Here's How Apple Strategically Places Its Products In Apple TV+ Shows

[JJL2026]

Lastly, with plot connections, Apple TV+ show writers and producers aim to make direct emotional and physiological connections for viewers between a device and a character's life story.

Unbelievable a company promoting their products on TV! Via a production company they own my mind is blown…
/s
On a serious note in “Coda” when bad news is delivered somehow a budget Android makes it’s way into the camera…

 

[JohnJ830]

It’s not just Apple TV+, it is most shows on most networks (at least the ones that I watch), though the Apple logo is often obscured. I think it’s because many people consider Apple products to be “iconic” and they are readily available in the studios. That and Apple has a great product place team.

 

[tkaravou]

To be fair, this is kind of what it looks like in real life, at least, where I live.

 

[Duane Martin]

It shows a pretty dim view of the intelligence of your customer base, if you are concerned about a bad guy using an Apple product. But then again, the "apple-washing" of the world continues apace - look at the cult-like fervour of a keynote, where every advert shows Apple Land - a place inhabited by only the beautiful, so long as they also tick every ethnic and identitarian box under the sun.

For clarity, Apple neither invented nor is the only company to place products in shows. Neither did they invent the rules by which those products are shown. When Dell has product placement in a show and all you see are Dell logos on every computer that is not "Dell-washing"?

While feigned outrage plays well on MacRumours in this case it is completely divorced from reality.

 

[I7guy]

Shocking. Simply shocking. /s

 

[szw-mapple fan]

I think the wall street journal overanalyzed it lol. They just put Apple products instead of any other competing products, whenever they got a chance. The only exception that I've seen was with Mythic Quest, where obviously the game developers used plastic PC stuff mostly, and not Apple products.

Exactly. Sony does the same with Sony Pictures movies.

 

[dguisinger]

I find it obnoxious while watching AppleTV shows when they make it so blatantly obvious.
I hope they don't find a reason to put Apple products in Foundation.....

 

[w5jck]

This isn't a new thing. For many years now TV shows and movies have gotten sponsors to pay for the use of their products in scenes. Once upon a time we saw a character drink a generic beer or cola in a scene, but for the past few years we have seen actual brand name beers, colas, and other products being used. The entertainment industry always finds another source of money to get wealthier from! Even "This Old House" and "Ask This Old House" proudly display and use Apple Macs, iPhones, and iPads on their PBS shows. Money talks, and helps pay the production costs...

ETA: Some of the worse paid ads within shows are on MotorTrend. Many of their mechanical upgrade type of shows where they rebuild an engine, or something similar, are little more than long infomercials for specific auto parts brands and parts. Pretty disgusting...they are merely pushing their sponsors parts.

 

[RickDEGH]

This isn’t only AppleTV+ shows. Has anyone seen The Kominsky Method on Netflix? It’s iPhones throughout! I think the (notched) iPhones have become so iconic. The other day I was in a train here in Germany and as I turned around that’s all I saw. I’m seeing notched iPhones everywhere I look.

 

[aevan]

“Strategic?” They’re literally all over the place in their shows. Other than “For All Mankind” and “See,” for obvious reasons, it’s like Apple is the only tech company in these worlds. Funny part was when they were busted for editing out the notch on an iPhone 12 in an episode of Ted Lasso a couple weeks ago, as it proves even Apple is embarrassed about that thing.

Apple is certainly not embarrassed of the notch. You act as if it's there because of some incompetence. Whatever the reason for its removal in the episode, it wasn't embarassment (especially since you can see it throughout the show and its almost iconic at this point, Apple is actually using the notch as a differentiator for newer iPhones on their icons).

Also, as the text explains - yes, Apple tech is all over the place, but the products are always well placed, not random shots. It's actually done quite well, when you think about it from a technical perspective. And yeah, is all over the place in real life as well, depending on your circles and your job.

 

[antaisce1]

Annoying and ridiculous product placement in Ted Lasso. Apple is becoming a laughing stock.

 

[iBluetooth]

This is going on everywhere with every network and streamer. The ads have won.

Exactly. They should investigate how much smoking is used in Netflix shows.

 

[Spock]

Flashback to 2005 when The Office came to iTunes for the first time, and they did an entire Christmas episode around the desire to have a video iPod to promote it.

Worked both ways, Steve Jobs showed The Office at least 2 times during keynotes and that is what got me to watch it.

 

[dapa0s]

Yeah one might think but I bet there are TEAMS of people at Apple deciding when/where/how/why/what their products are placed.

No way there are teams of people deciding this. It's probably like one guy on the show location deciding this stuff, or they just get guidlines beforehand, while signing and producing and stuff, that they have to use Apple products whenever possible. I mean, Apple finances and produces all of it, they can do what they want lol.

All in all, there's probably a team in marketing that handles stuff like this, definitely not teams of people in super secret Apple mind control labs.

 

[Spock]

“Strategic?” They’re literally all over the place in their shows. Other than “For All Mankind” and “See,” for obvious reasons, it’s like Apple is the only tech company in these worlds. Funny part was when they were busted for editing out the notch on an iPhone 12 in an episode of Ted Lasso a couple weeks ago, as it proves even Apple is embarrassed about that thing.

For All Mankind is produced by Sony but...

Spoiler

I figured with the time jump to the 70's we would see some Apple II systems but they only showed one I think, now that they are in the 90's they may show off some 90's Apple stuff.

 

[aevan]

Annoying and ridiculous product placement in Ted Lasso. Apple is becoming a laughing stock.

As a fan of their products, to me it's actually cool to see these devices. Harmless fun. They are placed in such a way so that they never distract from the story.

 

[DomC]

And every time an Apple phone is used it has the default ringtone to make sure it's recognized.
I always though it was funny that in a show like Big Bang Theory with all the geeks and technology there was still the default tone.

 

[macintoshmac]

A report from last year notes how Apple is deliberate in making sure that "bad guys" or villains in movies and shows are not seen using Apple devices since it may reflect poorly on Apple's image.

Maybe Apple should come out of the closet and actively start performing background checks on people before selling them any Apple devices instead of hiding behind the safety of creative liberty in the fictional domain. And when Apple devices change hands (activated with another Apple ID) they must undergo verification checks again. Because hey, bad guys don't like to use Apple devices apparently.

Just ludicrous.

 

[arkhanjel]

This seems like one of those pre-event posts by someone that got scooped on all the relevant rumors and MR needed something to post so here we are.

 

[xDENTALPLANx]

My favourite moment of ridiculous product placements was in Servant when they’re FaceTiming through their Apple TV, but it all worked immediately without any fiddling around.

 

[macintoshmac]

And every time an Apple phone is used it has the default ringtone to make sure it's recognized.
I always though it was funny that in a show like Big Bang Theory with all the geeks and technology there was still the default tone.

I was surprised to hear a different tone in a 9-1-1 episode once. I am forgetting which one, it is part of the set that comes with, but not the one set as default. It was a good change to hear.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

To be fair, this is kind of what it looks like in real life, at least, where I live.

This.
to be honest, I barely noticed the product placement in Ted Lasso, because my entire family already talks like this.
if you’re going to video chat anyone, even if you’re not actually using FaceTime, you still say FaceTime.
if you’re talking about someone’s tablet, even if it isn’t an actual iPad, you still call it an iPad.
just things that have happened to enter public consciousness and won’t leave.

 

[macintoshmac]

My favourite moment of ridiculous product placements was in Servant when they’re FaceTiming through their Apple TV, but it all worked immediately without any fiddling around.

Hey, even Apple devs get to live vicariously through fictional works. What they cannot achieve in real world now, they try in the fictional.

 

[alexandr]

jeez, for everyone who's upset by this product placement, take a look at all of the stock photography sites. lmk if you find some decent images with dell computers, i need them for work

 

[nikhsub1]

Maybe Apple should come out of the closet and actively start performing background checks on people before selling them any Apple devices instead of hiding behind the safety of creative liberty in the fictional domain. And when Apple devices change hands (activated with another Apple ID) they must undergo verification checks again. Because hey, bad guys don't like to use Apple devices apparently.

Just ludicrous.

You are twisting the logic here big time. Apple not wanting to associate their products ON SCREEN with villains/bad guys obviously makes sense to them. The subconscious mind and all.