A great example of stealth advertising by one of the world's most progressive companies, Apple, would be the few appearances of the Macbook in the movie version of John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars", a New York Times #1 Best Seller. Apple's logo appeared in the movie more than once as it shined brightly on Hazel Grace's (Shailene Woodley) laptop, mostly when she was checking her e-mail for replies from her favorite author in Amsterdam, Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe). It happened more than once considering the conversation between her and Mr. Van Houten's secretary prolonged. Image above is of Hazel and Augustus, "Gus", as they were discussing a reply. (Image grabbed from Google) Stealth advertising is basically when the audience is unaware that all the logos and brand names, familiar to them or not, shine brightly in the background/on objects of a movie because the companies are actually selling those names to them. Shailene wasn't given an Apple laptop simply for the sake of having a laptop just as Hazel did in the book. It could have been any other laptop brand. Also, it could have had no brand at all. The brand could have been blurred out or faded, too. The television and movie businesses are strict. To have your brand name on screen isn't as easy as someone getting a shout-out on Instagram or Twitter. Apple obviously had to pay the display price, just as any other brand would. The question is, is this ethically correct? Does this in anyway violate a viewer's rights? I think not. In the world of business, the competition isn't focused on the quality of products alone. Ratings are boosted by how one sells their product. It's up to the audience whether they'd admire the Macbook Shailene sells so casually on screen, or not. Every brand has every right to advertise as long as they do not abuse their capability. Apple simply knew that fans would flock to the cinemas to see if the movie justified the book, based on how John Green's novel became so popular, and that was smart of them. They strategized accurately. It may seem wrong for companies to do this, like this is somehow manipulating a person's perspective to the brand's advantage. "Let's have this really beautiful and popular actor/actress use our product on screen. It'll influence the idea that it's for the higher class on the masses, though our prices are very much affordable." Why not counter this strategy with, "Let's keep in mind that not everything you see on television is true and not every product being sold by a qualified person is of quality."? Each of us is entitled to his/her own opinion, perspective, and especially, shopping taste. We all have different experiences in life. If you've had a bad one with the Macbook, or any product of Apple for that matter, what's stopping you from discontinuing usage? Don't let it be the pressure of the hundreds of Apple users surrounding you.
