Usually it's even dumber than that. Shows use the logos to try to blackmail large companies into paying them for "advertising", and if the companies don't pay up they censor the logos.
yea all logos and names of brands are heavily trademarked, using them in your own works isn't allowed unless you get written premission/contract for advertising for them or if it's incidental use (imagine the main character running through a busy street and a small Apple ad flashes at the edge of the screen somewhere for 2s, if someone tries to sue for that courts are most likely to dismiss the case with a legalese equivalent of "bruh chill")
Yeah, i recognize the brand, but i thought it had to be more than that. The purpose of censoring the logo is usually legal and to be clear what is and what is not product placement. That is done correctly, so i'd say this doesn't fit this community
It's all about conspicuous consumption; gotta show that you can afford the real article. Some people really do believe in the power of "pay to win" and bolt-on status points, and by all accounts, are actively supported by their peers.
On occasion, branded stuff really is the best value. IMO, that's usually when a brand is starting out, not when they're popular.