One of Apple’s messiest business dealings in recent years is the disintegration of its relationship with NBC. Though Steve Jobs routinely showed clips from “The Office” during his keynotes — and many think the iTunes Store saved the series — NBC pulled out of the iTunes universe in a snit this summer. And now a major NBC series that used to have a big tie-up with iTunes, “Heroes,” features a plot with a disappearing shipment of iPods. A subtle slap at Apple?
More curious, however, is the plotline involving Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) and a missing shipment of iPods. Considering NBC Universal’s decision last month to pull its programs from iTunes over pricing issues, this struck us as more like product diss-ment. (Indeed, Heroes was among the most popular downloads at iTunes.)
Pure coincidence, said a Universal Media Studios representative. The episode was shot last June.
Broadcasting & Cable calls it “Product Displacement” and says it’s happening with Nissan, too. What do you think? Bizarre coincidence or subtle slap-back by NBC?
Thanks, Buzz!
18 responses to “Shipment of iPods Vanishes on ‘Heroes’; NBC Smacks Apple?”
Not only that but the latest episode of The Office they used the Blackberry for Product Placement and used it alot. I should go back and count how many times they show or say “Blackberry.”
Screw the iPods….what about the terrible Oirish accents. I was actually sick last night while watching Heroes. One of the characters even said “to be sure”…..that’s mere microns away from wandering into “begorrah” and “top-o-de-mornin” territory.
The iTunes store shouldn’t be supporting such bad character acting. They’ll be selling “Far and Away” next!!
Heroes : Lost :: Microsoft : Apple
Whell, aht least tey’re naht tahlking ahbout Tatched roofs.
But seriously. One more ridiculously-product-placed Nissan Rogue and I’m going to boycott the show.
Bad Tim Kring. Bad.
(true enough on the Irish shenanigans) :)
Also, I noted that “Journeyman” was clearly using a barely-disguised iPhone in the pilot episode, and then a couple of episodes later, he’s told that newer cell phones don’t work with time travel (uh… sure…), and he needs to pick up an older “brick” cell phone from the 1990’s… lol! No more iPhone for him.
And of course, others have pointed out just how badly Mac’s were treated in the “Chuck” series – blowing up, getting smashed to pieces, etc…
NBC looks like they’re throwing a bit of a fit…. heh.
Um, I don’t know how having a missing shipment of iPods is a snub at Apple. They’re putting Apple products in their shows AT ALL.
Think about it: if Apple and NBC had the opposite relationship right now and had just signed a major deal people would be saying they’re giving props to Apple by including their products in the shows.
The thing about Macs being smashed up on “Chuck” though… I haven’t seen it but THAT does sound a BIT shady.
Now that raises something that I didn’t catch in the episode. Great find. NBC is smart, smarter than we give them credit for. The deal with iTunes didn’t go sour overnight and June would be prime negotiation time. Nice little jab. No harm done, but a good little jab. Thanks for pointing this out!
More likely the producers of Chuck actually like Macs. Afterall, a Mac II was the most powerfull computer in the world…
Consider the lead time between when an episode is produced and when it airs (particularly a show featuring special effects). The episode was properly in the can sometime during the summer. When did things get ugly between Apple and NBC?