As you’ve probably seen from one of our earlier reports, actor Daniel Craig (better known as the face of James Bond), was the surprise celebrity that unveiled the new Range Rover Sport at a VIP event in Midtown Manhattan on the eve of the 2013 New York Auto Show.
You will say that this is just another PR exercise in which an automaker uses a celebrity to unveil a new model. Well, yes and no. Yes, it is a PR stunt, but it’s not “just another” endorsement.
This was special not only because we’re talking about the man who plays James Bond in movies, but also because of the reported $1 million (€780,300) Daniel Craig was paid for…paying a quick visit to the event, according to the New York Post.
Basically, all Craig had to do for this huge amount of money was to drive the new Range Rover Sport through Midtown Manhattan and onto the stage set in the hall where the event was held. He then got out of the car, posed for what was probably a minute, gave a short interview for Land Rover and left the event.
That’s all it took Craig to transfer his “coolness” to the Range Rover Sport. The rest is history – and a fatter bank account. Obviously, Land Rover elegantly avoided the fee topic.
“We won’t comment on our relationship with Mr. Craig beyond confirming that Land Rover supports the charity S.A.F.E., of which the actor is a patron, and will continue its charitable efforts with a vehicle donation later this year,” a Land Rover representative told New York Post.
S.A.F.E. is a Kenya- and UK-based charity that fights HIV/AIDS, election violence and the issue of female circumcision in Kenya.
By Dan Mihalascu
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