The James Bond series of novels and films has been parodied and referenced many times in a number of different media, including books, comics, films, television shows, and video games. Most notable of all these parodies is the spoof Casino Royale in 1967, which was produced using the actual film rights purchased from writer Ian Fleming over a decade prior to its release. Unlike an imitation, a parody is often protected from legal affairs by the people whose property is being parodied.
Premise
James Bond parodies generally contain several elements, adopted from the James Bond novels and films, which are featured in these parody works. These usually include the following:
The protagonist(s) is a near invincible, secret service agent, who works for a secret government national or international intelligence agency. In some parodies, the hero is recast as a bumbling idiot, who achieves the given objectives through sheer luck or as a fluke and pre-planning. The protagonist is in frequent contact with beautiful, provocative and often scantily clad women during the course of his assignment. Some of these women are dangerous spies working for the other side. Villains accomplices and some women's costumes, whether they are in league with the seen or hidden villain, are evocative and trendy. In the original Bond books and films, the chief adversary is usually an evil genius, who heads an international criminal syndicate, which seeks to destroy the current world order, in order to achieve global domination. In the parody, the villain can be a bumbling, over-important, arrogant fool himself. Much is made of the use of innovative gadgetry, which the protagonist uses to his advantage. The main villain is sometimes completely unseen behind a chair with a menacing voice, smoking, drinking or stroking a cat. Humour is an important component of this genre. Flirtatious and suave tact and flair takes first place. There can be jokes about how stupid or expendable the random anonymous henchman are. There are also various subgenres, within this style. Some of the most notable variants include: a female protagonist(s) (in place of the male), child protagonists, a strong science fiction element (known as spy-fi) and the erotic (adult) spy novel, comic, or film. The term Eurospy refers to the large number of films within this genre that were produced in Europe. Although many of the James Bond parodies were produced in the United States or Europe, the genre is very much an international one, with novels, comics and films being produced across the globe.
Advertising campaigns
From 1999 to 2006, Guinness promoted its products in Africa using the advertising character, Michael Power (played by Cleveland Mitchell), as the cornerstone of a major marketing campaign. Jo Foster of the BBC referred to Power as "Africa's very own 'James Bond'". The character was portrayed as having been born in Jamaica and raised in Great Britain. By 2003, it became one of the best-known alcohol advertising campaigns in Africa. In 2002, Guinness applied the Michael Power formula to Asia with the character Adam King. In 2012, model Shirley Mallmann appeared in a tribute to the James Bond franchise in celebration of its 50th anniversary for the Brazilian ELLE magazine. She starred in a video directed by Manuel Nogueira titled "Bond Girl Reloaded", where she dons looks from Alexandre Herchcovitch and Balmain, while battling armed villains, ending in a fiery explosion. In 2021, MI6 released the image of its annual Christmas Card, which that year featured Father Christmas posing with a candy cane against a backdrop reminiscent of the Bond movies' opening credits.