posted 05-04-2011 03:14 PM                

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James Bond's only loyalty is to the Queen, and being a badass: for 50 years, no temptress or evil Communist villain could lure him. Turns out, what those double agents and cackling evil doers were lacking were watches and some Chinese electronics.

The Australian reports that producer MGM and distributor Sony will work to procure $45 million in product placement advertising in the new James Bond film, shattering the previous record of $20 million in "Minority Report." Sony will be sending out brand ambassadors to a number of companies, including Chinese tech empires.

Of course, corporate influence in 007's adventures is nothing new; he raced around the worldwide in a name-dropped Aston Martin for years before deliberately switching over to a BMW.

Known for his fine taste in luxury, Bond's watches, clothing and other accessories have long been sponsored by those looking for good marketing by association; there's an entire website dedicated to the Bond Lifestyle. As AskMen.com notes, if Tom Ford was good enough for James Bond in "Quantum of Solace," he's good enough for you.

In 2006, Forbes noted that Sony had cut back to six brand advertisers in "Casino Royale," eschewing them for promotional partnerships and higher costs for those that do put their products in the film. In 2002, "Die Another Day" had nine partnerships.

However much money they raise in product placement, it's a salient example of the growing corporate influence in the screenplays of films, a phenomena tackled in Morgan Spurlock's new film, "Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.

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