The Postal Service Sends a Note To Apple

lkahney ()

Apple Intel chip ad

Uh oh. Looks like there may be trouble brewing in the spat between Apple and The Postal Service.

In “a note from Ben” on the The Postal Service’s website, singer Ben Gibbard chastises Apple for the shot-for shot remake of the band’s cleanroom music video.

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.

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Postal Service Video Top of the Pops at iTMS

- Ben Gibbard, The Postal Service

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lkahney

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  • T.D. Shadow

    I guess the fact that it also resembles two other music videos and a commercial – all of which PREDATES TPS’s video means NOTHING to these people.

    I guess the band feels they invented the chip fabrication plant, or invented having two people on screen at the same time (then cutting to a person on the right of the screen) because that’s the extent of the similarity.

    Intel should send TPS a note reminding them of their Pentuim II advertisements from EIGHT YEARS AGO.

  • Ditch

    It all comes down to this….Who Cares!

  • Kevin

    Ironically, when I went to the iTunes Music Store yesterday, TPS’s video for “Such Great Heights” was featured at the top of the page.

  • http://www.plasmalcdratings.com mount

    If the postal service was so worried about indie cred and not selling out, why would they allow a cover of the song ‘such great heights’ (by another SubPop band, Iron & Wine) to appear in an M&Ms commercial all the time?

  • http://www.digitALLSTARS.com jon

    Great way to get some publicity for The Postal Service – Aren’t The US Postal Service taking the Postal Service to court for stealing their name?

  • Berkana

    In any case, this whole mess could have been avoided if Apple’s ad agency were a bit more creative, rather than recycling old ideas.

    As for the extent of similarieis, here is a video comparison:

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5600934255578934893&q=postal+service

  • http://www.jdhouse4.com Jim Hillhouse

    This is much ado about nothing. OK, so the same ad firm was used. Ben can chastise as much as possible and it does not amount to a pinch of bee’s spit. Just press fluff.

  • http://jefferysimpson.net Jeffery Kelly Simpson

    Apple’s now featuring the music video at their iTunes music store, an olive branch perhaps.

  • Mark

    It seems everyone is overlooking the major point, it’s the fact that the commercial is recycled material that isn’t ‘similar’ but an exact remake, similarities are tricky, but this is out-right, sure sure, Intel had the suited people running around and such, but that was Intel, Intel’s ad agency and wasn’t directly remade for TPS’s video, unlike the Apple ad. The fact that it’s not just the vague elements that are similar but the shot, angles, and details are the same.

    Also, the vidoe on iTMS has the words on the suits and chips blurred out, which is just odd.

    Now it’s not like the band claimed any particular ownership, but it was their video and they are under a record label which may own certain rights, the directors technically shouldn’t recycle work like this, if a designer produced a logo they can’t reuse it for another company since the don’t own the rights, it was work that was commissioned and that same rule applies here.

    Also, for the commenter mentioning the use of a cover of this song by another band: was that cover done with permission? Ah, there’s the little detail you overlooked…

    This is just bad business for TBWA/Chiat/Day, even if they somehow don’t step on any copyright and ownership toes it’s still suicide to be called out on copying work and recycling ideas as an ad agency, it definately won’t help gain more clients, and it places Apple, a company with strong ties to the design industry, in a bad light.

  • http://www.jdhouse4.com Jim Hillhouse

    Why don’t we talk about something of more substance here, like ThinkSecrets nonsense op-ed piece that Apple MacIntels are not moving when evidence from analysts, among others, shows just the opposite–strongly. Is this a part of a campaign by TS to put the pinch on Apple? Or just shoddy editing? Now that’s something to get excited about.

  • charlie wang

    Directors who participate in the concept phase can retain the concept rights, so…the fact that they highered the same director is a logical step.

  • Dan

    Shot for shot ripoff. Unbelievable.