Did Apple Steal OK Go’s Music Video Idea?

by Brenna Ehrlich 4 mins ago

Lefties weren’t the only ones miffed by Tuesday’s Apple product launch. OK Go, apparently, didn’t find the company’s offerings to be original enough — specifically, the video that ran at the beginning of the event. A video that looked oddly similar to the band’s VMA-winning video for “The Writing’s On The Wall.”

Apple’s video, titled “Perspective,” was meant to be a tribute to creative thinkers “who have always seen things differently.” It employed a cadre of optical illusions to hammer home this point — illusions very similar in style and execution to the ones OK Go used in their characteristically creative video. The band even released a special website last month explaining how the video was made.

You can check out the similarities between the two videos courtesy of Mashable below.

According to band manager Andy Gershon, those similarities weren’t an accident. He told Business Week that the band previously met with Apple to pitch the illusion idea for a collaboration, and, when Apple turned the idea down, they made the video themselves. Apple then hired OK Go’s production company, 1stAveMachine, and the video’s director to make “Perspective.” OK Go is currently exploring legal options.

This isn’t the first time a band has felt ripped-off by Apple. In 2006, Ben Gibbard of the Postal Service accused Apple of copying his video for “Such Great Heights” after the company put out a commercial using the same imagery — and director.

MTV News reached out to Apple for comment, but had not heard back at press time.

Brenna Ehrlich

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, she served as associate editor at Mashable, penned a netiquette column for CNN and co-authored the blog and book “Stuff Hipsters Hate.” She likes trying not to die in moshpits and listening to songs on repeat. Follow her on Twitter @BrennaEhrlich for news on cats and punk bands.