View: Apple’s latest push towards planetary ethics-aesthetics is powerful brand-positioning at work
At the Temple of Apple, the sins sought to be redeemed are those committed by all industries and businesses: environmental degradation. But unlike other companies, especially those simultaneously consuming and producing on a planetary scale, Apple is keenly aware of its sins. And it is keen to show that it is aware.
But what has given the latest push to its cult — from the Latin ‘cultus’, or worship — status is that it has made sin-countering seva part of its selling philosophy, indeed, its brand identity.
Last month, it unveiled the Apple Event video presentation (bit.ly/46Qu4UP), a cumulative 1-hour 23-minute walk-through of its latest innovations and products. But what it really struck home was the Apple Story, the operating system not of its products but of itself.
One promo (bit.ly/3LMpZJ7), for instance, uses the Apple Watch and iPhone as existential props — literally, accessories — to tell the story of parallel lives tied to the single trope of persons celebrating their birthdays that they may not have lived to see were it not for Apple intervention. ‘Omar Hashem: passed out from a seizure and crashed his car.
Crash Detection on iPhone called 911 when he was unconscious.’ ‘Tasha Prescott: Apple Watch notified her of a low heart rate. Went to the hospital and received vital pacemaker surgery.’ ‘Antonio Femiano: Caught in a blizzard as hypothermia set in. Used Emergency SOS via satellite on iPhone to get rescued.’
We go into homes where Apple products have brought happiness — more importantly, thwarted grief.
