Recently, Knives Out film director, Rian Johnson let slip a little known fact that Apple forbids villains in movies from using their products. Apple is known to have tight control over its brand identity and how its products are associated with characters in film and television content. Apple has not only created a position within its company to monitor and secure favorable product placements in films, it’s guidelines state that its products be featured “in the best light, in a manner or context that reflects favorably on the Apple products and on Apple Inc” (Sweney & Shoard, 2020). In fact, an article in WIRED described how Apple’s policy manifests in some of the most popular films (Kahney, 2002). For instance, the article states, “The free-spirit heroine Reese Witherspoon [in Legally Blonde] uses an Apple laptop while everyone else at Harvard Law, who are portrayed as a bunch of stiffs, own PC notebooks” (Kahney, 2002).
Apple’s strict control over its product placements and brand image is nothing new. In fact, companies have been doing it for quite some time. Sweney and Shoard (2002) point to another case of how Coca-Cola and Mercedes, originally featured in Slumdog Millionaire, had to be removed because the companies did not want to be associated with themes of poverty and criminal gangs. This leads me to pose three questions. Can a case be made for “there’s no such thing as bad PR”? From a viewer’s standpoint, what are your thoughts on Apple’s policy when it comes to product placement on TV and film? Finally, what are some challenges you think Apple might face as its products become more (if not already) ubiquitous in today’s society.
References
Sweney, M. & Shoard, C. (2020, February 26). Apple does not let bad guys use iPhones on screen. The Guardian. Retrieved from:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/26/apple-does-not-let-bad-guys-use-iphones-on-screen.
Kahney, L. (2002, May 16). 24’s good guys do use MACs. WIRED. Retrieved from:
https://www.wired.com/2002/05/24s-good-guys-do-use-macs/.
4 Responses to Apple’s dilemma with “bad guys”