Spying on Bond: A complete case study (Part 2)

In the first part of this series, agencyfaqs! probed into the various nuances of what a Bond movie encompasses. Offering an eagle’s eye view of Bond’s origin and evolution over the decades, the successful and foolproof recipe of a typical Bond movie, and what makes Bond a timeless character, the case study paused at a vital juncture.

The man among the boys

Though he can’t navigate through the blue skies or leap from one tall roof to another, Bond somehow manages to leave other superheroes far behind. The insight that one gets is that the maturity of Bond makes him different, he being a middle aged man, while other super heroes such as Spiderman or Superman are more boyish characters.

Even if one discounts Bond’s heritage value, trade analysts such as Taran Adarsh say that Bond is a real man in flesh and blood, which makes him more believable and him, very relatable, while the super heroes are more fictitious.

Jagdeep Kapoor of Samsika Marketing Consultants attributes Bond’s dominance over other superheroes to his profession – he is a law-keeper. “Bond has the authority/licence to kill, making him a true action hero, who is always on the right side of the law.”

To add to that, Bond lives life to the fullest, rendering him the ideal man.

Shaktimaan: India’s answer to Bond?

India’s first brush with Bond was when Kabir Bedi played a henchman, Gobinda, in the Bond film, ‘Octopussy’, in 1983. While Bond has established a firm foothold as a global brand, India hasn’t yet managed to create a persona of equally iconic stature.

When agencyfaqs! tried to find an Indian character that fitted closest to Bond, Kapoor of Samsika put forward his observation that the popular television character, Shaktimaan, fit the bill. Unfortunately, there are very few who agreed with him.

Another peril lurking round the corner is that India could get engulfed in comparisons with the original, if it ever tries to create another Bond. “The gadgets and technology used abroad are far superior to those in India,” asserts Adarsh.

Ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakar is not very optimistic about an Indian Bond. In his view, Indian audiences are used to sentimental and melodramatic movies, which contradict virtually everything for which Bond stands.

On second thoughts, one wonders if India can pull it off. “2006 was the year of sequels in India, a trend which started in Hollywood ages ago,” points out Nahta, implying that if we took so long to catch up with them on this, we would take much longer to create a brand like Bond, which can last for decades to come. And for our Indian brand to become a global masterpiece, we might have to wait endlessly, due to the lack of an ardent global audience for Indian movies.

The latest from Bond’s stable

‘Casino Royale’ was released with 427 prints in India – higher than any other Bond movie here. Interestingly, this was the second highest selling Hollywood movie in India after ‘Titanic’, according to Sony Pictures. There was also tremendous hype around new Bond actor Daniel Craig, with reports and critics lambasting him for not being the perfect Bond. Yet, all that hype paid off, as viewers were curious to check him out.

Saving Brand Bond from an overkill

According to trade analysts, every eight-10 years, the Bond actor should be changed to introduce freshness. Further, each actor should do approximately four Bond movies in order to avoid the fatigue factor from settling in. In fact, some of these unwritten rules were broken a few years ago. There was a six year hiatus (1989-95) when no Bond movie was released. “There was a long gap between the exit of Timothy Dalton and the entry of Pierce Brosnan,” says Nahta. “People got tired of the actor and not the character, which is why such a break was much needed.”

Bond’s sequential releases can be compared to a dairy brand such as Amul. “Amul campaigns show up at regular intervals, just like Bond flicks, which help in creating a steady brand-customer relationship,” suggests Kapoor of Samsika.

Brand Bond has not only caught the fancy of viewers worldwide, but also that of the brand marketers. Some of the high-end brands that have cashed in on the Bond wave are Jaguar, Sony Vaio, BMW, Omega, Rolls Royce, Reid and Taylor, Ford Mustang Convertible, Sony Ericsson and Persol eyewear.

Going by the grandeur that James Bond radiates, it seems the world really is not enough for Bond.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!