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Adgadget: Apple - flattered and photocopied
We're pleased to introduce a new column today, Adgadget, a periodic editorial by Ariel Waldman about the advertising behind consumer technology: Functioning to flatter, Apple's marketing department continues to imitate their inspiration. While a bit lack-luster, Apple's recent commercial for the up and coming iPhone is a far cry from the originality of the product itself. As some may have seen, it was soon found that the iPhone commercial that had originally aired during the Oscars was a cut and dry ripoff of a film that had come out more than a decade earlier. While seemingly scandalous, this incident was no coincidence. Apple had approached the filmmaker earlier for permission to use the concept; no stranger to being turned down -- and similarly to the battle with Cisco over the very name of the product -- Apple went ahead and used it anyway. This time the muse happens to be experimental artist / musician Christian Marclay, who in 1995 produced Telephones, an abstract film of absurd and fragmented conversations cut up from phone scenes in movies. The film focused to comment on the relationship between sound and image by way of video; intrigued by the phone-movie mashup, Apple approached Marclay to use his work. Marclay, of course, refused Apple's advances, but Apple took advantage anyway. Since asking the source had short-circuited, Apple instead took to using extremely similar footage, making the iPhone commercial nothing short of a complete color copy of Telephones.Reminiscent of the earlier Intel chip commercial outcry that clearly ripped out scenes from Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" music video, content confiscation is nothing new to Apple. There was also the iPod incident in 2005, where blogs everywhere threw up screen grabs and expressed shock over the extreme similarity between the then recent Eminem iPod commercial and a Lugz commercial from 4 years before. But it wasn't always this way.
Have Mario send your mail (via stamps from Japan)
Sure, old Mario has been known to paint, play professional sports, and even do some actual plumbing work on occasion, but he'll soon be able to power your mail through the postal service in the Far East.10-stamp sheets of 80 Yen stamps are now available for pre-order in Japan, where gaming otakus will soon be able to adorn their snail mail with the likes of goombas, magic mushrooms, and mustachioed men. The set will be out next month.Has the government of a country like the US ever done anything this official to honor one of the icons of gaming? Perhaps when we have avid gaming advocates in Congress -- or even, dare we say, in the White House -- things will look a little different with game legislation proposals and the postage of unwanted junk mail.[Via GameBrink]See also: French stamps to feature video game icons (Super) Mario Bros. question mark and POW block speakers
Actress talks to gamer about WoW dedication
The guys at LiquidGeneration went a step beyond stalking an actress and actually scored an interview with the WoW-playing USPS ad girl.Felicia Day is best known in TV circles as the potential slayer "Vi" during the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she also found a bit of notoriety as "Angie," the USPS-usin' woman for a Postal Service ad campaign. All we're interested in, of course, is her love of Ultima VII, Link (over Mario and Undead Warlocks), and 5 man Strat runs for her Level 60 Gnome Warlock.Maybe it's not the greatest revelation since Dave Chappelle showed some knowledge of the MMO, but many male gamers still manage to find a way of expressing shock that a beautiful woman (especially one who's found a measure of success in Hollywood) enjoys an online raid or two. We're just glad that an actress is willing to be upfront about her love of games--even she sometimes uses it to avoid talking about bad auditions.[Thanks, James]
Even more Postal Service/Apple Intel Ad drama: Apple 'censors' Postal Service video
The above image is from a side by side comparison of the Postal Service's video for 'Such Great Heights,' to itself done by Elite Productions. It compares the video as it is seen on the iTMS (on the left) and in 'wild.' You'll notice that the video from the iTunes Music store has the words 'Skyworks' blurred out. Some have called this an Apple conspiracy, saying that Apple wasn't content to steal the video contents, but they had to screw with the video itself.The real answer, I am sure, rests with the fact that 'Skyworks' is a registered trademark of Skyworks Solutions, Inc which is a 'leader in radio solutions and precision analog semiconductors servicing a diversified set of mobile communications customers,' to quote their website.No conspiracy, just Apple legal avoiding another fight.Update: Thanks to ian who points out that 'Skyworks' is blurred out on Sub pop's website as well (Subpop being the Postal Services 'label,' as folks in the industry call it). Therefore, it is clear that Apple digitized the video like this, and it was Subpop's legal department that called for the blurring of the registered trademark.
Apple Intel ad a ripoff of Star Trek First Contact?
I don't want to add fire to the Postal Service/Apple Intel ad controversy, but a keen eyed observer notes that the Postal Service video is a ripoff of a scene in Star Trek: First Contact, therefore Apple isn't just ripping off a rock and roll band but a cultural icon.Now, before you firing your commenting fingers please note that this is a joke, and an attempt to point out how ridiculous this whole issue has gotten. Now you make feel free to flame me all you like.
The Postal Service speaks about Intel Ad
Who would have thought that the most controversial thing to come out of Macworld would be the commercial that Apple produced to hawk the idea of Intel inside Macs? Certainly not this pundit, though I also didn't think that iPod would sell, and I thought the Cube would be a hit.It seems that the one of the members of the Postal Service, a fellow by the name of Ben Gibbard has posted the following notice on the Postal Service's website: It has recently come to our attention that Apple Computers' new television commercial for the Intel chip features a shot-for-shot recreation of our video for 'Such Great Heights' made by the same filmmakers responsible for the original. We did not approve this commercialization and are extremely disappointed with both parties that this was executed without our consultation or consent. -Ben Gibbard, The Postal ServiceI thought all was forgiven because Apple is featuring their video in the iTunes Music Store, but apparently not so much. What's next, a lawsuit of some kind?Thanks, Rally.
Apple & The Postal Service: Friends
Oh, what were we all so worried about? Consider the whole "controversy" (if you want to call it that) surrounding Apple's latest Intel ad and The Postal Service's video for the song Such Great Heights to be water under the bridge. As a number of our eagle-eyed readers have pointed out, the band's video is now for sale in the iTunes Music Store [link], with a big graphic on the store's front page.Don't you love it when things work out?
Apple Intel ad not so original?
Leander Kahney reports that Apple new Intel ad that is getting all sort of love from Mac fan everywhere, might have been done before and not by Apple. It seems that the Postal Service (a rock and roll band that the kids are listening to) has a video for 'Such Great Heights' which bears an uncanny resemblance to the Apple ad.Leander has a link to the video for you to compare and contrast.
