“I’m a Mac…” “…and I’m a PC.”
Apple’s new TV ad campaign is out, and it’s brilliant. And funny. Go see.
May 2, 2006 1:07 PM
Comments
I’ll be the dissenting voice here. This is a bad campaign if the goal is to encourage switching. Why? Because the ‘personified PC’ can too easily be interpreted as a charicature of the PC owner rather than the PC itself.
my impression of the ad is that it’s calling PC owners dweebs. the famous ‘switch’ campaign cast former PC users in a much more flattering light, as smart, saavy folks who were being held back by their gear.
in short, ‘switch’ captured the frustration of the PC user. ‘i’m a mac’ just makes fun of the PC user.
$0.02,
luke
wrote Optimus on May 3, 2006 4:59 PM
candy: no idea on the soundtrack yet.
luke: Granted, there’s a lot of people who self-identify with the products they use and the brands they buy. I’m sure you’re right in that there is some percentage of the Windows-using populace who might be offended by that implication, but if you’re in that camp, then the Mac probably isn’t for you anyway, and thus, this ad isn’t for you.
For normal people who aren’t particularly tech-savvy, just want to get things done with a minimum of fuss and worry, this ad points up well-known Windows annoyances and shortcomings, and offers an alternative.
I’m betting - and I’m sure Apple is, too - that there’s enough people out there frustrated with BSODs, security patches, driver issues and malware that this ad campaign will touch them. Plus, it’s explicitly using the “iPod Halo Effect” to remind people how easy iPods and iTunes are to use, and by extension, how the rest of iLife and Mac OS X are, too.
wrote AJ Kandy on May 4, 2006 10:27 AM
Funny ad. :)
Sure, there is some stereotyping here, but I think this ad serves more as a reminder of “Still having the same old windows issues but don’t want to switch to anything else? Just remember that Macs are still strong and not just for the artsy-graphics-kids.” Everyone knows how crash-prone PC’s are.
wrote zura on May 8, 2006 3:14 PM
The music isn’t on the tv spots, it might be a bit too much I guess. Um, its strange this ad strikes me as an ad geared to people who would get the jokes, and I think its made for owners of macs to upgrade. The one I thought was the best was the virus one. Its amazing how many people don’t get the pc/virus equation. They think all computers get viruses. And when you tell a pc-er that they look at you like you’re crazy or a conspiracy theorists…then you try to explain, well anyways why would a hacker attack mac anyways? They hate Bill Gates etc etc.
I think the ad works on another level too…not just dweeb, although I agree that is the first impression. The mac guy is dressed comfortable, not flashy,he seems confident and easy going, even a thoughtful person. whereas the pc guy is nervous looks like his clothes don’t fit him.
Telling pc users that mac is so wonderful is like telling people that farming is bad for you. People just don’t get it. They care about the money and that is why they get a pc.
So the other reason I like these ads is pc guy is a typically corporate or materialistic gear, whereas the gear of mac guy is not worried about money or making phony nervous impressions. He is more spiritual. He knows that money isn’t the only way to measure quality in life and yet quality is worth paying for…
wrote Candy Minx on May 11, 2006 5:30 PM
“pc guy is a typically coporate or materialistic gear” [sic]
are you kidding me? first, these stereotypes are stupid themselves. thanks for boxing people in and segmenting people into cool and uncool. second, i work in the design industry and there are plenty of mac folks who are all about their gadgets with uptight personalities.
listen, both pc and mac are great. but apple’s been trying to convince everyone that their systems are vastly superior/ubercool for, what, like the past 20 years? just shut up and take over already!
but of course, when apple occupies 80% of the market then hackers will start creating mac viruses, mac’s will be uncool, etc.
:sigh:
wrote ugh on May 25, 2006 2:37 AM
If we weren’t able to generalize, then we couldn’t make working assumptions about the world. I’m sure that in the extremely specific, there are uber-nerdy Mac guys and super-cool PC guys, but unless the ad was about one character alone, that wouldn’t really be funny, now would it? The reason these stereotypes exist is because there’s more than a kernel of truth to them. I’ve worked in retail, in design and at software companies, and I can attest to the fact that the stereotypes of design hipsters and slovenly and/or unsocialized C++ programmers do play out in real life. I’m sure you know people like that; I personally suspect there’s something about being really talented at programming that closely relates to Asperger’s syndrome…You can always find exceptions that prove the rule, though.
wrote AJ Kandy on May 25, 2006 11:18 AM
well, then i guess from a marketing standpoint the ad succeeds. it’s pure entertainment.
apple = cool, top-of-mind
but i bet the ad also does a pretty good job of alienating pc users. :/
wrote ugh on May 25, 2006 1:58 PM
Not all PC users. They know they can’t convince the guy with a tattoo of Steve Ballmer (shudder) to give up his PC. But ordinary folks who maybe struggle more than they ought to with their PCs are probably more receptive to the message.
wrote AJ Kandy on May 25, 2006 5:36 PM
That was fun, do you know who made the soundtrack?
wrote Candy Minx on May 2, 2006 3:11 PM