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Apple is refusing to let villains use iPhones in films

Film director Rian Johnson has revealed an alleged industry secret, claiming that Apple prohibits any fictional bad guys from using its products on-screen.

‘Bad guys cannot have iPhones on camera,’ says director Rian Johnson in a video interview with Vanity Fair while explaining a scene from his most recent film, Knives Out. Outing an alleged secret in the world of product placement, Johnson is referring to the obsessive amount of control Apple insists on having over its brand image.

‘They let you use iPhones in movies,’ he says. ‘But – and this is very pivotal – if you’re ever watching a mystery movie, notice that villains are almost always required to use Androids.’

Since its foundation, Apple has made an innumerable amount of effort to cultivate its immaculate reputation. With strict controls in place on how any one of its products are used both on the big and small screens, strict guidelines advise that all technology displaying its trademark must be presented in ‘the best light, in a manner or context that reflects favourably on the Apple products and on Apple Inc.’

A bit over-the-top if you ask me, but these stringent conditions don’t seem to be enough to deter members of the film industry.

In fact, Apple still holds the number one position as market leader on all screens internationally, appearing ‘in one form or another in the majority of TV shows and movies that take place in the modern world,’ according to brand tracker, Concave.

Apple isn’t the only company trying to have a say in what type of content and characters it wants to be associated with, however.

‘All brands have stipulations for how they want to be used and seen on screen,’ says director of product placement specialists Seesaw Media, Darryl Collis. ‘It is common for some brands not to want to be associated with a bad guy, or for an alcohol or car brand not to want be linked with characters being drunk or involving crashes.’

Despite the fact I’m a sucker for secrets and love hearing all about the tricks of the trade, I’m a little concerned – as are a lot of film fanatics currently – that Johnson’s decision to reveal this information has the potential to spoil future mystery movies.

Basically, if you can spot the difference between an iPhone and an Android while it’s being waved about by the protagonist in whatever you’ve gone to see at the cinema, be warned that it might just be a massive giveaway of whether or not they’re a ‘goodie’ or a ‘baddie.’

So, in adhering to this (technically) counter-productive strategy, does Apple wind up being the bad guy? It’s essentially suggesting that anyone who’s ever done anything bad couldn’t possibly own one of their devices, but this is a direct contradiction to reality and comes across as rather self-conscious.

I think Apple ought to rethink their priorities, particularly regarding the ongoing lawsuit over whether or not it deliberately slows down older iPhones because, at the end of the day, it’s got much bigger fish to fry than ensuring Darth Vader stays off WhatsApp.

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