This week sees the release of the iPhone 4S. With an expanding plethora of applications available to the product, the line between personal life and commercial industry is becoming increasingly blurred. Morgan Spurlock presents a look into how the advertising world has penetrated the artistic merits of Hollywood, in some cases even influencing creative decisions. Set in cooperation boardrooms, supermarket aisles and potential promotional venues, the film charts the unpublicised stranglehold that businesses have on production companies in return for financial stability and the symbiotic benefits of each other’s association.
Spurlock documents the process of acquiring fiscal aid to finance the entire production of his film, including the arranged business meetings which will subsequently provide the cash. As a retrospective on commercialism, it isn’t unusual for many top-flight brands to be reticent about contributing, despite the publicity. For those that do get involved it’s difficult to know what to make of their reputation. Do they support the statement that advertising has created an ulterior motive in a medium that should be purely for entertainment and learning, or rather, do they want to appear to have this view in order to increase profits thus keeping capitalism’s wheels turning? Whatever their motive, the very concept of the movie seems to subvert the intentions of those invested in it, with the requirements of the companies on Spurlock treated like parody, evoking the mantra, ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity’. While unlikely to derail a well-oiled machine, Spurlock returns with an eye-opening exploration into a process that will only become more ingrained and influential as it bombards global populations.