORLD DEBUT IN THE FILM "GOLDENEYE" BEFORE THE CAR WAS 

ACTUALLY ON THE MARKET. JIM MCDOWELL, VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING

FOR B-M-W OF NORTH AMERICA, SAYS THE IMPACT OF THAT MOVIE 

EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS.



                      /// MCDOWELL ACT ///



         OUR GOAL WAS, THROUGH A NUMBER OF INNOVATIVE MEASURES 

         INCLUDING HAVING THE CAR IN THE FILM, THAT WE WOULD 

         PRE-SELL 5-THOUSAND CARS BEFORE PRODUCTION BEGAN IN THE 

         UNITED STATES. AND WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP PRE-SELLING MORE

         THAN 10-THOUSAND CARS, MORE THAN SIX WEEKS BEFORE 

         PRODUCTION BEGAN.  SO, IN THAT REGARD, WE GOT AN AWFUL 

         LOT OF ATTENTION BEHIND THE NEW ROADSTER. WE'RE CERTAIN 

         THE FILM WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.



                         /// END ACT ///



MISTER MCDOWELL SAYS HIS COMPANY HAS A POLICY OF PLACING CARS 

WITH FILM STUDIOS AS A SERVICE. HE SAYS HIS PEOPLE READ SCRIPTS 

AND, DEPENDING ON THE USE OF THE CAR, THEY MAKE VEHICLES 

AVAILABLE.



                      /// MCDOWELL ACT ///



         IN THE CASE OF "GOLDENEYE", WE GAVE THEM AN 

         EXTRA-SPECIAL OFFER, WHICH WAS -- WE SAID "WOULD YOU 

         LIKE A CAR THAT'S NOT YET IN THE MARKET?". WE THOUGHT 

         THAT WAS FITTING, GIVEN BOND'S IMAGE, THAT HE COULD BE 

         DRIVING SOMETHING THAT WOULD LOOK SO EXOTIC THAT PEOPLE 

         WOULD WONDER NOT ONLY WHAT BOND WAS DOING, BUT WHERE 

         THAT CAR CAME FROM AND WHAT IT WAS.



                         /// END ACT ///



IN THE NEW FILM, DOUBLE-OH-7 HAS TWO B-M-W'S: THE NEW "CRUISER" 

MOTORCYCLE ON WHICH BOND, PORTRAYED BY ACTOR PIERCE BROSNAN, AND 

CO-STAR MICHELLE YEOH, ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE THEIR COMMON ENEMIES... 

AND THE 750-IL TOP-OF-THE-LINE LUXURY SEDAN.  IN THE FILM THAT 

CAR SUCH NON-STANDARD ITEMS AS ROCKET LAUNCHERS AND A 

REMOTE-CONTROL DRIVING SYSTEM. 



JIM MCDOWELL SAYS B-M-WHAS A POLICY OF NOT PAYING FILM STUDIOS TO

PUT THEIR CARS ON THE SILVER SCREEN.  HOWEVER THERE ARE 

ADVANTAGES FOR THE MOVIEMAKERS.



                   /// MCDOWELL ACTUALITY ///



         WHAT WE SAID WE WOULD DO IN THIS INSTANCE IS RUN B-M-W 

         ADVERTISING THAT PUTS THE OVERALL B-M-W PRODUCT IN THE 

         CONTEXT OF THE FILM. SO, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR TELEVISION 

         ADS, THEY ARE THOROUGHLY, THROUGH-AND-THROUGH, B-M-W 

         TELEVISION SPOTS CONSTRUCTED FROM ACTUAL FOOTAGE FROM 

         THE FILM. SO, IT IS DEFINITELY A B-M-W AD, BUT IT HELPS 

         MAKE YOU AWARE THAT A NEW BOND FILM IS OUT, "TOMORROW 

         NEVER DIES".



                      /// END ACTUALITY ///



BEFORE LOANING A CAR, SAYS MISTER MCDOWELL, THE COMPANY WANTS TO 

KNOW HOW IT IS WRITTEN INTO THE SCRIPT. HE SAYS THEN THE DECISION

IS MADE WHETHER OR NOT TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION.



                   /// MCDOWELL ACTUALITY ///



         WE ARE NOT IN THE POSITION OF TELLING PEOPLE WHAT THEY 

         SHOULD PUT IN THEIR SCRIPTS. BUT WE CAN SAY WHETHER WE 

         THINK IT'S IN KEEPING WITH THE IMAGE OF B-M-W OR NOT. IF

         IT ISN'T, WE JUST WON'T GO AHEAD WITH THE EFFORT.



                      /// END ACTUALITY ///



JIM MCDOWELL SAYS HIS COMPANY IS ALWAYS OPEN TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES

TO EXPOSE ITS PRODUCTS, BUT THAT THEY LIKE TO PICK THEIR "SPOTS".

HE SAYS IT'S POSSIBLE TO OVERDO SUCH A THING. HE FEELS B-M-W HAS 

WHAT HE CALLS A "GOOD TRADITION GOING WITH (JAMES) BOND", A 

TRADITION HE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE.  (SIGNED)



NEB/JB/MGB



22-Dec-97 4:05 PM EST (2105 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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