If you’re a Severance fan, Apple just staged a marketing stunt that might make you do a double-take. The Lumon Terminal Pro, a computer from the Apple TV+ show, is now listed on the website alongside the MacBook Air and iMac. It even features that iconic red “New” sticker, which makes it look like you might buy one. Except… you can’t.
Instead, this is Apple playing a joke while also promoting its streaming service. Clicking the listing redirects you to a video detailing the editing process of Severance instead of a product page. It seems an interesting cross-promotion, bringing Apple’s hardware, Apple TV+ service, and the production of one of its biggest successes together.
Why Is Apple Doing This?
Severance isn’t merely another Apple TV+ series—it’s Apple’s most-viewed show to date. The company appears to double down on the buzz with all sorts of promotions, from a phony LinkedIn page for Lumon Industries, Severance-themed playlists, free e-books, and even a New York City pop-up experience. Now, they seem to take the promotion one step further by adding the show’s distinctive computer into their real Mac product line.
What’s The Click For?
Clicking on the Lumon Terminal Pro doesn’t take you to a checkout page. You’re instead led to a 12-minute video that takes you behind the scenes of the Severance edit.
Editor Geoffrey Richman has revealed that the show was edited on Mac minis, iMacs, and MacBook Pros—but surprisingly, not using Apple’s own Final Cut Pro software. Rather, the crew used Avid, the Hollywood gold standard for editing film and TV.
The video discusses the massive scale of the Severance project. It highlights that editors had to process 83 terabytes of footage while maintaining the show’s unique eerie aesthetic.
Marketing Genius or Just a Fun Gimmick?
I think Apple seems just old-fashioned—flippantly and tactically matching its devices with its pop culture supremacy. And even though you can’t necessarily buy the Lumon Terminal Pro, you can acquire a three-month complimentary trial to Apple TV+ along with the purchase of a Mac.
So, if you were looking to score your own ominous, boxy office computer, you’ll just have to make do with watching Severance on a normal Mac instead.
[via PetaPixel; Image credits: Apple]
