Mr Bond: he's back!

The buzz is getting louder, and promoters have their strategy in place - Casino Royale is set to roll at a theatre close to you, today!

There might be a new Bond, his new girl and his new martini, but the euphoria surrounding Bond movies is not something new. Her Majesty's best agent, James Bond, is back after a four year hiatus in a brand new avatar. And it is bigger and better.

While Sony Pictures (which is officially releasing the movie) is set on making it the biggest Hollywood release with about 500 prints being rolled out, brands such as Smirnoff, Sony Ericsson and PVR are all engaging in activities around the latest installment of the Bond Series "" Casino Royale.

Sony Pictures has eclipsed its earlier print record of about 300 prints for Spiderman and the movie is being dubbed in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil and will be released simultaneously to reach out to a bigger audience. Smirnoff has prepared a multimedia campaign (including a TVC) and promotional contests meant for India have been lined up around the movie.

Says Santosh Kanekar, director (marketing), Diageo, "Smirnoff and Bond go a long way back, and our association with Casino Royale will help us create the right kind of buzz."

Sony Ericsson will be launching limited edition phones with Bond content. Sony Electronics is also betting big on its association with Bond. A lot of Sony products, such as Vaio, Bravia and Cybershot, will be shown in the movie as a part of its product placement plan.

Says Mohit Parasher, senior general manager (marketing), Sony Electronics, "Sony is renowned for trendy gadgets and so is Bond. So, it fits in well with the brand."

PVR has also received advance bookings in large numbers and would be doing a lot of promotions and contests around the movie. Gautam Datta, vice president (marketing), PVR Cinemas, says, "It is one of the most awaited movies of the year and we have had a good response so far."

Apart from the usual cut-out and promotional activities, a special premier will be held where people will be served martinis (subject to approval).

The total promotional activity around Casino Royale stands around Rs 8-10 crore, which makes it one of the biggest for Hollywood movies. Seems like marketers are betting big on this Casino!