Naturally, Apple’s car sponsorship in Pixar’s Cars
I’m not at all suprised that Apple snuck its logo on to one of the race cars in the Piston Cup (Pixar’s Cars) [via]. Coincidence I think not, but it was pointed out that the vehicle number is ‘84′. As in 1984, the founding of Apple Computers ergh Mac.
Kind of makes you wonder, what if Apple began reaching out to potential customers through sponsored motor sports? Would that take away from the value of Apple computers? Advertising at a Nascar race perhaps?
12 Comments, Comment or Trackback
s0crates82
Roundy-round redneck racing would definitely take away from Apple’s prestige.
I’m sorry, but turning left isn’t a sport.
Rally, or F1, or even touring car championships… now THAT’S racing.
Jun 12th, 2006
tram
actually, 1984 is the year that the first Mac was released. Apple was founded in 1976, I think…
“just so you know”
Jun 12th, 2006
Derek
Agreed. MotoGP.. now that’s wheel to wheel racing (imo). Although, F1 does have it’s upsides. I’ve heard MotoGP racers retiring and checking out their options on the F1 circuit.
Jun 12th, 2006
JR
Apple wasn’t founded in 1984 - it was the introduction of the Mac :-)
Jun 12th, 2006
Ian
If I remember correctly, Apple did sponsor a LeMans Porsche back in the 80s. Not quite sure about the history of it, but I remember seeing scale models a while back.
Jun 12th, 2006
B
Apple already sponsors NASCAR drivers or did last year anyway on the lower level race teams.
Jun 12th, 2006
Derek
I’d be interested in reading more about these sponsorships. Do any of you that claim Apple has had a hand in sponsorship have any links to relationships between teams w/ Apple?
Jun 12th, 2006
R031E5
I’ve been looking for that d*mn scene and I haven’t found it!
Jun 12th, 2006
Thomas J. Brown
While I agree that turning right from time to time is more challenging, stock car racing is actually quite difficult. I don’t know many people who can drive in excess of 200 mph and, you know, not die.
It irritates me that people think NASCAR is only for hicks. I don’t drink moonshine, sleep with my cousin, or own a goat, but I still enjoy stock car racing. Then again, I think that baseball, basketball, American football, and most other popular sports are stupid and a complete waste of time and money. So perhaps I’m not a very good sample…
Jun 12th, 2006
James Gowan
It’s interesting that, of all the cars in the movie, the Apple car doesn’t have eyes (or at least in this screenshot)…
Jun 13th, 2006
j. edgar
spkeaking of sponsors, the film raise a lot of symphaty for the cars industry,
anybody knows if the industry somehow sponsored the film?
Jun 14th, 2006
BarracksSi
Googled my way here –
That scene is when The King is making a pass through the back of the pack. I knew there was something different about that “84″ car, but I couldn’t quite figure it out at the time.
I highly doubt that Apple had to pay any sort of product placement fee at all. Steve Jobs owned Pixar before selling it to Disney (and gaining a spot on Disney’s board in the process), and Pixar has had a history of sneaking little Apple references into its movies.
There are other regular cameos/running jokes in Pixar films. Look for the Pizza Planet truck in all of them.
Jun 17th, 2006
Reply to “Naturally, Apple’s car sponsorship in Pixar’s Cars”