Comments on: Improvised iPod Placement on The Apprentice?

By: Alex Metzger

Alex Metzger — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It seems weird that Apple would deny them product placement, it’s one of the most aggressively placed products in entertainment today. My guess is that step 2 and 3 didn’t happen.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

If you notice the computers are used in each episode of the Apprentice you will see, yep you got it, the HP logo.

What happened is probably more along the lines of:

1. Contestants come up with the iPod idea.

2. Producers already have an agreement with HP, so they make them use HP branded iPods

3. They dubb in the HP iPod line.

The Apprentice always has poorly done dubs, a lot of Donald’s lines are voice overs (seemingly).

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Alex: Yes, I agree that it’s weird too, but why would HP get the mention and not Apple? It seems plausible to me that The Apprentice was asking for a lot of money and Apple figured they already have enough free exposure with the iPod these days.

Incidentally, I’ve also seen Apple products on other reality shows without it being a paid placement. For instance, a couple of seasons ago on Survivor, they set up a Powerbook with iChat and let the contestants chat with their loved ones remotely. Never in the whole sequence though did they mention Apple, Powerbooks, or iChat. If Apple paid for the placement, they certainly would have. My guess was that iChat was simply the easiest way to do what they wanted to do, so they asked Apple for money, Apple declined, and they used the technology anyway.

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Scott: Good information on the other HP placements. You and Alex are probably right. For people who wondered what good the HP deal would do for Apple, this appears to be a prime example. HP pays for the placement, Apple gets the exposure for free.

After all, the person who watches this episode will not run out and look for an HP iPod… just an iPod.

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Maybe Apple’s marketing folks (who are rather brilliant, as we’ve seen) realized what was going on, decided that they would probably get free product placement, and that as long as an iPod was used people would associate it with Apple more so than HP.

By: Ray

Ray — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

HP offers an iPod? News to me; )

By: Dimitry B.

Dimitry B. — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I noticed that too and laughed at the $300 Mini’s price tag. I don’t believe HP even distributes iPod Minis, only 20gig and higher.

By: Vladimir

Vladimir — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Its rather sad how much commercialisation has taken over today. I mean, yes its TV, but you’d think that even with something as detestable as reality TV they could avoid doing things like dubbing in advertisements just to make a quick buck.

By: Joe D'Andrea

Joe D'Andrea — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This just in: After reviewing the ep on the trusty TiVo, I’m fairly certain it was not Danny, but Michael who was off-camera and asked with a healthy dollop o’ disdain: “O.K., so the bottom line is we’re giving away HP iPods?”

What struck me as odd about the promotional banner was that it read “Apple HP iPod” vs. what I would have expected for a deliberate product placement: “Apple iPod + HP” (note the plus sign). Not only that but – yikes – even the font choice was seriously out of whack! (See? They should have used sIFR.)

Perhaps Michael happens to own an HP Media Center PC and the words just tumbled out that way. :)

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ok, well if it was Michael, then that makes things even more interesting because he was also the only one arguing against giving away an iPod and in fact he even said, “I don’t even know how to use an iPod.”

I also agree that the haphazardness of the sign is weird. You’d think HP would insist on using the standard language.

By: Jeff Wheeler

Jeff Wheeler — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I surely never would have noticed that, but I’m amazed. Donald Trump is not a very good person in my opinion. This time he is going to a new low to get money – having contestants sell endorsements, kinda. That’s pitiful.

I think Apple didn’t want to do it because they did not want to associate themselves with Trump, and the low marketing techniques he users.

By: Dimitry B.

Dimitry B. — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I don’t undestand why Donald Trump is not a very good person. This is more directed toward NBC and the producer’s of the show. Im sure Trump wasn’t like “Hey! Why don’t we capitalize on that idea and make some money.”

Of course he could have, but from reading a lot about him as well as his book, I doubt it.

By: John B

John B — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

“I watch an unhealthy amount of it”

This sentence doesn’t parse. I didn’t think you could watch too much reality TV…

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Did you see that a marketing exec from HP is leaving to go to Apple?http://www.tuaw.com/entry/1234000483031724/

By: Don

Don — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Yep, I only heard Ipod. The HP part went right over my head. In this past weeks episode they had a contestant (or whatever they are) listening to some device while laying on his bed. Danny … well he’s history now isn’t he.