Power, change, spectacular looks: marketing an icon

British-owned Aston Martin has long been the ultimate high-octane yet elegant brand, renowned for spectacular good looks, luxury engineering, and, thanks to its 007 association, racey intrigue.  

The 107-year-old company has roared into the headlines in an already eventful 2020:-

It’s putting out a limited edition of 'fully loaded' 007 DB5 remakes as driven by Sean Connery (in image) as James Bond in 'Goldfinger', under the name Continuation. 

They weren’t able to have the ejector seat, and obviously spitting nails onto the road from the back of the car wasn’t allowed – but the buttons to make such things happen are built in, so you can satisfy your road rage and improve your getaway techniques with harmless emissions.

Wow! Sounds like fun, right? Let’s manage expectations right now: all 25 have already sold out, so you can put your $3.5-million cheque away.

Aston Martin also ignited debate – and sparked a plunge in share prices – by changing its CEO. Outgoing Andy Palmer stands down to be replaced by Tobias Moers, head of Mercedes-AMG, the high-performance subsidiary of Daimler AG.

This paves the way for Aston Martin to sheer away from its Red Bull sponsorship to race in Formula One under its own brand in 2021. It did this in 1959-1960, failing to score any points. The 2021 season will see a revamped brand under the flag Aston Martin F1.

'Aston Martin, you've lost your soul'

Ouch. Not what a legend wants to hear.

But it's just one of the generally negative comments unleashed onto this ad for the marque's foray into the SUV market with the DBX.

Proving once again that marketing an icon is no easy task.

Aston Martin, founded in 1913, continues to mix up its approach to moving with the times while maintaining an untouchable core. 

This 2016 ad, designed to appeal to women buyers, caught my eye at the time. Click to see why.

Cheap thrills

The new 007 film starring Daniel Craig and a DB5 will be released in November this year, pushed back from April.

And if this has whetted your appetite but your financial tanks are low, brand-canny Aston Martin has your back with these no-outlay treats:

Listen to the turbo-charged V6 engine fire (you're not alone if you can't really hear it) 

Tour their Gaydon factory

Draw your own Aston Martin…

ENDS

Keywords: Aston Martin, James Bond DB5, luxury cars, luxury marketing, iconic brands, British cars, Formula One, Red Bull Aston Martin F1