For many series and film fans, there is nothing worse than finding out the outcome of an exciting story in advance through so-called spoilers. In fact, Apple has been spoiling things for many years – if you know what to look out for.
Whether “Star Wars”, “Psycho” or “The Dark Knight” – many of these well-known films thrive on their villains and unforeseen twists. And even if, on closer reflection, one could of course figure out who Darth Vader really is before the reveal, his revelation caught many people cold when they saw the film for the first time. In the case of large productions, however, it is unfortunately not uncommon for the end to haunt the internet in advance. That’s called a spoiler. If you wanted to enjoy major titles like “Game of Thrones”, the “Avengers” films or “Heist of Money” in the recent past without spoilers, you had to avoid any news feeds and social networks. Anyone who knows what to look out for can also anticipate major twists in the film or series itself. This is due to the technology giant Apple.
Product placement in films and series
Apple is one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world. Its technical products – above all the iPhone – have a good reputation and have a high recognition value thanks to their design and logo. That’s why Apple has already had numerous legal disputes in the past, when other companies came too close to the look of the apple logo.
Given the importance and power of Apple, it is therefore not surprising that the company’s products appear in various films and series. In general, such product placements are not uncommon. If you pay close attention, you can discover numerous such product placements, which are sometimes quite amusing.
In “Avengers: Endgame”, for example, an Audi e-tron GT can be seen repeatedly. In “Top Gun” Tom Cruise wears Ray-Ban glasses and caused a real hype. In the third season of “Stranger Things” the Coca-Cola logo is almost omnipresent. Tom Hanks zipped around as Forrest Gump in iconic Nike Cortez sneakers. And for a Heineken, Daniel Craig as James Bond sometimes makes a martini exception.
Warning, spoilers! Thanks Apple Product Placements…
Usually this is a win-win situation for both sides. Both the filmmakers and the companies whose products are featured benefit. In Apple’s case, that’s even more extreme because the company says it never pays anything to have its products featured. In return, it often makes the equipment available to the filmmakers free of charge. There is one stipulation though: villains must never use an Apple device.
So if you look closely, you may be able to determine early on whether someone is actually the villain or not. Shady guy in the corner calling someone with an iPhone? Then he must be okay. The likeable detective superintendent who supports the protagonist is the only one who doesn’t have an Apple laptop? Then open your eyes and be careful. Of course, there is no spoiler intention behind this from Apple. The company primarily wants to create a positive brand association.
Bad guys don’t use Apple products
Director Rian Johnson, among others, said in an interview with “Vanity Fair” on the subject: “Apple lets us use iPhones in films – but, and this is very important, if you ever watch a mystery film, bad guys can’t use iPhones use in front of the camera.”
Incidentally, there is also an Apple spoiler in Johnson’s film “Knives Out”. At a time when the circle of suspects is still quite large, the character of Jamie Lee Curtis can be seen making a phone call with an iPhone. However, her son, played by Chris Evans, conspicuously doesn’t have one – it’s no coincidence. So if you want to watch films and series completely impartially, you shouldn’t look too closely when using technical devices.
Sources
- Bloomberg (“Apple, the Other Cult in Hollywood,” accessed November 30, 2022)
- GameStar (“Apple Spoils Movies: How One Small Detail Ruined Many a Twist for Me,” accessed November 30)
- Vanity Fair (“Rian Johnson Claims Apple Doesn’t Let Villains Use iPhones Onscreen,” accessed November 30, 2022)