There were many enduring world shaping events in 1953. As well as the death of Joseph Stalin who had ruled Russia for nearly 30 years and the coronation of Elizabeth II, Ian Fleming successfully launched James Bond onto the world stage.

Over two billion people have seen a Bond film. That's two-fifth's of the earth's population. The reach is so great that the last film, Die Another Day holds the record for the most product placement in any one film with twenty companies seeing their products on the big screen, after paying a collective �44m for the privilege.

Even the most vivid imagination could not have foreseen that Bond would have become such big business. Aside from the 21 films (the 2nd most successful film series of all time after the ever popular Star Wars movies) there are spin-off books, all manner of toys and video games. The Nintendo adaptation of Goldeneye even out-grossed its parent film!  The obligatory title songs which climb the charts whenever a movie is released add cash to the already swelling coffers and the lure of big bucks prompted the filmmakers to controversially replace the iconic Aston Martin for a distinctly un-British BMW for three films in the late nineties. Companies clamor, cheque books in hand, to gladly pay millions of pounds for 007 to endorse their products. Sales of Omega watches, which replaced the Rolex as Bond's watch of choice, skyrocket whenever a new film is released. The filmmakers wanted to work with a company that was interested in high-profile co-promotions -something that Rolex conservatively avoids. Reports are that the film producers chose Omega as their leading candidate as a replacement for the classic Bond watch, then contacted the company to ask for their participation in providing products and being involved in co-marketing arrangements. It seems that the only endorsement the producers said no to was a request from Durex for James Bond branded condoms. Amongst all this hard sell however, it can be argued that the character that made Fleming's work so enduring has been lost.

There are many elements in the original series of fourteen novels that would be completely unpalatable for a modern audience. Initially readers were scandalised by the ambiguity of whether a man exhibiting such brutal behaviour could possibly be a hero as he coldly used his government sanctioned license to kill with little sense of remorse. He certainly never added throw-away lines to diffuse the brutality of his actions. He was also prone to snobbery, sexism, racism, borderline alcoholism and heavily implied gambling and tobacco addiction. None of which seem to fit the expected behaviour of the figurehead of what rapidly became a multi-million dollar industry.

Keith Gold, lifelong devotee of the novels and films, points out that market forces have had an effect on Bond's identity, "The character completely lost his edge as the films became family driven blockbusters. The special effects and gags took precedence because they are more audience friendly. People forget that in the books and the first couple of films, Bond had no problem in calmly shooting an unarmed man to death in cold blood or violently slapping a woman for information. Try selling a Happy Meal on the back of that."

Perhaps the nadir of the marketing boom came when toy makers Mattel joined in the fun, releasing a Barbie doll for 007's 40th anniversary. Barbie is, of course, cast as a Bond girl, with Ken as the undercover spy. The products that do show up in the movies are hardly undercover though.  Fleming, were he still with us, might wish that he had a licence to kill of his own.

But where is product placement going? Experts say it may not be long before interactive television and mobile technology link up with consumers able to buy a product the very instant it appears on screen. However, with early word hinting that Casino Royale will be a return to the darker, brutal style of spy adventure as defined by Fleming's original novels, it will be interesting to see if advertisers are still keen on having their wares sold by a tough secret agent who is on the verge of reverting back to his old, deadlier ways.

In the meantime we have the original films re-released onto DVD in special two disc 'Ultimate' editions. While the re-mastering for superior visual and audio of the discs is admirable, this is now the second time that the Bond films have received the special edition treatment and although there are many new features on the discs much is recycled from previous releases.

With further advances in technology (HD, Blu-Ray) on the horizon, the films will certainly be marketed again and again. The question for the consumer is therefore, how ultimate is ultimate, or should we pour ourselves a cool Martini and buy another day?

Casino Royale will be in cinemas from November 17th, 2006

Editors Note:

Also released on the back of the Bond title were two unofficial James Bond films made away from the familiar style of the official licence holders, EON productions. An attempt to engineer a 1960's happening rather than a cohesive narrative, Casino Royale is a bizarre mess of a film, bearing little, if any, connection to Fleming's novel.

The talent involved should have ensured some semblance of success but the combined abilities of John Huston, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Woody Allen and Orson Welles are unable to make any kind of sense or logic from the script. Oddly enough, the film is closer to Fleming's original novel than many of the official films but there is no doubt that something would have to be seriously wrong with EON's forthcoming adaptation for it to be any worse than this.

After the rights to Thunderball reverted back to producer Kevin McClory (along with ownership of Blofeld and SPECTRE) he launched what, in modern terms, would be described as a reimagining of the earlier film, this time entitled Never Say Never Again. 

Released a few months after Octopussy and billed as The Battle of the Bonds,' McClory hired Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner and crucially, Sean Connery in an attempt to give the official series a bloody nose at the box office.  
With a jazzy score backing an insipid title song and a lack of familiar Bondian elements (no gun barrel sequence, a title sequence that plays over the action and the different actors recast in the established roles) it feels strange at first, but the welcome return of Connery that boosts the film.

Klaus Maria Brandaur delivers an excellent performance as Largo, a man seemingly normal on the outside but a twisted sociopath when things do not go his way. In direct contrast the flamboyant Barbara Carrerra makes a stunning, sexually voracious nemesis for Bond. Like a deadly black widow, she devours men throughout the narrative and displays a sense of evil glee when assigned to sexually humiliate and kill Bond.

Although Never Say Never Again lost out to Octopussy at the box office, it is still an enjoyable Bond film in it's own right and, if rumours are to be believed McClory is set to remake Thunderball once again, bringing Pierce Brosnan back to the role of 007.