Long one of the power players in product placement, Apple once again reclaimed the top step of the podium, appearing in more films than both Sony and Coca-Cola in 2014. But, while that’s an impressive achievement, it may still fall short of landing the rough equivalent of a 30-minute prime-time commercial.
The latest episode of Modern Family, filmed entirely on Apple devices and prominently featuring Apple’s Facetime software is essentially just that. How did they manage to swing that? Well, rather than the obvious answer of a fat check, they simply have luck to thank. While Modern Family’s producer Steve Levitan has a well-established reputation as an Apple fan, this most recent episode certainly ratchets things up a notch.
Apple may not have paid for placement in the episode, but we’re pretty sure Levitan at least got one heck of a gift basket (Jony Ive-designed, of course).