September 08, 2021

Apple’s $100m U2 Fail

11 minutes

When U2’s new album, Songs Of Innocence, was rumoured to be bundled in with the iPhone 6 on 8th September, 2014, the band’s official spokespeople denied any involvement with Apple's product launch.

But the following day, U2 did indeed turn up at Tim Cook’s keynote - with an initiative to ‘gift’ the album, for free, to over half a billion iTunes users. Within days, the scheme backfired, and Apple had to create a bespoke website for users to remove it from their collections.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider why users felt so violated when being given free music; explore the backlash within the music industry to the deal; and enjoy Bono’s milk-based almost-apology…

Further Reading:

‘Analyzing Apple's U2 Mistake’ (Forbes, 2014): https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/2014/09/18/analyzing-apples-u2-mistake/?sh=65492cde4939

‘Apple's Devious U2 Album Giveaway Is Even Worse Than Spam’ (WIRED, 2014): https://www.wired.com/2014/09/apples-devious-u2-album-giveaway-even-worse-spam/

Tim Cook and Bono’s awkward stage bantz (Apple Keynote, 2014): https://youtu.be/38IqQpwPe7s?t=6610

For bonus material and to support the show, visit Patreon.com/Retrospectors

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2021.

#2010s #Music #Technology #Mistakes #US

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