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To all those saying, "These commercials make me ashamed to have an iPhone, etc," here's a suggestion: shut the hell up.

It's competition. It's the same thing as the stupid other ads that other manufacturers have used against the iPhone. ALL commercials are smug. If you think these are any different, you're the one who's fueling the Apple stereotype. (Advertising/Marketing major here.) The ads aren't aimed at you anyway (they're aimed at "normal" people who wish they had iPhones, i.e. not geeks on MacRumors).

So just stop talking about it and accept the fact that iPhones are cool. You don't have to be smug about it, but don't let a commercial dictate how you act about a piece of plastic that makes calls. It's a product in a competitive market fueled by advertising. Welcome to America.

I have yet to see an ad that made me want to buy anything.

Ads are there to inform you and get the word out so you check out a product IF and is a big IF you are even in the market for that particular product.

In the few seconds they have, manufacturers want to show the strongest features of their product.
Kind of liek a movie trailer for the attention span challenged society of today.

So, for those who already have an iphone it reaffirms that they made a good buy, as it can do a lot of things.

For those who have a different phone, it will make them look if the missing features are bothering them.

For those who are in the market for a smart phone, they will include an iphone in what they check out.

In that sense the ads accomplish their missions.

Since this is all about taste and one can take anything the wrong way the pro Apple crowd is pleased, the anti Apple crowd talks about arrogant etc.

In the very end it's what you buy that matters and I bet millions of iphone users figured out what a great product it is without ANY advertising.
 
I agree, not my favorite Ad... but it looks like they are trying to speak to the smart phone crowd who has something else (like a BB or Droid) and is not happy with the options. So, they are looking to build a sense of exclusion for those consumers that don't have an iPhone yet.

Again, not my favorite ad, but keep in mind, everyone is after them here in the US. T-Mobile, HTC, etc... all have ads directly going after the iPhone and Apple.

I think Apple should do an ad that focuses on the entire family of products. The real advantage with Apple is the iPhone, with a Mac, with an iPad, with an Apple TV and having a totally connected and sync'd environment where your content is easily accessible and shared.
 
Where do you live? Possibly this is just a US thing. The rest of the world sees Apple as an innovative company, very sleek and smart. Having an iPad or MacBook Pro in public is not something anyone would feel "ashamed" about. Are you sure you're not overreacting?

Since when has displaying an Apple product become shameful? How ridiculous...

I live in an ASEAN country. Here, anyone with an Apple product is deemed rich. And high classed. Apple was unknown to most of us until recently. Most of us who saw Mac OS X thought it was Windows 7 at that time (Yes, I know, dumb right?) But now the number of people who own Apple products has grown to about 10 times the previous amount. But to many people, Apple products are still out of reach and only generate desire. Just stating my experience.
 
1) It's stuff like this that makes me embarrassed to own Apple products.

2) I think Apple has always made the best personal computer OS and cell phone OS, and I will continue to use Apple products for that reason. However, I do feel a sense of shame when I use my MacBook and iPhone in public due to the smugness and pretentiousness of both Apple's advertising and their fanboys. I am also ashamed of how Apple products have are currently regarded as fashion accessories. That is so feminine, and I miss the days when Apple products were mostly functional-looking and regarded as tools for accomplishing a task.
1) Thank you for reading my mind & the minds of so many others, then putting it in words.

2) Once again you've expressed ideally, what so many of us feel that have been long time, loyal customers.

Your post is one of the most accurate & refreshing in a long time.

Cheers :)
 
In addition to the whole android thing, it also seems to be saying hey if you don't have an iPhone, you're not cool enough. Not sure what to think about this one.
 
Pretty sure Android users have an Android phone because they wanted an Android phone.

Or it was buy one get one free. Or came free with a contract. Or they found it in a box of Cracker Jacks....

and people wonder why there is the stigma that if you own an apple product you're a deuche...

What of people that post on a pro-Apple Blog?

Too bad a certain knockoff platform's advertisement doesn't show the open wasteland that it is.

Oh snap, he went there! Yes he did!
 
It's rather ironic that Apple, one of the worlds best known brands with very successful products, acts like their scrounging around for recognition.

These pitiful ads do nothing for Apple, other than to reinforce the publics perception of the companies extreme arrogance & bad taste.
 
I agree... this condescending cr*p, makes me despise them as a corporation.

IMO Apple has turned to be the new Microsoft. A few years ago, they used to convey a more relaxed, open image - the whole "think different" attitude. They used to be the exception, and that motivated them to create exceptional products. Not anymore: product value goes down, prices go up, options get slashed, pro edge is lost... and don't get me started on the declining quality!

The new motto in Cupertino: greed is good.
Notwithstanding the amazing technologies of the iPhone4 and iPad2, there is some truth in this statement relative to the direction of Apple's corporate culture IMO.

Profit is what rightly drives entrepreneurship and business excellence. Reasonable profit is due reward; greed is something entirely different.

Throughout history seemingly unassailable victors have held vast power only to lose control of it through conceit. Apple and their investors would be sensible to remind themselves of this.
 
I usually love Apple ads but these made me cringe. The tone is just so smug - I think it leaves the viewer with a similar feeling to those funny but pretty snide Microsoft ads that ended with someone distastefully proclaiming, "really?" Bad brand move in my opinion. Looking forward to hearing what others think.

I agree. It compares to some of the worst PC vs Mac commercials if not worst. I almost wanted to switch to an Android after seeing it. And I have owned and like every iPhone that came out.
 
I agree that this is what I hate about Apple. They do create the stereotype for their own users. For "normal people" it's effective, but for geeks, it comes off as smugness. People with their finger on the technology pulse see ads like these and it just fuels the flame wars and projects that opinion onto apple users even if it isn't true.

For example, I am a pretty down to earth guy. I don't think anyone who knows me would call me "smug". When I take my iphone out around friends and family, it doesn't really affect them, if anything I might get an "ooo nice phone" (like the ads intended). BUT if I so much as hint at owning an iphone/ipad/macbook pro at work (I work in IT) people tend to immediately label me as pretentious. It happens all the time. People who think that it's as simple as just "not perpetuating the stereotype" have obviously never been in that situation. There's nothing you can do. Apple's advertising is incredibly effective and while ads like these may seem positive to normal people, they send a negative message to tech people who can see through the BS. I guess I can't blame Apple then, because even if they sacrifice their tech users (a few million) to capture the general market (a few hundred million) it will be a net gain for them, and they are a profit-maximizing firm...
 
There's a scary amount of fanboy cognitive dissonance on display in this thread.

I find it slightly worrying that some of you seem to have convinced yourselves that the people who bought an Android phone did so because they:
1. are not 'normal'
2. couldn't afford an iPhone
3. weren't willing or able to change network.

Why do you have such a hard time accepting that different people have different tastes and priorities? I'm going to make my phone choice on the basis of what's best for me at the time - but Apple's patronising ads aren't going to do them any favours. I'm sure I've posted almost this exact same comment before but I think it bears repeating :rolleyes:

So just stop talking about it and accept the fact that iPhones are cool. You don't have to be smug about it, but don't let a commercial dictate how you act about a piece of plastic that makes calls. It's a product in a competitive market fueled by advertising. Welcome to America.

What's the point of advertising and marketing if not to influence how people act? You may be an advertising/marketing major but, with respect, I think you contradicted yourself here. Also, are there any countries where the iPhone is officially available where the market is not fueled by advertising? Welcome to planet Earth in the 21st century.

Several people in this thread have said they find these ads smug. That will attract some people and put off others, and I suspect many more people simply won't care. I'm not an advertising/marketing major but it seems to me Apple's image as 'cool' is a pretty central aspect of their marketing and one that may not last indefinitely now they are such a huge company and Android is making such rapid progress. If people end up thinking Apple has become smug and complacent this may end up being a problem for them.
 
This one has an air of pretentiousness to it. I feel mixed about this one.
Huh? Every company that has EVER existed has tried to convince the public that theirs was the best, whatever it was. When Apple conveys "iPhone is Best", then it's just them being pretentious. I see...

Nope. It's simple honesty.

Every other phone company is trying to convince the world that their phone is as good as the iPhone. Apple is saying "If you don't have an iPhone, that Android phone you have is not a substitute for our phone."
 
Apple vs Android

I thought I would take a few moments and check out the comments, thinking I might learn something.

Instead all discovered is a waste of time with comment after comments, complain, complain, complain. Jeez, don't you folks have something worthwhile to contribute.

You Android fanbois, need a life. Why take up space on an apple forum that is intended to help one another.

I learned long ago that an empty tin can with one one marble (brain cell) makes the most racket. If the shoe fits wear it.

I dropped Facebook for the same reason ... just a bunch of crap.

There you have it ... I am no better ... because I am complaining also.

But hopefully if y'all android fanbois will just go away, we might actually have a worthwhile section of comments that benefits.

Just go away, please.
 
Disagree

Pretty sure Android users have an Android phone because they wanted an Android phone.

Btw anybody notice the Delta app showcased in that commercial only had three stars? I thought that was funny.

Android is pretty nice, but I think a whole lot of people with Android have an Android phone because it was the cheapest phone with a big screen that got email. That would describe most my friends with Android. Android is neat, but many people get Android phones without caring a lick about "Android".

Of course, I don't mean to say Android does not have its fans who think it is fantastic and love love love the OS. But many many just got it because.
 
It's hard to believe that people are getting bent out of shape over a few silly commercials. I've never seen a commercial where the seller promotes another company's product so I'd say these seem like rather standard commercials to me. Saying the iPhone does things better than a competitor's product makes sense in a commercial promoting an iPhone. How's that unusually smug? :confused: If you don't have an iPhone, you don't have an iPhone. That does make a lot of sense. No other company was mentioned or berated as being inferior. Should Apple have said: "If you don't have an iPhone, you probably have another phone." The commercials pointed out what you would have if you had an iPhone so what was smug about that. Is telling the truth being smug?
 
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Huh? Every company that has EVER existed has tried to convince the public that theirs was the best, whatever it was. When Apple conveys "iPhone is Best", then it's just them being pretentious. I see...

Nope. It's simple honesty.

Every other phone company is trying to convince the world that their phone is as good as the iPhone. Apple is saying "If you don't have an iPhone, that Android phone you have is not a substitute for our phone."


In economic parlance, the one of the primary purposes of advertising is to convince people that one product has no substitutes - just as you say. Pepsi tries to convince you that nothing is interchangeable with Pepsi.
 
Hey

Someone above said we should not care so much about a piece of cheap plastic that makes calls...

Well, the iPhone is a piece of glass and metalthat makes calls. Cheap plastic is sooo for other makers.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

Most android users already wish they had an iPhone

No they don't.

Who cares about the ads. Is Apple supposed to air an ad telling their customers and potential customers that the iPhone is not the only game in town and you would be wise to try other brands? I doubt it. People get so bent over the stupidest things when it comes to Apple.
 
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