As Ridley Scott’s Alien Covenent hits cinemas this weekend, equipment fleet operators may notice some rather familiar machinery on the sci-fi sets as a fleet of more than 20 JCB machines stars in the film – in the largest product placement project in the company’s history.
The JCB skidsteer loaders, telescopic handlers and JS Series excavators were supplied to 20th Century Fox’s movie set in Sydney, Australia by JCB dealer Construction Equipment Australia.
Appearing in the film’s finale, and starring alongside Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston, the machines were wrapped in gold – at the behest of British film director and producer Ridley Scott – with the aim of giving them a futuristic look.
Michael Plummer, marketing director for JCB Worldwide, said: “This is the biggest product placement exercise in JCB’s history and involved more than £1 million ($1.3m) of machines.
“Ridley Scott’s idea to wrap the machines in gold delivered a stunning result and is certainly an eye-catching addition to a film which will be seen by millions of people around the world.”
A fleet of six JCB generators were also provided for the film makers to use.
The equipment appears packed for transport in a spaceship’s terraforming bay – prepped and ready for deployment for use in the modification of an alien environment for the support of terrestrial life.
Alien Covenant is set 100 years in the future and continues the plot line of Prometheus, which itself is a prequel to the original cult classic Alien movie. In all, the film is the sixth film in the Alien franchise.
