[goldenhorse]

As many of you I've been seeing way too much of those new mac vs pc ads lately and to be honest I can't understand the upside to them. I know the people in them aren't literal, but the message they give off is if you're this kind of person get a mac and if you don't you're a dork etc.

I'm not a fan of negative ads used by politicians and the same applies here (albeit more humorously). I think in the end these types of ads do more harm than good. They make mac users embaressed to be seen in public with their machines (who wants to look like a stereotype) and piss off or alienate potential switchers.

Hasn't apple heard of "geek chic"? The guy with glasses (also beloved from The Daily Show) is cooler than Justin Long. Maybe they should have gotten Napoleon Dynamite to portray the Mac side.

In the end I feel these ads are just gonna get on peoples nerves more than anything else (both winows and apple users). Why don't they show off osx in their tv ads instead... they've never done that and it seems like a better move to me.

Cool is in the eye of the beholder and in this case I think they have dropped the ball.

Just my opinion.

[ghporter]

They're funny the first time (I liked the spyware ad especially because it was so silly), but they get old really fast. And having them blare at me every time I visit Apple's web page is extremely unpleasant. I also think that the "Mac" character is less effective because he's portrayed to be "cool" instead of well organized, efficient, quick, etc., which are all attributes I think of when I think of Macs--before I think of how cool they look.

Also, it's kind of hard to tell, but I think the "PC" character is portrayed as older-significantly so-than the "Mac" character. That's something I really dislike, as I'm no kid and I am extremely into Macs AND PCs. What's up with that, anyway?

[goldenhorse]

Wether Apple realize it ot not, these ads make mac users the object of ridicule and scorn and I find it presumptuous and rude of them to put their dovotees in that position for the sake of moving more units.

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

i was thinking the same thing. at school when i had my ibook the 1st time i had it at school some people gave me bad looks but it stoped after a while. now with my MacBook everybody hates me.

[goldenhorse]

It makes me *almost* want to switch to a PC. Not the effect they intended I'm sure.

[goldenhorse]

It just occured to me... computers are something many people use everyday. By attaching a transitory idea of what is "cool" to their technology they are putting themselves in the very vulnerable position of becoming "uncool" eventally, as everything does. Before Apple computers just were the sh#t and nobody needed the hard sell to tell them that. But now they are setting themselves up for a fall. For example, everybody knows that Lee Marvin is awesome, but if they launched a high saturation ad campaign to make everybody understand just how "cool" he is... eventually the opposite would happen and Lee Marvin t-shirts would sit on the racks at Zellers unsold. Not a pretty picture.

Not exactly the most rock solid foundation from which to build a larger user base.

Sorry, I love to analyse this kind of stuff.

goldenhorse, these ads are not aimed at you, me, or anyone else who posts in Mac forums. My mother-in-law thinks that ads are great, my mother thinks they're great, and every other non-computer geek I know likes them.

Sometimes we're too close to the issue to have an objective perspective.

[Eug Wanker]

I dislike those ads too. Other non-Mac-geek people I know dislike them too, at least now. At first they were OK, but now they just seem kinda stupid.

[goldenhorse]

hayesk.

true they may not be aimed at me, but they affect me. that's one of the reasons I take issue with them.

[Chuckit]

"Oh no, the silly computer ad is affecting me!"

Cry more.

[zaghahzag]

apple needs to start making them into spoofs or they will backfire in a huge way.

since both of those guys are comedians they should just let them have some fun with it.

like make one where they're both playing WOW or something. the Mac guy could be an undead guy and the other guy a gnome of something.

ok here's the script:

Mac: "I'm a part of the Undead Scourge."

PC: "And I'm from the Legion of Gnomes. I'm in Bugmonkey guild."

Mac: "Today, I'm going on a raid to Org with ym guildies. we're gonna pwn some zugzugz."

PC: "I'm doing some trading at AH with my l33t friends. WTB? KEK. OH NOS! HERE COMES ALLIANCE!"

Mac(jumping up and down): ZOMG I JUST PWNED U SO BAD...

PC (lying down): KEK .. oh crap! I'm pwned.. ur so l33t!

haha..

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by zaghahzag

apple needs to start making them into spoofs or they will backfire in a huge way.

since both of those guys are comedians they should just let them have some fun with it.

like make one where they're both playing WOW or something. the Mac guy could be an undead guy and the other guy a gnome of something.

Uh…what?

[zaghahzag]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Uh…what?

[tutelary]

All the people I know online in the PC community HATE these ads. They come across as the mac "trying to be cool" and people despise that attitude. Mac ads need to show the system in use, and show the benefits of the OS, not talk about it with on screen personalities.

[Velocity211]

Originally Posted by tutelary

All the people I know online in the PC community HATE these ads. They come across as the mac "trying to be cool" and people despise that attitude. Mac ads need to show the system in use, and show the benefits of the OS, not talk about it with on screen personalities.

exactly, pc people just keep mocking of these ads, like those videos on youtube.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by tutelary

All the people I know online in the PC community HATE these ads. They come across as the mac "trying to be cool" and people despise that attitude. Mac ads need to show the system in use, and show the benefits of the OS, not talk about it with on screen personalities.

The "PC community" is not going to be won over by any Apple ads just like I'm not going to be won over no matter how Microsoft advertises Vista. They are irrelevant.

[goldenhorse]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

"Oh no, the silly computer ad is affecting me!"

Cry more.

I agree it's not that big a deal in the great scheme of things. But it's something to talk about Rico.

[baw]

The first ads are ok, but the newer ones are downright horrible. People see them and walk away confused.

[stefanicotine]

Weinies, I love the ads. Got em all on my iPod

[Mastrap]

To those guys who say that Apple should show OS X in action: Nobody gives a monkey's ball, except people who are already Mac geeks. My dad doesn't care what OS X looks like, but he might well be swayed by the fact that Macs are virtually virus free.

The ads purposefully avoid talking geek talk but express the benefits of using a Mac in an easy to understand everyday language - and that they do well.

[mac128k-1984]

Originally Posted by goldenhorse

Wether Apple realize it ot not, these ads make mac users the object of ridicule and scorn and I find it presumptuous and rude of them to put their dovotees in that position for the sake of moving more units.

How do you arrive at that conclusion? How do these ads make mac users the object of ridicule? For that matter why would you want to switch [back to the pc] on account of these ads. I'm not seeing the logic here.

While I'm not particularly a fan of these ads myself I don't see them as driving people away, on the contrary by highlighting real issues with the pc in humerious manner, it raises the idea that apple has got a better product.

[Big Mac]

At least it's not Jeff Goldbum in the ads anymore - okay actor, bad Apple spokesman.

[ebuddy]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

"Oh no, the silly computer ad is affecting me!"

Cry more.

This is my thought too. I remember complaints around here that there weren't enough ads touting the superiority of the Mac. BOOM! I think they're clever, funny, and caste the stereotypes quite accurately. They're trying to sell personal computers, not business machines. They're trying to sell the ease of use and virus free nature of the OS. I'm sure there's been enough market research involved that they know what works and what doesn't. It beats the one with the guy flying out of his livingroom using a G5.

I mean, if you're as old as Woz you probably do have a PC in the house anyway.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by zaghahzag

Mac: "I'm a part of the Undead Scourge."

PC: "And I'm from the Legion of Gnomes. I'm in Bugmonkey guild."

Mac: "Today, I'm going on a raid to Org with ym guildies. we're gonna pwn some zugzugz."

PC: "I'm doing some trading at AH with my l33t friends. WTB? KEK. OH NOS! HERE COMES ALLIANCE!"

Mac(jumping up and down): ZOMG I JUST PWNED U SO BAD...

PC (lying down): KEK .. oh crap! I'm pwned.. ur so l33t!

haha..

You left out OMG! HAX!

[KeyLimePi]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

"Oh no, the silly computer ad is affecting me!"

Cry more.

[chabig]

I like them. They highlight the Macs strengths over PCs. How can it be bad for an advertiser to show people why their product is better than the competition's?

[Wiskedjak]

I think the ads are fun to watch, though not always accurate. I certainly find the PC guy to be entertaining and for me the focus is usually on him rather than the Mac guy ... from an Apple Marketing perspective, I'm not sure this is the intent ...

[milhous]

i've never been a fan of this new-age advertising, the ads back in the 80's and 90's were more substantive and to the point.

as a master salesman, i don't know how jobs could let these commercials make it on tv. it just doesn't make sense.

[Visnaut]

The only people that I know that actually enjoy these ads are cheeky mac users. These ads preach to the choir.

Instead of actually debunking many of the long-held misconceptions about macs, they focus on campy lil skits that prove nothing.

Originally Posted by Chuckit

The "PC community" is not going to be won over by any Apple ads just like I'm not going to be won over no matter how Microsoft advertises Vista. They are irrelevant.

No one's going to switch en masse overnight, that's a fact. But to just ignore, even alienate proficient PC users, Apple is setting itself up for failure.

The fact is, when buying a computer, novice users simply don't care about the details. They don't want a balanced or unbiased comparison of available platforms. They just want to know what computer to buy (based on their needs, whether it be cheap, or if it's good for the kids, etc.) And for that, they ask for someone's opinion; someone who they percieve to be knowledgeable. Whether that be their uncle Bob who's an engineer, or their neighbor who's a sys admin, or the sales clerk at your local computer retailer.

All the people who these ads don't target.

In fact, these ads tacitly ridicule and insult PC users for a choice they probably never made, just fell into. The result is that the people to whom novice buyers go to for advice become even less enthused about the idea of purchasing a mac, and the vicious cycle is continued.

I see this all around me. Any small gains Apple had made in the opinion of your average PC users with the strength of OS X, and the switch to Intel have all but been glazed over by the bitter taste that these ads clearly leave those users with.

Apple needs to be more informative in their ads. The Mac Pro is a great example, it's better featured and much cheaper than the Dell equivalent. The little iMac booklet pullout in some magazine that someone linked to a few days ago is also a step in the right direction. Instead of knocking the competition, they should be saying, "Hey, with our stuff you can do everything you're doing with your computer now PLUS all this great Mac software. The best of both worlds!". Not "Hey, the PC you're using is hokey. Buy a mac."

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Visnaut

No one's going to switch en masse overnight, that's a fact. But to just ignore, even alienate proficient PC users, Apple is setting itself up for failure.

The fact is, when buying a computer, novice users simply don't care about the details. They don't want a balanced or unbiased comparison of available platforms. They just want to know what computer to buy (based on their needs, whether it be cheap, or if it's good for the kids, etc.) And for that, they ask for someone's opinion; someone who they percieve to be knowledgeable. Whether that be their uncle Bob who's an engineer, or their neighbor who's a sys admin, or the sales clerk at your local computer retailer.

All the people who these ads don't target.

If they are not already PC fans, then the ads do target them and there's no reason they should be offended. If they are already PC fans, then Apple targeting them would be like Microsoft targeting me — stupid beyond belief.

[Gossamer]

My hardcore Windows/Linux loving roommates find the ads amusing, they get a chuckle or two.

[chabig]

Originally Posted by Visnaut

The fact is, when buying a computer, novice users simply don't care about the details. They don't want a balanced or unbiased comparison of available platforms. They just want to know what computer to buy (based on their needs, whether it be cheap, or if it's good for the kids, etc.) And for that, they ask for someone's opinion; someone who they percieve to be knowledgeable. Whether that be their uncle Bob who's an engineer, or their neighbor who's a sys admin, or the sales clerk at your local computer retailer.

The real fact is people really just want to be told what computer to buy. That's why Apple needs to advertise. Period. Don't tell me people evaluate computers based on "needs." The Mac fulfills every computer need just as well as a PC.

Chris

[SirCastor]

Originally Posted by Big Mac

At least it's not Jeff Goldbum in the ads anymore - okay actor, bad Apple spokesman.

I really liked Goldblum as the voice behind the iMac ads. His voice fit well, and he had a good dynamic for the ad.

As for the current ads, I'm sick of being inundated with them every time I go to the Apple Website. Once would be fine, but a cookie should keep that from loading every time. It's ridiculous.

[davesimondotcom]

My mother doesn't use technology. She's about as luddite as you can get.

But she understands what they are talking about when they talk about spyware and such because they explain it in simple, easy-to-understand metaphors.

These ads are very good, IMHO.

[KeriVit]

I'm sorry, but the HP TV ads See em
kick Apple's arse.

They are visually interesting and actually show you something.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by KeriVit

I'm sorry, but the HP TV ads See em
kick Apple's arse.

They are visually interesting and actually show you something.

Yeah, those are pretty good.

[davesimondotcom]

Originally Posted by KeriVit

I'm sorry, but the HP TV ads See em
kick Apple's arse.

They are visually interesting and actually show you something.

Visually, HP's ads have been good for a while. Remember the "Pictures of You" ad?

These are good, too. But I wonder if people really expect their HP computer to create really cool visuals like that and cut their heads off in the process.

[paul w]

Originally Posted by KeriVit

I'm sorry, but the HP TV ads See em
kick Apple's arse.

They are visually interesting and actually show you something.

What is it that they show me again? It actually reminds me of an updated version of those old powerbook print ads from the early mid nineties. You know the ones with the famous people telling us what they had on their powerbook? Um, right.

Beautiful to be sure, but they don't do much to convince me why I should choose hp over a competing pc product. I still have no idea why I'd even begin to consider an hp laptop over a competing product.

Dell's are effective because they get to the heart of the issue - "here's a really good yet cheap computer". Apple does too - "here's why our computers are better than pc's".

They're both bold and disputable statements, but they have a clarity of message that's better than most ads.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

They appeal to the customers Apple is targeting.

Remember Apple is most interested in people who actually use the PC for lifestyle things. I think they make sense to a smarter/decision maker consumer. The kid, the cheapskate or the tech nerd may not love these ads... but who cares. The average iPod owner will eat these babies up!

[KeriVit]

The point of the HP ads is not to convince you to buy a PC. Those who want/need a PC already know that. The ads are meant to portray a compelling visual that the potential customer remembers so that when the time comes to buy a PC, they remember HP. The use of celebrities and creative visuals resonate in the mind of the consumer.

On the other hand, the creative strategy behind the Apple ads is to ask/make people want to take action and switch. I just feel they could have accomplished this goal in a more creative way. Yes, the ads are notable, and WE know what they are talking about. However, the PC users I have spoken with have no idea what some of the ads are even talking about.

They are 2 completely different strategies and goals. I just feel one set is more effective.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Originally Posted by KeriVit

On the other hand, the creative strategy behind the Apple ads is to ask/make people want to take action and switch. I just feel they could have accomplished this goal in a more creative way. Yes, the ads are notable, and WE know what they are talking about. However, the PC users I have spoken with have no idea what some of the ads are even talking about.

They are 2 completely different strategies and goals. I just feel one set is more effective.

I think with Apple it's deeper than just "watch ad, buy product"... They are depending on probably a couple of these things to make the sale:

• watch ad
• positive word of mouth
• positive iPod experience
• positive Apple Store experience
• the power of the Apple brand

IMO, if they don't understand it, then maybe a mac would not be good for them. The Apple ads prey on those PC users who "understand" the frustration that MS brings. They amusingly illustrate the problems and present a solution/difference they can solve. If a PC users have no problems with their machines, then there is no need to switch.

[KeriVit]

Originally Posted by Apple Pro Underwear

I think with Apple it's deeper than just "watch ad, buy product"... They are depending on probably a couple of these things to make the sale:

• watch ad
• positive word of mouth
• positive iPod experience
• positive Apple Store experience
• the power of the Apple brand

IMO, if they don't understand it, then maybe a mac would not be good for them. The Apple ads prey on those PC users who "understand" the frustration that MS brings. They amusingly illustrate the problems and present a solution/difference they can solve. If a PC users have no problems with their machines, then there is no need to switch.

Yes, point taken. An image/branding thing.
Mainly I was just differentiating from the HP spots.
I just used to get so excited to see some of the more innovative things from Apple, it is what they are know for in the industry. This campaign lacks the "oomph" that Apple has had in the past. (I do not feel this about all the Apple campaigns.)

[analogika]

Originally Posted by SirCastor

I really liked Goldblum as the voice behind the iMac ads. His voice fit well, and he had a good dynamic for the ad.

As for the current ads, I'm sick of being inundated with them every time I go to the Apple Website. Once would be fine, but a cookie should keep that from loading every time. It's ridiculous.

The home page loads an image of the new iMacs now.

[ghporter]

Jeff Goldblum's voice is smooth, resonant, and cool-it works well for Macs. It's like Richard Dryfus speaking for Honda-his voice is a good match for the product.

With that said, not all ads need naration. And not all ads need funny bits to sell, either.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Originally Posted by KeriVit

Yes, point taken. An image/branding thing.
Mainly I was just differentiating from the HP spots.
I just used to get so excited to see some of the more innovative things from Apple, it is what they are know for in the industry. This campaign lacks the "oomph" that Apple has had in the past. (I do not feel this about all the Apple campaigns.)

The "oomph" may not be there... for you. But imagine the PC user who has frustrating problems with crashing, viruses, camera drivers... this commercial may have "oomph" for them.

It's an interesting and tough marketing scenario. You need something that resonates and educates but must also be a call to action.

[stefanicotine]

I'd have to say, the best Apple ad I've ever seen was when the Intels were released. It was so creative, so brilliant, and so bold. I loved how they "freed" the Intel chip from the PC world and put it in a Mac. Classic

"What's an Intel chip doing in a Mac? A whole lot more then it's ever done in a PC"

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by goldenhorse

Before Apple computers just were the sh#t and nobody needed the hard sell to tell them that.

Excuse me, but when exactly was that?


If you think that people are going to treat you scornfully because of a commercial of a product you own either you are heavily deluding yourself with irrational paranoid conclusions, or you are around extremely immature and infantile people.

I think these ads are great: They're funny and understandable to the average Joe and grandma who don't spend such a large portion of their lives talking and reading about technology. And as for being a spoof- They are spoofs! They're not meant to be taken entirely seriously, and I think some people here are taking them quite a bit so.

[- - e r i k - -]

90% of the people in this thread just don't get what advertising is about.

[ghporter]

I get advertising-my mom worked in the field for 30 years, I even did summer internships at her agency, etc. But a lot of advertising is short-sighted; like these ads, poor advertising draws some new customers while pushing away old ones, or at least reducing their motivation to buy more products. Good ads draw new customers AND solidify existing customers' connection to the product.

[ebuddy]

Originally Posted by ghporter

I get advertising-my mom worked in the field for 30 years, I even did summer internships at her agency, etc. But a lot of advertising is short-sighted; like these ads, poor advertising draws some new customers while pushing away old ones, or at least reducing their motivation to buy more products.

Admittedly, I know nothing about marketing.

Good ads draw new customers AND solidify existing customers' connection to the product.

It seems to me that good ads draw new customers and good products solidify existing customers right? I mean, how many of us stopped buying Macs after viewing the ad back in the day that would have you believe the average Mac user can't find the power button on a computer?

I went on to buy three more Macs, but I absolutely loathed the ad campaigns at the time.