Not for Mac Pro afaik, but certainly PowerMac G5, G4, etc. But it was around the time they switched to Intel they took the focus away from pro desktops.
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Apple Stops Airing 'Genius' Ads on Olympic Television Broadcasts
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Not for Mac Pro afaik, but certainly PowerMac G5, G4, etc. But it was around the time they switched to Intel they took the focus away from pro desktops.
I like commercials that actually talk about the product. Not ones that borderline insult the customer. The idea of the Mac Genius should be one as a backup option. By showing this, Apple made it look like their users can't use their software!
How about just things where people are shown the simplicity of the Apple platform? That just ANYONE could do it.
Even resorting to using celebs isn't that great because while it does boost the status of the device, you don't see any particular reason to resonate with you personally and how it makes your life easier.
How about just things where people are shown the simplicity of the Apple platform? That just ANYONE could do it.
Even resorting to using celebs isn't that great because while it does boost the status of the device, you don't see any particular reason to resonate with you personally and how it makes your life easier.
I agree. The celebrity ads cheapen the brand in my opinion. It gives the impession that the products can't stand on their own and need a celebrity crutch to woo customers.
I think the problem with insulting the customer is the crux of it.
The old stereotype of the computer illiterate adult is really starting to lose ALOT of ground.
Back in the early 80's, when I was in high school and the first computers were coming in ('81, Apple 2's) we jumped all over them. It was very common for adults, even young adults, to be computer illiterate because it was so new. We ate up the new toys and learned everything we could about them. As time marched on, this knowledge gap grew smaller and smaller.
I'm 47 now....and the computer illiterate gap is extremely small. It is very unlikely that the 50 and younger set lacks basic computer skills....and that's what these ads portrayed....insulting generations of users.
This old stereotype of adults being clueless and only the nerdy kid can help, is no longer appropriate or accurate. It's insulting and makes the company look completely out of touch with it's customer base.
The old stereotype of the computer illiterate adult is really starting to lose ALOT of ground.
Back in the early 80's, when I was in high school and the first computers were coming in ('81, Apple 2's) we jumped all over them. It was very common for adults, even young adults, to be computer illiterate because it was so new. We ate up the new toys and learned everything we could about them. As time marched on, this knowledge gap grew smaller and smaller.
I'm 47 now....and the computer illiterate gap is extremely small. It is very unlikely that the 50 and younger set lacks basic computer skills....and that's what these ads portrayed....insulting generations of users.
This old stereotype of adults being clueless and only the nerdy kid can help, is no longer appropriate or accurate. It's insulting and makes the company look completely out of touch with it's customer base.
Agreed generally. It's a flaw in the advertising group which management hasn't picked up. I think they see it as a way of hanging a lantern on the idea of ease of use.
Genius: Hey look you do it like this. Click click click.
Customer: Well dah it's so simple I already know that!
Genius: ohh come on! Just humor me I need to feel useful. When I worked at M$ snack bar I really had my hands full. Here at apple it's all so simple I have nothing to do but badger you poor ignorant customers simple idiot tips.
Ok I get carried away. However that's how my life's been with windows and Apple. Although I've not worked directly with either retail group, only as ICT.
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If they're not running any other ads during the rest of the Olympics, I can believe these were intended for a short run. It's plausible they considered them "not iconic" and were meant to do a specific job for a specific amount of time. Though of course we can't really know.
Can we stop referring to a toolbag Apple Store clerk as a "Genius"? Last time I checked, the definition of a genius is "a person of extraordinary intellect and talent". Now since when was showing a customer how to sync an iPhone a display of genius? Oh wow congratulations, you graduated from ITT Technical Institute or DeVry Online University...You're really moving up in the world and worthy of being called a "genius"! It's absolutely nauseating.
Hm, yeah, the last one I recall seeing was the "open minded" G3 tower commercial a number of years ago.
I think it was the one with tanks surrounding it... joking about the fact they were too powerful to legally export in some cases. That may have been over 10 years ago.
I'd say adults have come a long way in terms of computer literacy, however from what I see on a daily basis there is still a large knowledge gap.
Edit for background: I'm 26 and work tech support.
Honestly I have far more experience then any Apple Genius that I've encountered, I've seen many people on the crew give incorrect information many times..
Just my experience with them, I'm guessing they are trained, and don't have any real experience with computers..
Just my experience with them, I'm guessing they are trained, and don't have any real experience with computers..
The ads worked.
While they are not my personal favorite lets look from a marketer perspective.
It is news posted all over the Internet discussing the ads - good and bad after they aired. It is news posted all over when they seemingly vanished. It is still news debating of they were pulled due to negative views.
Let's be realistic. For the price of a few key placements for opening Olhmpic weekend the media is STILL talking, writing and even showing these ads. Pure brilliance from a marketing viewpoint.
Apple is masterful at media manipulation. They rarely need to pay for press and publicity. I suspect many leaks are well placed Apple PR moves to generate buzz.
These ads have plenty of buzz. Apple still garners massive page mentions and buzz over these ads which is precisely what they desired.
I think we have to start OT thinking old school and begin to look at how this is adagabeius to Apple and how it can help keep them in the press.
One more case to illustrate this. Mountain Lion has decent press and reviews. It has a few issues - especially for some with battery life. That story is buried page view wise compared to the ads. So Apple has managed to manipulate the media away from a damaging story to one of fluff that still generates buzz for the company.
While they are not my personal favorite lets look from a marketer perspective.
It is news posted all over the Internet discussing the ads - good and bad after they aired. It is news posted all over when they seemingly vanished. It is still news debating of they were pulled due to negative views.
Let's be realistic. For the price of a few key placements for opening Olhmpic weekend the media is STILL talking, writing and even showing these ads. Pure brilliance from a marketing viewpoint.
Apple is masterful at media manipulation. They rarely need to pay for press and publicity. I suspect many leaks are well placed Apple PR moves to generate buzz.
These ads have plenty of buzz. Apple still garners massive page mentions and buzz over these ads which is precisely what they desired.
I think we have to start OT thinking old school and begin to look at how this is adagabeius to Apple and how it can help keep them in the press.
One more case to illustrate this. Mountain Lion has decent press and reviews. It has a few issues - especially for some with battery life. That story is buried page view wise compared to the ads. So Apple has managed to manipulate the media away from a damaging story to one of fluff that still generates buzz for the company.
There still is a gap, but it's not the same gap it was....used to be they looked for the "any" key and the CD drawer was a cup holder. At least now the majority of folks have basic skills.
I wasn't terribly fond of the ads but the gnashing of teeth they caused was probably a bit over the top.
Back in the 80s, Apple had the message down right. A line from one of the ads for the original Mac:
"The real genius of Macintosh, is that you don't have to be a genius to use it."
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I think you're on to something here. My experience has been largely the same.
I think that many of the geniuses applied to work at an Apple Store and showed some modicum of aptitude or had some minimal amount of prior exposure to Apple products. That was enough to elevate them above the job of door greeter.
If they had deep and substantial knowledge and understanding, they'd be employed elsewhere already (as a designer, engineer, artist, scientist, educator, etc.) putting their skills into practice.
That's a generalization of course there are always exceptions but I think it's often true.
Back in the 80s, Apple had the message down right. A line from one of the ads for the original Mac:
"The real genius of Macintosh, is that you don't have to be a genius to use it."
----------
I think you're on to something here. My experience has been largely the same.
I think that many of the geniuses applied to work at an Apple Store and showed some modicum of aptitude or had some minimal amount of prior exposure to Apple products. That was enough to elevate them above the job of door greeter.
If they had deep and substantial knowledge and understanding, they'd be employed elsewhere already (as a designer, engineer, artist, scientist, educator, etc.) putting their skills into practice.
That's a generalization of course there are always exceptions but I think it's often true.
That would have been the launch of the G4. And that was another great ad - you may even find it on the internet with a search for "G4 tanks".
Back to these ads. Awful, I take it Ridley Scott wasn't available, not even for a company with Apple's resources ?
Hated them!
The idea was good but really badly done! For example in one of the ads the genius rep could have just been travelling and the passenger flying next to him who is working on his mac is offered help with one of his projects and at the end the rep tells him his a genius! Something like that!
The idea was good but really badly done! For example in one of the ads the genius rep could have just been travelling and the passenger flying next to him who is working on his mac is offered help with one of his projects and at the end the rep tells him his a genius! Something like that!