Hey look, it's an Apple rumor (but really more about secrecy)

Valleywag (I know) is reporting a rumor (I know, I know) that Apple's (It's interesting, okay?) advertising agency commissioned the building of a fake Apple store on the Warner Bros. lot so they could film a secret commercial, inevitably something that will be announced next Monday. It's worth noting, as did Valleywag, Apple's willingness to keep their announcements a secret.

I wonder if Steve always knew the power secrecy would hold for product announcements or if it was something he picked up along the way as an unforeseen byproduct of his need to control product cycles? (I'm a post-iPod Apple watcher, so the '80s and most of the '90s in Apple history are hazy recollections of only slightly less hazy Slashdot discussions.)

Apple created temporary store on Warner Bros. lot [Valleywag]

[#1 posted by andyduncan , June 2, 2008 9:38 PM]

It wouldn't be the first time that they constructed a fake Apple store. Apple is already on record saying that they built at least two "prototype" stores in an empty warehouse before they got the design right.

[#2 posted by Jack , June 2, 2008 9:52 PM]

Interesting. But Valleywag is really pushing the hype by first saying this:
"This was no small feat."

And then saying this:
"The store took 2 days to build."

Really? 2 days is "no small feat" to fill a white boxed room with tables that Apple has easy access to and to equipment anyone with direct access to Apple can get?

Landing the Mars Polar Lander was no small feat. This is no big deal... Other than speculating on what the content of the ad will be.

[#3 posted by gobo , June 3, 2008 4:20 AM]

Perhaps all the .Mac email techs were busy helping to build the fake store. That'd explain why email was down worldwide yesterday...