With Apple TV+, the Cupertino Colossus, has always prized quality over quantity and, in the process, became the first streaming service to win a Best Picture Oscar (CODA) along with hundreds more awards in its first three years. Now, by hiring Ricky Strauss away from Disney, Apple has signaled even more stongly how serious it is about Apple TV+.
Alex Weprin for The Hollywood Reporter:
With Apple TV+, the tech giant is taking a page from HBO, ordering fewer TV shows and movies, but aiming for a quality that’s a cut above the rest. But the Apple brand has always been a bit more family-friendly than HBO, and the Disney envy is still apparent. Enter Ricky Strauss. When Disney launched the marketing campaigns for films like Frozen, The Avengers, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and The Incredibles 2, it turned to Strauss’ team to deliver.
Now Apple wants a piece of that marketing magic for itself. The tech giant hired Strauss on Jan. 3 to lead marketing for Apple TV+, a bold hire that suggests Apple is serious about growing its streaming division, and potentially its theatrical film efforts. In streaming, while Apple has promoted Apple TV+ (and offered aggressive free trials to buyers of its products), it has not spent nearly as much time or money marketing the service as its competitors.
This year will see Apple release Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, star-studded spy thriller Argylle, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Killers of the Flower Moon, and [John] Lasseter’s animated film Spellbound.
MacDailyNews Take: Better, stronger, marketing is precisely what Apple TV+ needs. We’re tired of explaining to people that there is a raft of excellent series and films available on Apple TV+ and getting a blank look in return. It reminds us of the good old bad days of Apple making the world’s most advanced personal computer, but not telling anybody about it (prior to the blessed Get a Mac campaign!
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I hope Apple doesn’t back away from adult-themed programming too. I don’t personally need another Disney Channel. I want storytelling that’s not hampered by the show of nudity or sex whenever the writers or directors want to use to tell the story.
We already have zero restrictions on gore and violence, but god forbid we show frontal nudity. The Puritans would be offended!
I’ve raised kids and appreciate that Pixar films are about as sweet and safe and artistically wonderful as things can go, but I also appreciate that HBO doesn’t treat its audience like children or people in some kind of Puritanical cult.
Besides, nudity (gratuitous or otherwise) is waaaay more fun than violence.