Apple and the film

The Mission: Impossible relationship was the brainchild of Apple's senior vice president of marketing, Satjiv Chahil, who has been working towards this campaign for eighteen months. "We have to be realistic about our position in the marketplace at the moment, and bring it back with a sense of humour," says Chahil, who believes this campaign "will fly over the top of all the other bad press".

Chahil has been increasing Apple's profile in Hollywood films gradually, as movies have included more and more technology based story lines. In Jurassic Park, Apple shared its product placement plan with Sun Microsystems and Silicon Graphics, and similarly in The Net several computer companies had a spot. At the moment, Apple feel they have no serious competition in this area, since other computer companies seem less interested in this advertising forum: although IBM was on to a winner with its ThinkPad in Goldeneye. Apple believes it is the first choice for Hollywood producers since its computers are used so widely in the creative community.

Mission:Impossible

Paramount is understandably pleased with the Apple/Mission campaign, since Apple has paid $500,000 to use clips from the film. As Lesley Hasson, in Paramount's promotions department was pleased to point out, the Apple TV advert actually uses more footage from the film than the film company's own advert, since they have certain restrictions imposed from on high. Add to this countrywide competitions organised by Apple, and the Paramount end of the deal seems obvious. Likewise, Apple has successfully managed to advertise its brand and particularly the PowerBook through a medium that will reach and entertain a high percentage of the consumer public.

The Apple/Mission: Impossible Internet site is an extension of this campaign, and to those with the ability to access the Internet the most exciting element. Whether you liked the film or not, the Apple Mission game (link) is still worth checking out. But note, UK residents are not eligible for the Sweepstakes prizes. A very creative way of using the Internet for advertising.

In a similar marketing/advertising/branding jamboree-type vein, the Independence Day/Apple Computer Inc. feature is opening in the UK on the 9th of August. In this sci-fi epic Apple computers are even more prominent than in Mission: Impossible, and Apple is once again launching a marketing campaign around the film. In the film, the world is taken over by aliens with spaceships as big as New York. Without giving too much away about the film, the Apple advert features a PowerBook saving the earth, strapline being "You better make sure you've got the right computer... Power to save the World".