Probably the most famous found footage movies from the last decade or so are The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, [REC], Cloverfield and now Chronicle.

The common denominator for found footage movies is that they are shot on a relatively small budget and Chronicle in not an exception. Well, not really. According to Box Office Mojo it was shot for a $12m, but grossed $124m worldwide, which is not a bad return ;)

Chronicle plot follows three Seattle high-school seniors who form a close bond after receiving telekinetic abilities from an unknown object. The group uses its abilities for some naughtiness and personal gain until one of them begins to use them for darker purposes.

Pringles and Pepsi in Chronicle (2012, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

Nevertheless Chronicle was no exception when it comes to product placement, too. Brand Channel found 18 brands in the movie, although only one really stood out.

Pringles

The Pringles product placement occured while the guys hang out at school and one of them shows the other two the latest trick: he shoots Pringles potato chips out of the can and into his mouth in an almost cartoonish way. He then washes the chips down with a Pepsi.

Here you can see Steve eating Pringles with the little help of telekinesis:

I couldn’t find any confirmation that Pringles’ placement was paid, but it kind of looks like it could have been. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a good and nicely positioned placement. It thought it was kind of funny, too.

I’ve also found on interesting assessment of Pringles’ product placement from the-apex-predator, who stated on his/her Tumblr profile:

“I just went to see Chronicle and they were all drinking Pepsi Max and eating Pringles. Not only is that excellent product placement, it also helped to make the movie more real because that is the legitimate thing that an American teenager would eat, not some shitty secondhand generic brand from ShopRite.”

What do you think: was Pringles’ product placement “natural” or forced?

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Some other movies from the ‘Product placement in pictures’ series:

Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol

We Bought a Zoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Help

Drive

Crazy Stupid Love

Horrible Bosses

Friends With Benefits

Fast Five

No Strings Attached

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In the article I’ve described this relatively new phenomenon and present some positive effects of appearing in movies on the number of tourists and visitors. Some of the most interesting cases include Rosslyn Chapel & The DaVinci Code, Alnwick castle & Harry Potter, Stockholm & The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Brugge & In Bruges …

In the upcoming weeks I’ll translate the article and published a condensed version of the story. Until then you can read some already published posts about set-jetting:

• Where is Lisbeth Salander’s home? A review of Millennium Tour in Stockholm
• Speedy’s – Sandwich Bar from the TV drama Sherlock
• Field of Dreams is still for sale
• Veronika Decides to Die

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Let’s check product placement from the movie.

Cars

There were at least five different cars that could be recognized in the movie, among them Audi, BMW, VW Beetle, Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Suburban although only Audi appeared twice.

Audi in This Means War (2012, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

BMW in This Means War (2012, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

VW Beetle in This Means War (2012, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

It’s fate.net

When all three lead characters signed with an online dating website, they didn’t use some existing site (e.g. PlentyOfFish), bit a fictional website Itsfate.net I’ve check on Network Solutions’ website if the domain is free and if not, who registered it. I’ve found out that 20^th Century Fox actually registered this domain, but also never properly used it. Missed opportunity for PlentyOfFish and other dating websites?

Fictional dating website It'sFate.net in This Means War (2012, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

Spyder Paintball

Spyder paintguns by Kingman Group featured in a sequence involving a romantic date that actually turns out to be a vigorous Paintball competition.

According to the information from Kingman Group’s website I assume this was paid product placement.

iPhone

iPhone in This Means War (2012, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

Samsung

Samsung's monitor in This Means War (2012, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

Dell

Dell's laptop in This Means War (2012, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

Beats by Dr. Dre

Beats by Dr. Dre headphones in This Means War (2012, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

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Let me start by saying this: I would highly recommend you try to avoid viewing this area during a Typhoon (if this isn’t a fine example of foreshadowing, I don’t know what is!!!).

Steve had found an authentic Chinese Junk that would sail over to James Bond Island for a brief tour and some pictures, then scoot us over by traditional Long-Tail Boat for lunch at a the “Sea Gypsy Village” – a floating Muslim Fishing Village built out over the water on stilts. Called Koh Panyee in Thai, it was built back in the late 18th century by Indonesian fisherman to house their families of the fishermen who worked in the rich waters of Phang Nga Bay. You could also have your lunch on board the boat if you wanted, and there would be stops for some swimming in the warm, placid waters of the Bay. It sounded like the perfect day for New Jetsetters!

Ko Tapu (Source: Yahoo Maps)

Pictures of the “June Bahtra” showed a very beautiful and exotic authentic Chinese Junk floating on calm aquamarine ocean. A stupendous seascape of verdant, turret-like rock formations reached up to touch fluffy clouds in a turquoise blue sky. Sigh of delight. What a dreamy way to spend a day. However… dreams don’t always come true, do they? Wait, first, let me give you a hint. Did I mention the word “Typhoon”?

The day we booked for our day-trip from Phuket dawned with a howling wind that was whipping the waves into a frenzy of white caps in the normally calm cove visible from our cliff-side suite at Mom Tri’s Villa Royale. Overlooking Kata Noi Beach, we had front row seats to Mother Nature’s little tantrum (well, we thought it was a little tantrum). We could see dark clouds gathering on the horizon, in what appeared to be an apocalyptic frenzy. We hesitated for a moment – oh, ever so briefly, questioning the wisdom of going out on the water on a morning such as this. Then the front desk called to inform us our driver had arrived. Throwing caution, literally, to the wind, we decided to just go for it. There would be just a thunderstorm for a half hour or so. No doubt it would have passed by the time we would get to the marina where the June Bahtra was waiting for us, about 35 to 40 minutes away. A few drops of rain splattered down as the driver held the door open for us with a big smile. Not to worry, the driver reassured us in broken English. We felt comforted. Mistake Number 1.

Map of Ko Tapu (Source: Google Maps)

As we navigated the highway, lined with now wildly-waving branches of Mahogany Trees, even the solid, soldier-straight rows of Rubber Trees that marched by in carefully planted rows seemed to be bracing themselves. The wind and rain increased with every mile we put behind us. Soon the driver was fighting to keep the vehicle on the road, and squinting to see past the furiously flapping windshield wipers. Should we turn around, I enquired? “Oh no! It will be fine! Very early in day!” we were assured. Okay. They know what they’re doing, we figured. Mistake Number 2.

The June Bahtra

The Chinese Junk was beautiful, (when we could glimpse it through the sheets of rain) as we approached. Her exotic creamy sails were billowing in the wind, and Phang Nga Bay hurled angry splashes of water at us as we stood on the dock, watching the Junk rise and plunge, debating the wisdom. Our hosts came forward, with reassuring smiles and a welcome to come aboard. So good to see us!!!! All would be fine! What a day of adventure we would have ahead! About four other people had booked with the June Bahtra as well, and they were already on board. They did not look overly freaked-out. Well, we’d come this far already. Mistake Number 3.

Our Captain was blissfully correct, for a little while. As the June Bahtra slowly made our way out into the passage, the weather seemed to clear. The shorelines became clear, and the water calmed substantially. We sighed with relief. What a good thing we hadn’t canceled. We were able to take a few pictures and admire the sky of pummeled asphalt streaked with angry purplish bruises.

Refreshments were served and we talked with some of the other passengers on board, comparing our favorite trip adventures so far, and sharing stories. I tried out some of my Thai conversation skills, much to the hilarity of the staff. Everything was good. Despite the debatable start, I felt confident that we’d made the right decision. We sat front row, center at the prow of the vessel, watching the ever-receding shoreline slip by, marveling at the experience and the warm breeze. We stopped watching the sky as we caught sight of the famous limestone islands that were appearing, much closer now. They were simply stunning.  Then we noticed the sky.

It was suddenly, well, “black”.  Like someone had dropped a heavy, ash-covered, tarpaulin over the heavens, sealing out the sunlight. Our hosts smilingly suggested in halting English that we should come inside for awhile, it was time for lunch soon. The raindrops began to spatter. The boat lurched around a bit. What fun, I thought! Mistake Number 4.

Deborah's trip to Ko Tapu (Source: Deborah Thompson)

In case you don’t know what a Chinese Junk looks like, it is a vessel that is open on all sides. It is very romantic looking. Not terribly waterproof. Plastic side-awnings were lowered and secured as the wind billowed and blew. The Junk rose and fell on the increasingly restless sea, like an amusement ride. I was still enjoying myself, giggling whenever we would plummet, and screeching a little when we would fly up in the air. Steve, not so much. Most of the passengers were beginning to look distinctly greenish. The staff happily went about preparing lunch in the little kitchen area below deck. I was starving and was trying to take some pictures of Steve’s slightly panicked face. Then the lightning struck in the distance, lacing the sky in a wicked zig-zag. I held my breath and started counting… A thousand one, a thousand two… a thousand three…

The air was charged with an electrical tension I have never experienced before or since. All the hair on the back of my neck went up. “Woo hooo!” I yelled. I could feel the other passengers glaring at me, including my husband. They had all gone very quiet and we bracing themselves on their seats, trying to avoid the flapping plastic sheets. Steve was trying to secure our good camera and the few valuables we had in case they (us included) went flying overboard. I stumbled to the back of the Junk, hoping to get a better view of the storm as the sky unraveled on the horizon. I love storms. I wrapped my arm around one of the metal poles at the back of the boat to gain some stability, and prepared to snap a picture or two. The rain began to pummel down just then, and a gust of wind blew us high on the next wave. I lurched sideways, letting go of the metal pole, just as the next arc of lightning hit. There was no discernible amount of time between the moment the lightning struck and the thunder. The lightning lit up the area around us like a spotlight, and this time all the hair on my body stood straight up. I’m sure I looked like a porcupine about to shoot her quills. The massive boom of the thunder shook the boat to its timbers, and the wind started blowing sideways. I was officially soaked, and trying to protect our “waterproof” camera. I staggered back to Steve, who was clutching our new video camera and knapsack. I was absolutely exhilarated. Steve, not so much.

Every now and then there would be a brief lull, and I could see how close we were to the sharp rocks, close enough to see hidden caves carved by the sea into the bases, and sea kayakers who were taking shelter under the craggy ledges. The wind picked up again, and we became enveloped in a dense shroud of fog. I couldn’t figure out how the Captain was not crashing us into one of those big rocky islands. We just held our breath, as we were buffeted around like a toy. I wondered what was happening to the kayakers we had seen only a few moment’s ago.

Ko Tapu from The Man With The Golden Gun (1974, United Artists, screen capture)

To their credit, the staff of the June Bahtra did not seem to be overly concerned. They announced lunch would be on hold for a while until the weather cleared (once again, big smiles). Steve whispered to me: “This boat is going to tip over any second. We could die out here!” I shrugged and savored the excitement. This is living! I do have a history of not fully appreciating the seriousness of a situation until after it is all over. While it was true that it seemed we could indeed tip over, and some of the passengers were really frightened and looked a little green, I just couldn’t feel scared.

In retrospect, Steve was probably so very right. It was very serious.  The bottom of the Junk and all of us inside were pretty soaked. After about half an hour of being shaken and stirred (although not James Bond style) thoroughly by Mother Nature, she decided to give us a break. The rocking of the boat returned to a manageable level, and within moments the crew was setting out tables of food; delicious salads, potatoes, vegetables, Thai Chicken, rice, and other delicious snacks. For a while, until the rest of the passengers managed to settle their stomachs, I was the only one indulging!

Ko Tapu from The Man With The Golden Gun (1974, United Artists, screen capture)

Now, on to James Bond Island… Right?

When our Captain announced that we were going to have to pass up James Bond Island and head straight for the Muslim Village instead, I moaned in disappointment. Not again! First, going all the way to Nassau, Bahamas to visit Café Martinique with no success, and now, all the way to Phang Nga Bay in Thailand, and no James Bond Island? I wanted to weep. Really.

The sky was still murky and grey. Who knew what would happen next. The “Floating Muslim Village” awaited us, so we headed in that direction. Oh well. We saw James Bond Island go by in the distance, the crescent of white sand beach marooned now with boats seeking shelter during the storm. Steve and I shared a wry smile. Just another reason to come back to Thailand again one day.

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James Bond Crush chapter 2: James Bond Island, Thailand was written by Deborah Thompson who runs a very interesting blog New Jetsetters. James Bond Island is the second installment of the James Bond Crush series. The first part was about Cafe Martinique in Bahamas.

The first time Deb saw the turquoise blue waters surrounding Bermuda from the air as a child, she was smitten. Already in love with the written word and writing itself, a black leather-bound diary was soon filled with treasured memories of the charming island and her stay at the luxurious Elbow Beach Hotel. Since then she has traveled far and wide, and written dozens of stories and reviews on exotic locations from around the globe. Deborah regularly contributes to New Jetsetters blog with a special emphasis on intimate and romantic destinations.

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When it comes to product placement Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol is no different than its predecessors. There are some very notable placements which really stand out.

BMW

There are several BMW vehicles seen in the movie. The first one is a series 6 convertible which Cruise steals from one random guy in a street and then chases the main villain.

BMW in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, Paramount Pictures, screen capture)

The most notable car placement in M:I 4 is BMW’s prototype i8. The winged-door i8 is a hybrid that accelerates to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour in 4.6 seconds and can get 78 miles per gallon, will be introduced in 2014.

BMW i8 in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, Paramount Pictures, screen capture)

There are additional BMW cars that appear in the movie (in the latter scenes in a garage) and is believed that BMW have spent additional $10 million promoting the film.

Apple

Apple is another brand with a prominent exposure in the movie. Cruise and company were using MacBooks, iPads and iPhones. Website ZAGG even stated five ways of using Apple products in the movie:

• Lock picking,
• Facial recognition,
• Hacking,
• Stealth Projector/Invisibility Cloak Thingy,
• Mission Acceptance.

iPhone in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, Paramount Pictures, screen capture)

iPad in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, Paramount Pictures, screen capture)

Even though Apple usually denies any involvement in product placement, it’s such a heavy use of its products that I don’t believe that producers included Apple products for free.

Apple's MacBook Pro in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, Paramount Pictures, screen capture)

Dubai and Burj Khalifa

Quite a long part of the movie takes place in Dubai, technically in Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. I’m not familiar with the deal between the producers and the owner of Burj Khalifa, but this cooperation might be good for both sides: it gave M:I 4 another opportunity to make some memorable scenes and it represented a promotion opportunity for Dubai.

Dubai in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, Paramount Pictures, screen capture)

Burj Khalifa in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, Paramount Pictures, screen capture)

Persol

Persol sunglasses in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, Paramount Pictures, screen capture)

Dos Equis

Dos Equis beer in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, Paramount Pictures, screen capture)

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Some other movies from the ‘Product placement in pictures’ series:

We Bought a Zoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Help

Drive

Crazy Stupid Love

Horrible Bosses

Friends With Benefits

Fast Five

No Strings Attached

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I couldn’t resist the hype and created Brands&Films’ profile on Pinterest. It consists of examples of product placement, some interesting brands, products I like and much more. In comparison to the blog it includes some more personal stuff.

Recently I’ve also started with another small project. If Brands&Films is Batman, then this project is its Robin. You can find it on Tumblr.

The project is called Brandspotting and it’s meant to be an addition to Brands&Films. Every day you’ll find a photo of product placement or an interesting brand, perhaps a video and on Sundays a (famous) quote about branding, advertising, marketing in general …

I hope you’ll find the additional content at least a bit interesting. I’d also like to hear your comments or suggestions about those two new projects and if you have some ideas about possible blog post I’d be grateful to discuss them with you.

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On April 17, Train released their 6^th studio album California 37. The album includes their latest hit single Drive By, which became the band’s fifth top 20 hit in the US and a top 10 hit in 11 countries.

The music video for the song was first released onto YouTube on February 15, 2012. It includes all three members of the band driving Pontiac Firebird, Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang. Besides those vintage cars the other two stars of the video are Romanian model Linda Croitoru, in the US known as Linda Taylor, and Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley, California.

Pontiac Firebird, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro in Train's music video “Drive By” (2012, Columbia, screen capture)

For me, the most interesting part of the video were not cars, but the vineyard. For vineyards (or any other property, to be honest) the decision to be a part of a music video or even a movie is not a traditional promotional or brand-building activity. The main limitation of product placement for such property is their limited mass appeal. In case of Shafer Vineyards it’s going to be really tough to attract many new visitors to the property, but on the other hand vineyard’s visibility might improve wine sales through increased brand value.

Shafer Vineyards in Train's music video “Drive By” (2012, Columbia, screen capture)

In the news section on Shafer Vineyards web page it says: “The popular band Train chose Shafer Vineyards as a backdrop for the new music video of their hit song ’Drive By’.”

But … if the collaboration between Train and Shafer Vineyards was product placement, I have to mention one prominent example of vineyards as an important part of a movie. It was so good that it was on 15^th place on Brands&Films’ list of Top 40 best placements ever.

Drinking wine in Sideways (2004, Fox Searchlight, screen capture)

Sideways (2004) is an American comedy-drama, directed by Alexander Payne. It follows two forty-something year old men Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church), who take a week-long road trip to the wine country of Santa Barbara. Wine is a central element of the movie screenplay and following the movie’s release in October 2004, Merlot sales dropped 2 per cent while Pinot noir sales increased 16 per cent in the Western United States. In the following months sales of Pinot noir rose by 22 per cent on the whole US market. Pinot noir brand Blackstone achieved even bigger boost – its sales increased by almost 150 per cent. The wine-growing valley of Santa Ynez in California also received a boost in tourism and at the restaurant ‘The Hitching Post’ which also appeared in the movie, business increased by 30 per cent.

It remains to be seen whether Shefer Vineyards’ role in Train’s video will generate some tangible results.

You can check more examples of product placement from Train’s video ‘Drive By’ on Brands&Films’ Facebook page.

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The movie is based on a memoir by the real Benjamin Mee, who moved to a zoo near Devon in England. The zoo was known as Dartmoor Wildlife Park, but after the purchase by the Mee family and following major refurbishment work it was reopened in July 2007 as Dartmoor Zoological Park. According to the article in Guardian the zoo is still struggling to keep going and Mee hopes the film’s release in Britain will attract more visitors. Apparently if it wasn’t for the film, which premiered in the UK in March, the family-run zoo would have gone bust. Mee hopes the film will boost annual visits from 100,000 to up to 500,000.

Since it’s still early to predict the impact of We Bought a Zoo to the number of visitors in Devon, let’s check some of the most obvious examples of product placement from the movie.

Ford and GMC

We could see Matt Damon driving Ford’s big SUV Flex in several scenes. On the other hand the only ‘bad guy’ in the movie, a strict zoo inspector, was driving GMC Canyon.

Ford Flex in We Bought a Zoo (2011, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

GMC Canyon in We Bought a Zoo (2011, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

Mayflower Transit

When Benjamin’s family moved to the new home, they used Mayflower moving company

Mayflower truck in We Bought a Zoo (2011, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

The Home Depot

Even though members of Benjamin’s family mentioned Target a few times, they went shopping in The Home Depot, where they engage in a conversation with a friendly cashier.

Cashier in The Home Depot in We Bought a Zoo (2011, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

Apple

Apple’s MacBook Pro could be seen in several scenes, notably during one night when Benjamin started browsing through photos of his late wife.

Apple's MacBook Pro in We Bought a Zoo (2011, 20th Century Fox, screen capture)

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Some other movies from the ‘Product placement in pictures’ series:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Help

Drive

Crazy Stupid Love

Horrible Bosses

Friends With Benefits

Fast Five

No Strings Attached

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In the song “I Don’t Giva A” guest artist Nicki Minaj raps:

“We material girls, ain’t nobody hotter, fox collar

See I really can’t relate to your Volvo, and you can’t get these shoes at Aldo.”

The article stated that no formal statements have been made regarding the product placement.

The interesting fact about those lines in the song is that Madonna will launch her shoe line Truth Or Dare for Autumn 2012 collection. It will be produced by Aldo Shoes.

Shoes from Madonna's Truth or Dare collection for Aldo Shoes

However, mentioning Aldo on the latest album wasn’t the first case of brand dropping by Madonna. I’ve checked the lyrics on all 12 studio albums and found several examples:

Where Life Begins (album: Erotica)

Colonel Sanders says it best

“Finger lickin’ good”

Did You Do It (album: Erotica)

She was so good just like uh, Campbell’s soup

American Life (album: American Life)

I drive my Mini Cooper

Girl Gone Wild (album: MDNA)

The room is spinning  It must be the Tanqueray

I Don’t Giva A (album: MDNA)

In the Bugatti, ten years one tire

Ayyo Madonna, maybe I say you original Don Dada

In that, yeah Gabbana, and the, yeahda

We Material Girls, ain’t nobody hotter

Well, that were brands that I managed to find in Madonna’s lyrics. She’s really wasn’t a heavy user of brands in her songs, although the decision to include Aldo in “I Don’t Giva A” is kind of clever, considering her deal with Aldo Shoes. We’ll see how it will turn out.

Below you can see most frequently used words in Madonna’s lyrics and if you want to create your own tag cloud you can do it at Wordle.

Tag cloud of the most frequently used words on Madonna's studio albums

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Thunderball

Thunderball, filmed in 1965, was the movie that launched my fascination with all things Bond. To this young boy, the clear turquoise waters of the Caribbean were magical, the sea-life below inspiring, and my quest for the exotic side of life was born. The white sand beaches, the music of Junkanoo, the beautiful rich-girl Domino snorkeling for starfish in her teeny-bikini, the underwater diving scenes as Bond dives with his miniature air tank, (as sharks circle, of course!) trying to locate the plane which Largo has deviously camouflaged with nets; how could these images fail to capture the imagination!

The scene in which Bond first meets his nemesis, Largo, was actually a restaurant called Café Martinique on Paradise Island, Bahamas. This small, uber-elegant 1960’s restaurant was carefully retrofitted for its glittering close-up as a Casino in Thunderball. So what better a place to kick off our new James Bond movie location hobby? We packed our bags and packed our fanciest finery for a fine dinner on Paradise Island.

Location of Cafe Martinique (Source: Google Maps)

Many of the James Bond movies over the years have made use of the stunning scenery of the Bahamas, from Thunderball in 1965 with Sean Connery, to For Your Eyes Only with Roger Moore in 1981 and The World is Not Enough in 1999 with Pierce Brosnan. The romantic Café Martinique, now a lemon-meringue townhouse enveloped in banana trees and exotic flowers, was once located where the immense Atlantis Resort now stands, and had its own dock where the well-heeled could tie up their yachts to enjoy a gourmet dinner and some fine wine. The movie does not show much of the exterior, mainly focusing on the excitement in the casino, and then romantic dining outside on a terrace strung with patio lanterns and showcasing a Caribbean band, but I longed to see it, and my wife was also intrigued with seeing it in real life. Going there for a romantic evening was to be our first foray into “Bond Trekking”.

Sean Connery and Claudine Auger in the Bahamas from the movie Thunderball (1965, United Artists, screen capture)

As bad luck would have it, the first time we tried to visit Café Martinique in the mid 1990’s, it was closed down, theoretically “for renovations”. How disappointing not to be able to experience a dinner at this restaurant after coming all this way! However, trying to make the most of the situation, we strolled around the property. Though it was dark and boarded up, we could visualize it from the movie, remembering how James walks into the Casino, to see the super-sexy Domino sitting at the Poker table with Largo, her “legal guardian”. (What fun would that be – to have an Arch-Villain as your legal guardian!) It made us sad to see it closed down. At that time, we did not realize that it was actually going to be demolished to make way for an expansion of what is now the monolithic Atlantis Resort, which has transformed the once beautiful and somewhat sleepy Paradise Island into the Disneyland of the Caribbean, a debatable honor.

A more recent return to experience the One and Only Ocean Club, Bahamas, where Casino Royale filmed many scenes (to be covered in a future chapter), found us searching out Café Martinique once more. We ended up wishing we hadn’t tried a second time. It is now just a small part of the immense “Atlantis Wonderland” that covers most of Paradise Island. The theme park environment in which Cafe Martinique has been rebuilt, with the hordes of rather obnoxious tourists and the screaming children that accompany them, have caused this once intimate gem to lose all intimacy and charm.

Cafe Martinique (Source: WhereToStay.com)

They have tried very hard to recreate it, and have even put in a replica of the bird-cage style elevator to bring you up to the dining floor. It is quite beautiful, with a cozy bar filled with carved antique furniture, and a dining room bursting with colorful flowers. There are etched glass windows that filter the hot Bahamian sun, and a stunning Mahogany staircase to impress. Run by protégée Michael Lewis, the cuisine of super-chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is now the attraction, although there are varying views as to whether this is a successful partnership. I had the Roasted Bahamian Lobster Tail in the Shell with delicious fried plantains (incredibly wonderful) and the Dover Sole Meunière for my husband. You can check out the menu here.

Sadly, though, at least for Bond Lovers, it now feels like just another restaurant, as though it soul was stolen away. Well, there’s always another try! Where should we go next?

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James Bond Crush chapter 1: Cafe Martinique, Bahamas was written by Deborah Thompson who runs a very interesting blog New Jetsetters. Café Martinique is the first installment of the James Bond Crush series.

The first time Deb saw the turquoise blue waters surrounding Bermuda from the air as a child, she was smitten. Already in love with the written word and writing itself, a black leather-bound diary was soon filled with treasured memories of the charming island and her stay at the luxurious Elbow Beach Hotel. Since then she has traveled far and wide, and written dozens of stories and reviews on exotic locations from around the globe. Deborah regularly contributes to New Jetsetters blog with a special emphasis on intimate and romantic destinations.

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