Branding 101 from 007 — and ‘Dr. No’
Released 60 years ago this week, the first James Bond movie created a branding empire upon which the sun has not yet set.
Iconic.
Photographer: Image by Ben Schott
“Dr. No” is a simple movie shot on a poverty-stricken budget, starring a relative unknown, based on the sixth book in a series and released 60 years ago to a mixed critical response — not least from Ian Fleming who, according to biographer Andrew Lycett, left an early screening “looking sad and distracted as he tried to summon enthusiasm for the carefree, gun-toting character he had created.”
Yet for all these inauspicious omens, “Dr. No” was not just a hit in its own right — taking more than 16 times its sub-$1 million cost — it inaugurated one of the most valuable and venerable franchises in cinema.