The Postal Service is supposedly unhappy with Apple and the directing duo that created both the group’s music video for their song “Such Great Heights” and Apple’s new Intel televison advertisement:
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. -Ben Gibbard, The Postal Service
http://www.postalservicemusic.net/
[Apple’s new Intel ad looks similar to The Postal Service’s music video because both were both made by the directing duo of Josh Melnick and Xander Charity, whose working name is Josh & Xander. See related article linked below.]
Yeah, right, Gibbard is “extremely disappointed” while he’s loving life drowning in free publicity. The fact is, Apple’s Intel ad is by far the best thing that ever happened to The Postal Service. More people have heard of The Postal Service and at least one of their songs since this story broke a few days ago than all the people that ever heard them – or heard of them – before the debut of Apple’s Intel ad.
The “extremely disappointed” comment by Gibbard is most probably a smart ploy designed to generate another spate of articles, including this one, and a few more days of free publicity for The Postal Service. The usual next step is for somebody’s lawyer to send out a press release stating that their client is “considering a lawsuit” against somebody else over this “controversy.” That “story” will run in all of the usual places and likely here, too. Nothing will ever go to court and then the whole thing will die out, but by then many more people will know “The Postal Service” for making music and videos instead of mistaking them for letter carriers. Mission accomplished.
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Related articles:
Apple offers The Postal Service’s ‘Such Great Heights’ music video via iTunes Music Store – January 19, 2006
Meet the directing duo behind both Apple’s ‘Intel’ ad and The Postal Service’s music video – January 17, 2006
Apple’s ‘Intel’ ad strikingly similar to ‘Such Great Heights’ music video – January 17, 2006
Russell,
MDN is spot on, as usual. Perhaps Gibbard, as an artist, is only looking for a greater audience to hear his work? If so, same means to achieve that as to achieve greater sales revenue.
Apple didn’t screw up. The directors didn’t screw up. The Postal Service isn’t upset. The whole thing was planned long ago and all three parties knew about the video and the ad similarities.
Duh. People always fall for this one.
‘youguysmakemecry’ and others are right. The MDN-take vindicates the same behaviour that they constantly blast others for regarding copying Apple, with the excuse ‘because it is beneficial to them’.
If MDN’s reasoning is applied, than actually it would be very OK for Microsoft to copy MacOSX, because “drowning in free publicity” would be “by far the best thing that ever happened” to Apple, exposing lots of people to the MacOSX they never knew before. And Apple’s subsequent complaint just “most probably a smart ploy designed to generate another spate of articles”.
MDN, what a bunch of juvenile, principleless hypocrites you well and truly are.
The Postal Service has its own band??!
!@#$%^&?
It appears that the dual core G5 Powermac is faster than the dual core Intel iMac. I compared Macworld’s benchmark results for the one test that can be compared fairly between both Macs, which was iTunes 6. The dual core G5’s time was 58 seconds while the dual core Intel iMac took 1:14 both running at 2Ghz. So, at least in terms of pure computational power, it looks like the dual G5 is faster than a dual Intel.
So I guess the only real advantage the Intel chips have is power consumption. So my question is, why put these dual core Intels into desktop machines like the iMac? Why not just stick with G5’s for desktops until Intel can match the performance of G5’s on Macs? I was expecting the switch to Intel would enable Apple to finally market a “3Ghz” machine, but that hasn’t even happened yet. So, why bother?
whaa.
for x=1-#
goto itunes music store
download postal service video
pay $2-
give band a prize
nextx
band happy
end
If the band is “extremely disappointed” they need to talk to Josh & Xander, not Apple. But, on the other hand, who has creative control? A video was made for the band, then the same guys make an ad for Apple. Was it their concept? Was it the band’s concept? If it’s the former then they have no leg to stand on, if it’s the latter, possibly. The weird thing is it looks way better as an Apple ad. Why would you want a music video to look like an ad for a computer company? Makes for a boring music video, not much better as an ad.
Of course this all completely ignoring the fact that as a commercial concept for Apple… IT SUCKS!
Where is the iLife or OSX commercial we are all longing to see?
my rant continues here:
http://www.skillznet.com/RANTZ/RANTZ.html
When Apple sues a company, anyone, for copying a design or a look or watering down the brand (original imac knockoff, zen, thinksecret, etc…), you all cheer. When Apple hires an ad company that blatantly rips off other people’s work, you all jeer the complaining party. Watch the video on their site with your sound off. Even I thought it was the new macintel ad.
And unless you watch VH1 or MTV at 6 am when they actually play videos, how in f*** would anyone know other than the directors that it was a total rip? The only people you should be jeering are the numb nuts at the ad agency that pulled a fast one on one of the most popular, visible companies in the world. And if the postal service band payed even 1/3 of what apple paid for this 30 second ad, I’d be bulls*** too. Trying to get publicity? Now that’s truly insane thinking.
When Apple sues a company, anyone, for copying a design or a look or watering down the brand (original imac knockoff, zen, thinksecret, etc…), you all cheer. When Apple hires an ad company that blatantly rips off other people’s work, you all jeer the complaining party. Watch the video on their site with your sound off. Even I thought it was the new macintel ad.
And unless you watch VH1 or MTV at 6 am when they actually play videos, how in f*** would anyone know other than the directors that it was a total rip? The only people you should be jeering are the numb nuts at the ad agency that pulled a fast one on one of the most popular, visible companies in the world. And if the postal service band payed even 1/3 of what apple paid for this 30 second ad, I’d be bulls*** too. Trying to get publicity? Now that’s truly insane thinking.
When Apple sues a company, anyone, for copying a design or a look or watering down the brand (original imac knockoff, zen, thinksecret, etc…), you all cheer. When Apple hires an ad company that blatantly rips off other people’s work, you all jeer the complaining party. Watch the video on their site with your sound off. Even I thought it was the new macintel ad.
And unless you watch VH1 or MTV at 6 am when they actually play videos, how in f*** would anyone know other than the directors that it was a total rip? The only people you should be jeering are the numb nuts at the ad agency that pulled a fast one on one of the most popular, visible companies in the world. And if the postal service band payed even 1/3 of what apple paid for this 30 second ad, I’d be bulls*** too. Trying to get publicity? Now that’s truly insane thinking.
When Apple sues a company, anyone, for copying a design or a look or watering down the brand (original imac knockoff, zen, thinksecret, etc…), you all cheer. When Apple hires an ad company that blatantly rips off other people’s work, you all jeer the complaining party. Watch the video on their site with your sound off. Even I thought it was the new macintel ad.
And unless you watch VH1 or MTV at 6 am when they actually play videos, how in f*** would anyone know other than the directors that it was a total rip? The only people you should be jeering are the numb nuts at the ad agency that pulled a fast one on one of the most popular, visible companies in the world. And if the postal service band payed even 1/3 of what apple paid for this 30 second ad, I’d be bulls*** too. Trying to get publicity? Now that’s truly insane thinking.
It was no coincidence the advertising agency hired this duo to direct the new intel ad. Apple & the band may or may not have known. Most likely Apple knew. The band may very well have known as well and this could be a whole plot to get the band more exposure as well as the new intel ad.
For what it’s worth, Ben Gibbard:
When I first saw the Apple/Intel ad, I thought, “Oh, cool, they fashioned it after the Postal Service video.”
In other words, I saw it as an honor to the band, not because it was Apple or anything, but because a company considered a video hip enough to emulate for an ad.
Apple ad, bueno, not perfect.
Postal Service music, sucks. Postal Service video, never seen it and never wanna see it.
Tip to Postal Service: Spend more time improving yer musical talents and less time complaining about free publicity, or, better yet, get real jobs ‘cause yer 15 minutes is running out real fast.
Duuh
Maybe they should rename themselves ‘The Apple Store’
I just watched the two side by side. Basically this is all bullshit. The theme between the two is quite different- the chick & the guy are fantasizing about doing each other in the video, and in the ad they are sending their child off to pioneer fronteers inside an iMac. Big difference. The concept of people walking around in bunny suites in a chip factory? Who’s got a patent on that. How about the concept of a car chase down hilly roads in LosAngeles- how many times has that been done? Cry me a river.
“View side-by-side comparison of Apple’s new ‘Intel’ ad with the “Such Great Heights” music video by The Postal Service. The similarities are undeniable. Don’t take my word for it — see for yourself.”
http://www.eliteproductionswi.com/apple-ps.htm
Anim8r:
Good call. The commercial not only rips off the Postal Service (so original Apple, way to go), but it is also a useless ad that only serves to polarize people’s opinions further.
Mac fanatics watch see the commercial and are like “take that Windows users! You got served!” while Windows users watch the commercial and are more sure than ever that Mac users are a bunch of self-important dicks.
MDN’s take on this is pathetic. The Postal service is a great band, their only album is, apart from Nirvana’s albums, the biggest seller on their label and it’s a highly appreciated band in the indie scene. Gibbard is also a member of Death Cab For Cutie, another great band that’s gaining considerable momentum in the world of music.
These guys are artists, they are great musicians, and they care about more than just “publicity”. Artistic integrity is a term MDN obviously doesn’t comprehend. This “you’re better off being copied by apple” attitude has to stop, it doesn’t make sense, apple are supposed to be innovators.
The ad agency shoulders most of the blame though, what were they thinking?
We are being yanked here fella’s
Apple: We will copy the look of your music video.
Postal Service: What???!!!
Apple: You come in and publicly complain.
Postal Service: You darn right we will!
Apple: You will get instant headlines and your music will be sampled by millions of iTunes users.
Postal Service: Ahhhh, that’s good.
All of you who think Gibbard is secretly pleased that the people he hired to do a video for them turned around and made it into a commercial are ridiculous. Make all the excuses you want, but apparently we each love Apple as a company and the products it makes for different reasons, and this type of hypocrisy really shows that avid Mac fans come in two groups.
Group one believes deeply in innovation, originality, creativity, ease of use, etc etc and THAT is why they like Apple. If Apple someday turned into Microsoft, while some other company came along and picked up the torch of innovation, creativity, ease of use, etc then I’dd drop Apple like I didn’t know them. It makes me sad to even think that.
Group two believe in Apple like a football team they need to cheer for no matter what. They also are attracted to the traits that make it what it is, but their need to cheer for Apple comes first. If Apple was less innovative they’d defend it, if Apple got lazy they’d defend it, if Apple was no longer original they’d defend it. They become hypocrites and frankly, lose sight of what it was they originally were cheering for. It wasn’t Apple. It was the triumph of originality, good engineering, and intuition, and ‘truth’ over the forces of marketing BS, monopolistic practices, copying good ideas after they are safe, ignorance, and lies.
I admit I’ve been a fan of The Postal Service, and instantly recognized the new Intel ad, but that has nothing to do with this. Even if I hated the video and the band I’d defend their right to be DISSAPOINTED, even EXTREMELY DISSAPOINTED. They didn’t say Apple sucks, they haven’t sued anyone, they just had a part of their artwork copied without even being told. If it was just simillar like the iPod thing then a case could be made that it was an honest mistake and just an example of syncronicity, but these were done by the same directors. I think their being upset is understandable.
All the people in the forum calling out those in group one for being hypocrites are 100% correct about what you’d be doing if the tables were turned. What if Ridley Scott made a new 1984 ad very simmilar to the old one for Samsungs new line of MP3 players? If Apple made a statement that they were ‘extremely disapointed’ would you all rush out to say they are just out for even more money and should shut up and be happy that it increases awareness of the Mac?
No matter how The Postal Service takes on the ad. issue, it is still a shame for that directing duo and producer of the new Apple Intel ad., to ‘create’ such a lazy copy TVC. It’s killing the dignity and professionalism of the creative industry.
But I bet, if Steve knows of such resemblance in the first place, he will not just roll out the TVC the way he has had.
Shame on Josh & Xander!
It’s exceedingly poor form of the directors in this case to copy their earlier work. Did they tell either Apple Computer or The Postal Service they were doing this? It appears TPS didn’t know at least.
I feel sorry for TPS in that their art is trashed in this way (no longer unique is what I mean.) It’s awful when art is used to sell something – I hate listening to classic songs used in TV commercials. This is kinda weirdly backwards in that the video is ripped off, not the music!
Still, at least the directors ripped off their own work and not someone else’s. Hahaha.
So soon after Lugz too – not looking good for Apple, unless there is some intention in creating controversy in the media.
I also wonder if the publicity hasn’t benefited TPS either – I too initially thought it had something to do with the USPS. TPS’ website traffic this week would have leapt quite substantially I’d imagine.
(Hey, rip me off Apple, I want the publicity!)
MDN, You need to get out more. The Postal Service are very well known and hardly in need of free publicity. Their debut album went multi-platinum and received widespread critical acclaim. Actually, they’re kind of a big deal.
Remember, just ’cause you haven’t heard of them in your little Mac-obsessed coccoon, doesn’t mean the rest of the world hasn’t.
The Postal Service is an excellent band. If you ripped them for being “un-original” musicians, you should try listening to them. They have a very unique sound. So does Gibbard’s main band, Death Cab for Cutie (Yes that name came from a Beatles song). Also, their music has already been featured in a commercial for the Honda Civic.
The Postal Service (the band) has made amends with The Postal Service (the quazi public/private company) over the name. They came to a mutual understanding and did a special live performance. I think that Apple should make similar amends with The Postal Service. A simple apology and mutual understanding can go a long way. Apple obviously knew about the music video ahead of time. It’s no conicidence that Apple ended up asking those directors to do their ad.
No company is perfect, but Apple should own up to their mistakes.