That new Mac ad.

[Nubclear]

Lately I've been seeing a Mac ad on TV...the ads are generally somewhat boring, usually trying to make a not-so-subtle point about how Macs are superior to PCs...but there has been one lately in particular that has confused me.

Mr. PC comes out with stickers and such attached to him. When Mac asks him what happend, he says that he's been used for a whole bunch of activities (blogs, music, etc) and that he's tired.
The Mac talks about iLife (and how it stimulates 10 year olds?) and then the PC leaves because someone wants to listen to music.

As far as I can derive from the ad, the Mac is used for iLife (what is it? Spore for Mac?) while the PC is used by a diverse group of people for diverse purposes including music and blogging.

It just seems like a bizarre message to be sending, and it is annoying

[Impaler[WrG]]

I havent seen this commercial nor do I have a Mac, but I'm thinking maybe its trying to say that Macs have one unified program for doing thouse things vs many different ones on the PC hense the stickers. I agree that the comercial dose sound incredibly lame.

[joncha]

I'm trying to remember that KFC ad campaign that the Real Tassadar loved so much...

[DaShi]

The commericials are amusing, but no one should take them seriously. I mean, who buys Macs?

[Drake Tungsten]

I mean, who buys Macs?

Liberals and other mouthbreathers...

[MRT144]

i was going to say yuppies and homosexuals...

[Lorizael]

I think the main point of the commercial is that PC is tired of doing all these things and consequently not very good at them. Presumably Mac is also doing all of these but doesn't have to break a sweat to do so.

[MRT144]

who is actually taken in by these ads though? I mean, the majority of computer users arent going to draw that conclusion, and it seems like a way to sooth the mac user base in being superior and smug etc etc.

[Lorizael]

I find the ads to be downright obnoxious, to be honest. They irritate me. My only guess about their target audience is people that are frustrated by things that don't work with Windows and are looking for something different.

[-Jrabbit]

It's an image campaign, guys. It doesn't pretend to actually explore the differences on a factual level; these are just used as fodder for image branding.

The ads are not aimed at converting techy computer users. They are aimed primarily at the the existing user base and at the computer-challenged. The idea is to reassure them that an Apple will be do what they need, be easy to use, and won't break down. So they will buy one.

This is most evident in the casting of the ads -- the casually competent Apple guy vs. the cluelessly earnest PC guy. (In fact, the whole "what's the point" analysis reaction from dyed-in-the-wool PC users would be a source of great amusement to the campaign writers, who know darn well that folks of your ilk won't be convinced by anything they say. So they mock you.)

[Asher]

Actually, by and large the reaction to these ads have not been what Apple expected. People are put off by the smugness and arrogance of the Mac dude and are slightly amused by the antics of John Hodgeman.

It is indeed an image campaign, and Apple is solidifying its image as for young, smug hipsters that grate on "normal people".

[-Jrabbit]

And as long as they're in the black, they're fine with that.

I think you're wrong about the backlash effect, though. Do you really think they'd have produced so many different executions (at least 8 IIRC) if they weren't successfully getting people to talk about Apple? I mean, how many threads are there to talk about the new Dell ads?

Most major ad campaigns depend on two or three executions and hope for the best. The continued production of these spots argues that they are, in fact, doing the job.

[Asher]

Image campaigns are a long-term thing to be evaluated. Everyone I know of, including non-techy, don't respond positively to the ads unless they're already Mac users.

They're harming their image by stereotyping their own users, pigeonholing their future customers into a niche.

Their sales bump is due to their new Core 2 Duo/Core Duo processors, which stomp the hell out of their old processors. People are replacing old Macs.

It's really a dumb campaign no matter how you slice it. It reminds me of the stoned chick doing the "Switch" commercial, another dumb campaign.

[-Jrabbit]

Asher, please don't try to lecture me on advertising and branding. It's embarrassing for you.

You don't have to like the ads. In fact, you're not expected to. But that doesn't make them bad or ineffective. Apple sales are up, and people are talking about the ads. How the hell else are they supposed to evaluate effectiveness? By surveying your friends?

[Asher]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
Asher, please don't try to lecture me on advertising and branding. It's embarrassing for you.

You don't have to like the ads. In fact, you're not expected to. But that doesn't make them bad or ineffective. Apple sales are up, and people are talking about the ads. How the hell else are they supposed to evaluate effectiveness? By surveying your friends?

I'm lecturing you as a PC user and somebody with common sense -- something that is lacking from people in the ad industry, which is why this campaign exists in the first place.

You do ads for a living, apparently. Most ads really suck, so this isn't an automatic qualification for you.

Do you know which genius was behind that Gilette commercial? You know, where the guy was "out for a jog" and the girlfriend remarks "but your shirt isn't even wet! nor does it smell bad!" And the entire commercial is WAY out of sync with audio? Like it was filmed in Dutch and dubbed in English? But it's been on the air regularly for two years?

Advertising. What you do if you can't do jack **** all.

I'm far from the only person who thinks this ad is bad for Apple's image. There's a ****load of others, including from some ad magazines. Google it.

You also need to figure out cause and effect. Apple's sales are up but it has nothing to do with these awful ads. The only people who like or are affected by these ads are Mac users, which to me tells me it's not a successful campaign.

But maybe in the magic fairy land of advertisers this means it's successful.

BTW, I could make an Apple campaign to get people to talk about it to. It'd involve pedophilia, bestiality, rape, and I'll top it off with whipped cream. Then as Apple's sales remain in the black, it'll get renewed for 10 more executions.