For over six decades, the James Bond franchise has done more than deliver spy thrillers. It has defined a lifestyle. Whether it’s a watch, a car, or the way he orders his drink, Bond’s choices have always reflected a carefully curated world – one that blends danger with elegance, restraint with indulgence. From the Alpine slopes in The Spy Who Loved Me to the Caribbean coast in Dr. No, Bond’s world has never been just about the mission. It’s also been about what he wears, what he drives, and what he drinks.
Luxury brands aren’t just background texture in Bond films – they’re part of the fantasy. They ground the fiction in something tangible. When Bond adjusts his Omega Seamaster, we feel time tighten. When he climbs into an Aston Martin, the chase begins long before the engine starts.
007: First Light, IO Interactive’s upcoming game, seems poised to continue that tradition – while also reimagining it. This isn’t the fully formed 00-agent we know from the films. It’s a younger Bond. A Bond-in-progress. And the world around him reflects that shift: familiar, but not yet iconic. Grounded, but still cinematic. And the brand partnerships IOI has chosen help tell that story – blending heritage with reinvention.
The Classics: Returning Brands with 007 DNA
Aston Martin
No surprise here. The golden boy of British engineering has been Bond’s car of choice since Goldfinger, and in the 007: First Light trailer, we already catch a glimpse of a golden yellow Aston Martin DBS.
Interestingly, there appears to be another Aston Martin under a tarp in Q’s department – barely visible, but clearly parked like it’s waiting for its big moment. Judging by its silhouette, it could very well be something futuristic – possibly the Aston Martin Valhalla, the brand’s hybrid hypercar and a real-life statement of performance-meets-innovation.
Omega
The Swiss watchmaker continues to be 007’s official timekeeper. The 007: First Light trailer even hints at a laser-equipped Seamaster – a cheeky nod to GoldenEye and a sign that Q’s gadgets might be returning in style.
Range Rover & Defender
These rugged British machines have long served MI6 and its agents. A Land Rover Defender appears in the 007: First Light trailer during what looks like a training sequence – reminiscent of No Time to Die or Skyfall. Range Rovers, meanwhile, have been driven by Bond himself, notably in Skyfall, and used for secure transport in Quantum of Solace. Their presence in 007: First Light feels well-earned – grounded in modern Bond tradition.
Jaguar
Sleek and dangerous, Jaguar vehicles have long been the ride of choice for Bond’s most formidable adversaries – from the missile-loaded XKR in Die Another Day to the futuristic C-X75 chased through Rome in Spectre. In 007: First Light, Bond is seen pursuing a mysterious Jaguar speeding down a winding country road. The exact model remains unidentified, but one thing’s certain: when a Jag appears, danger is never far ahead.
Orlebar Brown
Known for modern-day Bond beachwear. Daniel Craig famously wore their sky-blue swim shorts in Skyfall, a moment that helped redefine Bond’s physical presence for a new era. Their return in 007: First Light suggests a similar blend of style and purpose.
New and Surprising Partners
A Coke, a Camera, and a Gaming Chair?
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is one of the more surprising brand partners in 007: First Light – a notable shift from Bond’s long-standing image, typically defined by Bollinger, Macallan, or the sharp kick of a Vesper Martini. Its inclusion likely reflects the broader direction of the game: a younger Bond, not yet fully shaped, navigating a world that’s more grounded and arguably more relatable to a global, modern audience.
Bond has shifted his drinking habits before. In Quantum of Solace, he orders a beer; in Skyfall, he famously swaps his Martini for a Heineken – a product placement that caused a stir, but fit the off-duty, world-weary tone of that chapter. So it’s not unthinkable that the younger version of Bond in 007: First Light might reach for a Coke at some point – not as a replacement for tradition, but as part of his evolving identity.
That said, Coca-Cola doesn’t mean 007: First Light is going soft. The Bond universe has always made space for multiple beverage brands to coexist, from Bollinger and Martini to Smirnoff and Heineken. And in the trailer, we already glimpse bars and nightclubs, strongly suggesting that alcohol remains a part of Bond’s world. Coke may be new, but it’s not erasing the legacy of stronger drinks.
Still, Coca-Cola might not be consumed by Bond at all. Its presence could be purely environmental – a billboard in the London Underground, a vending machine at MI6, or a logo tucked into a villain’s corporate empire. A touch of realism and world-building – not a redefinition of Bond’s character.
Leica
Leica’s inclusion in 007: First Light is subtle but full of potential. Known for precision optics and minimalist design, the German camera brand could play a clever role in the game – perhaps as a Q-enhanced surveillance tool or a piece of mission-critical tech.
As a Bond fan from Germany, it’s a rare thrill to see a familiar name from back home woven into the world of 007.
Herman Miller Gaming
While not a household name in Bond films, Herman Miller’s presence might be a quiet triumph of detail. Their gaming chairs – glimpsed in the MI6 office spaces in the trailer – hint at a workspace built for long hours and high-stakes espionage. It’s more of a developer flex than a Bond signature, but it speaks volumes about IO Interactive’s attention to realism.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX
Not your typical Bond partner – but perhaps the most vital for gameplay. NVIDIA’s involvement signals major technical ambitions. With ray tracing, DLSS, and AI-driven features, 007: First Light could become one of the most visually advanced titles ever to wear the 007 name.
There’s even potential for NVIDIA-exclusive graphics features – enhanced lighting, RTX-only effects, or bonus content tied to GeForce Experience. It wouldn’t be the first time Bond embraced cutting-edge tech. Just the first time it came with patch notes and GPU branding.
Bonus: A Classic Bond Moment I’ll Never Forget
Before we wrap things up, let me share one of my all-time favorite Bond product placement scenes – bold, brilliant, and unmistakably 90s.
In Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond – played by Pierce Brosnan – escapes a Hamburg parking garage using his Ericsson phone to remotely control a BMW 750iL. The chase is fast, absurdly clever, and ends with him crashing the car through the window of an Avis car rental office. It’s not just memorable – it’s iconic.
And just for the record: in the original version, the BMW’s voice interface speaks with a delightfully thick German accent – one of those little details that makes the product placement even more fun. In the German dubbed version, of course, that accent magically vanishes. Typical Q-Branch efficiency?
Funnily enough, I happened to be in Hamburg around the time the scene was being filmed – though of course I had no idea where the set was or what was being shot. Looking back, it feels surreal to know Bond was tearing through a parking garage somewhere nearby while I was walking the same streets.
What do you think?
Which of these partnerships excite you the most – and which ones feel like a shaken-not-stirred misfire? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter using #007FirstLight.
