The Ford Mondeo sequence in Casino Royale may be the most brazen product placement in the franchise. Audiences had already grown accustomed to modern Bond films parading luxury brands across the screen, but this moment crosses into near-parody.

Watching James Bond ferry himself from the airport to his hotel in the Bahamas feels less like a continuation of the plot and more like a glossy commercial break, complete with syrupy, ad-ready music and a forced beat of pseudo-endorsement as he grips the wheel. I’m sure the spot’s financial incentive was worthwhile, but artistically, it’s a clumsy intrusion that briefly turns Bond into a dorky brand ambassador. As it turns out, the car’s marketing was a success for a while, but the Mondeo model was discontinued in 2022.