Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
If you haven’t come across a mainstream movie villain rocking an iPhone or a Mac computer, it’s no coincidence. That’s a strict marketing tactic from Apple to preserve the brand image and retain a favorable perception of its product among the masses. This is no conspiracy theory, as the secret was spilled by none other than director Rian Johnson, who directed films like “Looper,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and the Netflix whodunnit smash-hit “Knives Out”.
While breaking down a scene from the Chris Evans-starred murder mystery in a Vanity Fair video, Johnson divulged that Apple doesn’t allow filmmakers to put any of their products in the hands of a movie baddie or his henchmen. The antagonists can’t be shown with an apple product in-hand, the director said.
He was initially reluctant to share the secret, and later added that every filmmaker out there now wants to “murder” him for letting such a big secret out. Go ahead, and try to recollect from memory a cinematic bad guy rocking one of Apple’s latest iPhones or a shiny Mac that will help them achieve some nefarious goal, you won’t find any.
It’s all about the brand image
Framesira/Shutterstock
Apple’s reluctance to keep its products from appearing in the hands of a villainous character is not surprising, considering the brand has always tried to maintain a squeaky clean image by steering clear of any controversy. However, Apple likes to put its coolest gadgets in the hands of good guys. As pointed out by this WIRED article from 2002, the hit thriller show “24” had all the good fellas rocking a Mac to carry out their missions.
Apple is pretty adamant about it, and has even drafted a legal framework for content depicting its intellectual property aka products sold by the company. “The Apple product is shown only in the best light, in a manner of context that reflects favorably on the Apple products or Apple Inc.,” says one of its clauses. However, Apple doesn’t actually shy away from some positive exposure on the screen.
In the second season of the hit show “Big Little Lies,” Apple products like iPads, iPhones, and Macs grabbed a massive share of screen time at 13 minutes, which is a lot more than its second-placed Buick. It also eclipses other names like Audi, Tesla, and Dell. In Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out,” a majority of the characters can be seen rocking an iPhone, save for the antagonist played by Chris Evans.
