this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2025
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A Boring Dystopia

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[–] Nusm@peachpie.theatl.social 94 points 2 weeks ago (16 children)

I'd rather have this than the unskippable & unmutable commercials yelling at me at the gas pumps. I'm just trying to get gas.

[–] the_q@lemmy.zip 72 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Look at how you've been conditioned... "I'd rather be slapped in the face than kicked in the balls!"

[–] tym@lemmy.world 50 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

ow, my balls!

[–] Nusm@peachpie.theatl.social 10 points 2 weeks ago

Well, I would. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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[–] TheJesusaurus@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

Is that a thing? Why don't you just not ever use that brand of station again? 

[–] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 29 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (4 children)

That’s half of all stations in my neck of the US. It’s hard to escape

[–] humorlessrepost@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Same, so I go to the other half. They tend to be the smaller owner-operated ones, so if I go inside to buy something, I mention how much I appreciate the lack of ads and that that’s why I go there.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 weeks ago

Start punching the screens.

They change quick.

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[–] NavySqueal@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

They sadly have become far more uncommon, at least in the US. I can maybe only recollect a handful of gas stations that dont have them anymore...

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[–] Nusm@peachpie.theatl.social 7 points 2 weeks ago

It's a thing, and it's a thing at most corporate gas stations in my area. And most corporate stations have the cheapest gas prices - which I guess explains why they run ads.

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[–] 18107@aussie.zone 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

One more reason I'm happy EVs exist. No ads at my home charger.

YetOnly my smart fridge, vacuum cleaner, phone, A/C control panel, front door smart lock, and reclining bed. But not in my dreams!

[–] GhostedIC@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Stellantis just got in hot water for pushing ads to the screens in Jeep and Chrysler cars. So... Just you wait. Even if it doesn't show you ads now, they can always update it.

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[–] wetsoggybread@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I've run into this a couple times and there's usually a mute button. The ones I've seen have two columns of 4 buttons and is usually column 2 button 3. It shouldn't be a thing but I make it a point to mute it every time

[–] Nusm@peachpie.theatl.social 13 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Yeah, that used to be the thing, but now in my area most of them have done away with the mute button. I've also tried pushing all of the buttons down both sides, but it still blares me. If there weren't cameras at the pumps, I'd pull out my pocket knife and stab the speakers.

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[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 43 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Do not buy those apples.

Vote with your wallet and be loud as fuck about it

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[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 37 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Not much different than the bananas with Disney characters on them. This has been a thing for a long time now. It just happens to be a Hulu ad and not Disney specific.

[–] Davel23@fedia.io 14 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

There were Star Wars branded oranges in supermarkets back when ~~the prequels~~ The Force Awakens was coming out.

Edit: Got my timeline wrong. Still, it's been a while.

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[–] Jollyllama@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Abbot Elementary apple sticker ads are clever, minimally invasive and I argue that this is what advertising should be.

This is a creative, tongue in cheek ad for a comedy about school teachers. Teachers stereotypically are given apples so its related.

You cannot compare this to the Pluribus fridge ads or car infotainment ads which make no sense other than "get more eyes on it".

[–] ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (10 children)

An ad being clever doesn’t make it okay. And it’s not even clever, it’s just a basic reference. Ads being more pervasive are disgusting. This is disgusting. Is it okay for ads to be on literally every single surface in existence as long as it’s “clever” and “not too big”? Because the scum fucks in advertising firms will literally do whatever they can to cover every surface in garbage and this is just another step in that direction.

Fuck all advertising and destroy all advertisers. They will destroy everything in their path otherwise

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[–] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 26 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Considering it's just taking up space on a normal sticker, and it doesn't track you, this isn't that bad honestly. I wish this was the worst.

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[–] tym@lemmy.world 25 points 2 weeks ago (10 children)

Apples; they've got what plants crave!

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[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 23 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Is it a show that streams on Apple TV?

[–] axexrx@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

No those are only advertised on Macintosh

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Fuck. Now there's an ad on my Lemmy

[–] bold_atlas@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

yeah blur that fucking shit out before posting. there are kids on here.

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[–] wesker 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

I'm not even mad at this, it's creative and not intrusive. I'd assume it's a cheeky reference to the old thing about giving your teacher an apple on the first day of school.

I'd much rather see playful, physical ads like this than the targeted shit online.

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 63 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Or you could decide as a nation not to bend over and accept the insistent thrusts of commerce at every opportunity.

[–] SportsRulesOpinions@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Imagine how much more peaceful life would be if we banned advertising.

[–] RaoulDuke25@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

What will we know what pointless shit to buy to fill the void?!

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[–] starik@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah, at least you can ignore this. It’s not some unskippable demand for money screaming into you brain.

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 weeks ago

No, it's an unskippable demand for money insinuating itself into your brain...

Completely different, agreed.

[–] Thoath@leminal.space 11 points 1 week ago

Advertising is a company laundering technique for wealth transfer, they use speculative projections to sell your eye space alone, give the pass for the image, and profiteer internally instead of contributing to the economy outside of the bubble, it's been the case on the Internet for years and years

[–] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And now you're showing it to us instead of chucking it at the nearest physicist.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Do you mean physician like the "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" thing?

Or do you just harbor animosity towards people who study physics?

[–] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

I meant like Alec Newtons.

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[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's kind of amazing that this ad campaign got off the ground.

Someone in marketing had to have that idea (it's an apple for the teacher, right? So we tie it to a show about a school, see?), then sell it through the entire corporate chain for approval from the top. Then someone in graphics had to design the prototype sticker. Then someone in sales had to identify who to sell it to, make the pitch, and close the deal.

So how much new viewership can ABC hope to get from this? How much money does the apple distributor get for this? The answer to both gas to be "Not much." It seems like a lot of effort for not a lot of gain for anyone involved, except maybe the sale guy who gets a nice commission.

It just occurred to me that I probably have it backwards. ABC thought of the apple tie-in for their popular school show, and pitched apple companies until one agreed.

Welcome to my thought process.

[–] bilb@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 week ago

It just occurred to me that I probably have it backwards. ABC thought of the apple tie-in for their popular school show, and pitched apple companies until one agreed.

And then after just a couple of viral internet posts about it, it is a complete success.

[–] taiyang@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

My pizza box had one too. Crazy thing is I bet it fucking works on some people.

[–] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago

Well we're all here talking about it, ain't we?

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[–] SiblingNoah@piefed.social 10 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Hopefully Apple doesn’t put Pluribus ads on fruit. That one lady named Carol would lose her poor mind.

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[–] glitch1985@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I've never seen an apple with a best buy/expiration date on it.

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[–] BilSabab@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

i used to slap my crew's tags and qrs on random fruits and vegetable in the supermarkets all the time. the trick is to keep it low and have someone to divert attention while you dance around the section trying to appear merely clueless and not mischievous.

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[–] 1984@lemmy.today 7 points 1 week ago

Lol, never enough ads...

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