In the upcoming 007 movie “No Time To Die”, Daniel Craig will sport a sartorial, relaxed-chic corduroy outfit manufactured by the Italian designer Massimo Alba.
What’s new is that this is not part of the standard product placement strategy which makes James Bond franchise rich, but comes from Daniel Craig deliberate choice.
“Mr Craig has been wearing Massimo Alba’s clothes in his private life” read a post on Massimo Alba Instagram profile, directly managed by the designer himself “We are happy and proud that our clothes are in the movie, chosen by Mr Craig. We are not official sponsor of the movie, Mr Craig wears our iconic SLOOP suit, WINCH trousers and RAIN duster coat in baby corduroy.”
The news did not passed unobserved: The New York Times among others featured the news broadly, reporting the very surprise of the designer when asked by the film’s head costume buyer.
Some notes for branding thoughts: a zero budget activation into the paradigm movie for stellar product placement; a label whose social communication strategy is not to have one but its designer’s mood; a brand – designer totally based on the quality and style of the product. In a nutshell: product excellence pays off.