There must be some kind of deal going on for ages. In so many TV shows and films, especially ones aimed at younger generation, they have iPhones, iPads, Mac going right and left.
I work as a Production Designer in the “biz”. Essentially, if you’re making money off of what you’re filming, you need permission to show products, artwork, or certain protected locations. Some brands do not care like high-end auto manufacturers. Almost every other company does and wants you to pay them for not getting permission from what you make.
In old Hollywood, art directors would cover the names of places or things with Greek letters. In the industry, when we cover a logo on something we haven’t gotten clearance to use, we call that greeking. Every license plate, address, logo, and sign that isn’t clear for usage gets greeked. Good art directors insure that its tasteful. Bad art directors slap pieces of torn tape over things and it’s appallingly lazy.
Nowadays we have whole departments who specialize in getting clearance through permission from brands, artists, and locations. If there are specific props in a project that we want to showcase where greeking is distracting, we reach out to product placement contacts who often times hookup a production with tons of free product. On bigger budget shows with A-list celebrities, they would give it to us for free and let us keep the products.
Of course getting free products comes with strings attached. Bud Light doesn’t send permission for someone to be drinking and abusing children because of the negative image. Apple has a pretty large presence in Hollywood product placement to begin with, and they have some pretty demanding rules. It’s no surprise that their own shows take this to a next level.