Apple TV+ behind satirical workplace guilt-washing drug Dissonex

Viral marketing stunt teases “Severance” season two with employee apathy pill

Press Release March 14, 2024

Earlier this week, the internet lit up with reports of a mental health program for employees to manage conflicting emotions that arise when profiting from dirty industries. The Many Happy Returns™ Climate Adaptation Suite apparently includes a supplement called Dissonex™ designed to “sever neuronal connections in the brain’s guilt centers.”

In reality, there is no such program. The announcement was in fact a guerrilla marketing stunt by Apple TV+ promoting the second season of the groundbreaking psychological thriller series "Severance." The show follows Mark (Adam Scott), an employee of Lumon Industries who agrees to a "severance" program in which his non-work memories are separated from his work memories to make life easier.

“'Severance' takes place in the near-future, but today’s employees face similar challenges to reconcile their work selves with their ‘concerned citizen’ selves, recognizing the environmentally questionable impacts of the companies they work for. So we decided that they could really use a ‘Severance’-style solution,” said Kristin Huguet Quayle, Vice President of Worldwide Communications. "So far, no company in the real world can offer a mindwipe procedure like Lumon does, but lots of companies wish they had a conscience-cleaning product.”

The satirical program offers tools like a Sustainability Hotline where mental health professionals help investors squash moral dilemmas and avoid acting against their financial self-interest, and a “mutual aid” community where investors can support each other to remain in the market to weather any storm.

"Severance" stars Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Jen Tullock, Dichen Lachman, Michael Chernus, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, and Patricia Arquette. Season 2 will premiere later this year only on Apple TV+.

About Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.*

For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.

*Special offer is good for three months after the first activation of the eligible device. One offer per Family Sharing group. Plans automatically renew until cancelled. Other restrictions and terms apply; visit apple.com/promo for more information.

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Apple TV+ behind satirical workplace guilt-washing drug Dissonex

SAG Award nominations earned for standout performances, including Adam Scott in “Severance,” and Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser in “Black Bird” Emmy Award-winning “Severance” leads Writers Guild of America Award nominations with three nods, and also lands two nominations from Directors Guild of America for directors Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle Apple tops Writers Guild of America Awards nominations with 12 across “Bad Sisters,” “The Problem with Jon Stewart,” “Carpool Karaoke: The Series,” “Life By Ella,” “Amber Brown” and “Circuit Breakers”

Today the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards announced that Apple has been recognized with SAG Award nominations for acclaimed Apple Original series including Emmy Award-winning drama “Severance” and Critics Choice Award nominee “Black Bird.” Apple’s “Severance” also earned the honor of becoming one of the most-nominated series for this year’s Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards, and also landed two Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award nominations. Apple leads the field with 12 WGA Awards nominations across seven programs, including “Severance," “Bad Sisters,” “The Problem with Jon Stewart,” “Carpool Karaoke: The Series,” “Life By Ella,” “Amber Brown” and “Circuit Breakers,” more than any other network.

The multi-award-winning freshman hit Apple Original drama “Severance” earned SAG Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama for the remarkable cast, and a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for brilliant lead Adam Scott.

“Severance” leads with three WGA Award nominations for Best Drama Series, Best New Series and Best Episodic Drama for its first season, and is recognized by the DGA Awards with two Best Dramatic Series nominations for Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.

These nominations are the latest in a string of accolades for the celebrated drama, following recent honors from the Critics Choice Awards, Gotham Awards, AFI, Televisions Critics Association, Art Directors Guild, Cinema Audio Society, Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards and Society of Composers and Lyricists. “Severance” also landed multiple Emmy Award nominations and wins in 2022.

Additionally, thrilling limited series “Black Bird” received two nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series, one each for stars Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser.

In total, “Severance” was recognized with nominations for:

Screen Actors Guild (SAG):

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series — Adam Scott

Directors Guild of America (DGA):

Dramatic Series — Ben Stiller
Dramatic Series — Aoife McArdle

Writers Guild of America (WGA):

Best Drama Series
Best New Series
Best Episodic Drama

“Black Bird” landed SAG nominations including:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series — Taron Egerton
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series — Paul Walter Hauser

To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have earned 310 wins and 1,329 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”

“Severance”

In “Severance,” Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work … and of himself.

“Black Bird”

Inspired by actual events, when high school football hero and decorated policeman’s son Jimmy Keene (Egerton) is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison, he is given the choice of a lifetime — enter a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Hauser), or stay where he is and serve his full sentence with no possibility of parole. Keene quickly realizes his only way out is to elicit a confession and find out where the bodies of several young girls are buried before Hall’s appeal goes through. But is this suspected killer telling the truth? Or is it just another tale from a serial liar? This dramatic and captivating story subverts the crime genre by enlisting the help of the very people put behind bars to solve its mysteries.

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut.

About Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.*

For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.

*Special offer is good for three months after the first activation of the eligible device. One offer per Family Sharing group. Plans automatically renew until cancelled. Other restrictions and terms apply; visit apple.com/promo for more information.