LITTLE. YELLOW. DIFFERENT
I want to have a bit of a moan in my ed’s intro this month, if it’s OK with you. I’m a paid subscriber to Apple TV+ — as I’m sure many of you are — and have been since it launched, initially drawn in by the promise of a year’s free subscription with my at–the–time iPhone. I carried on paying after that ended, and I’m liking what I see — mostly. The content thus far has been excellent, and it continues to grow. Unlike a few other big streaming providers, the content appears to be carefully selected, and produced to a very high, blockbuster– like standard. The “mostly” bit, as I referred to just a few sentences back, is because I’m really, really starting to tire of Apple’s ridiculous OTT marketing bombardment in–episode, or indeed, in–movie. It’s everywhere I look — iPhones in the hands of every character, MacBooks on every desk, and there’s probably more that I haven’t even clocked. It doesn’t matter though — enough is enough. Apple: I’m a massive fan of Apple products, but I’m also a realist, and I know that in real life not everyone on the planet owns Apple products.
Don’t get me wrong — I understand why Apple does it, I mean why would it promote other manufacturer’s products in its own content? But the problem is, by not being realistic with people’s purchasing habits, it makes its content feel unrealistic. Suspension of one’s disbelief relies upon things feeling realistic, even though we all know it’s just a story. It’s almost got to the point now where it feels like a satire, Apple parodying itself for the heck of it. It reminds me of that scene in Wayne’s World where the duo shamelessly promote major product brands like Pepsi, Reebok, and Doritos. Funny, but not so funny in this case.
Admittedly, all this Apple marketing fest isn’t going to dissuade me from continuing my subscription, but it certainly isn’t making the experience of its entertainment offering as enjoyable as it could be, and that’s a real shame. What do you think? Does it bother you as much as it does me? Let me know.