"James Bond's Choice" magazine ad by watchmaker Omega, product placement partner with Seamaster 2531.80 worn by Pierce Brosnan in "Tomorrow Never Dies"
This layout without a doubt tops my list of favorite James Bond advertisements. Period.
Print shown at left from the December 1997 issue of Gourmet magazine — which suggests something about audience targeting, as much as anything else.
Actor Pierce Brosnan is featured as James Bond, with Omega reference 2531.80 Seamaster wristwatch and BMW motorcycle. Promotional tie-in is for the movie then-in-release, Tomorrow Never Dies. It uses a standard layout that was made available for Authorized Omega Dealer use, with an option for them to drop-in their logo and contact information lower-left.
Minimal copy describes the James Bond watch being promoted here, in deference to an image of the timekeeper itself, which dominates.
From a historical perspective, it’s worth noting that the quartz reference 2541.80 Seamaster featured in GoldenEye (1995) was actually the only established James Bond Omega prior to Tomorrow Never Dies.
And whereas the magazine ad with GoldenEye tie-in utilized an existing movie image, this Tomorrow Never Dies raises the bar with creative that is both custom-photographed and strongly invested in leveraging the watchmaker’s product placement partnership with Eon Productions.
The effective beginnings of what has made the Seamaster automatic chronometer iconic as James Bond’s choice from Omega.
Image courtesy Omega
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