American Idol Gives Back to Apple
News Analysis. Apple Math: $14,392 = $15 million—and that's quite the bargain. |
Last Wednesday—and that was before I was writing this blog—"American Idol Gives Back" reportedly raised $60 million for six charities. But Apple picked up a little goodwill of its own in prime, prime-time product placement. The eight American Idol finalists used MacBook Airs as they took donations.
Product placement like this is cheap. Eight Airs from Apple sell for, before tax, $14,392, but the marketing/advertising value could be worth millions. Apple's real product cost is more likely no more than $10,000.
According to a January Bloomberg story, 30-second ad spots on "American Idol" cost in "the low $900,000s" at the season's open. Presumably, ad prices for "American Idol Gives Back" were even more.
Through the two-and-a-half-hour TV event, host Ryan Seacrest visited the Idol contestants as they fielded phone calls before their MacBook Airs. I didn't bother counting the trips, but what if there were just five for only 90 seconds each. That's seven-and-a-half minutes of exposure—or $15 million, assuming $1 million per 30-second spot in free air time for Air.
Apple is a master of product placement and normally is a heavy paid advertiser during "American Idol" (and that's discounting the iTunes tie-ins). The company may have gotten a little more and a little less than what it bargained for with "Idol Gives Back."
According to Nielsen, the number of "Idol Gives Back" viewers (17.8 million) dropped by more than one-third from last year. That's a whole lot of eyeballs seeing those strategically placed MacBook Airs. Viewers' emotional attachment to their favorite contestants can spill over to the product. But given the decline in viewers, maybe Apple was better off not paying for a bunch of 30-second spots. Why pay when fewer people are watching and free is more effective? I vaguely recall seeing a "Get a Mac" commercial but would need to check the recording.
I wonder: Could Apple and "Idol" have sent contestant Michael Jones home with one of those Airs? The singer deserves some consolation for getting unexpectedly voted off the show on Thursday—although the crew over at Vote for the Worst aren't so sure it was unexpected.
