Karen Sortito, who pioneered the automaker movie tie-in by melding BMW and James Bond in the 1990s, has died, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Sortito died Monday at her home in New York City, where she most recently worked for the city’s marketing department. She was 49 and had been battling cancer.
Sortito was responsible for bringing BMW and the Bond franchise together at MGM/UA, including product placement in 1995’s “GoldenEye” – the debut of Pierce Brosnan in the Bond role – and subsequent Bond-themed television commercials for the German automaker, Visa and Heineken.
Her career included stints at 20th Century Fox, Revolution Studios and as head of worldwide promotions for MGM/UA.
Sortito was named entertainment marketer of the year in 1998.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times.