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Former Apple Ad Man Slams 'Genius' TV Spots as "Landing With A Thud"
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Maybe working on a project that has a deadline while on a plane and trying to learn new software is not the smartest move on anyones behalf.
Would you risk working on a presentation or spreadsheet that you are not familiar with while on a plane heading for a meeting that the presentation you are working on at this very moment. Seems irresponsible, considering there is a help tutorial built-in iWorks and OS X. Maybe seeking help at the risk of others while a plane is about to land, is the least of your worries. Very selfish and self-centered.
Seriously? I'll bet you're a freakin' blast to go to the movies with. Geez, don't go see Prometheus! Or Star Wars for that matter. You: "You know, there's no sound in outer space, duh."
It will be interesting to see what Cook does with the company. You can argue that all quarters in 2012-2013 still belong to Jobs, but after that it's all on Cook. He's still in an extended honeymoon period due to the machine Jobs set in motion.
So many of you are so out to lunch that it hurts. These ads were not designed for you. They are not preaching to the choir or even trying to get so-called "experts" to switch. They are advertising the Apple "GENIUS" if you still have not figured that out yet. They are not mac ads or iPhone ads or even iPad ads.
Don't go calling other people stupid if you cannot grasp the fact that the Apple store genius is the central character and the people he is interacting with are caricatures of people who might go to an Apple genius bar.
Here is a little hint, if you think you know better than the ad designers for this campaign, then you are not one of those people.
I am sick and tired of the out of touch elitism on display in this and other threads. You think you are smart but you are actually missing the entire point.
Don't go calling other people stupid if you cannot grasp the fact that the Apple store genius is the central character and the people he is interacting with are caricatures of people who might go to an Apple genius bar.
Here is a little hint, if you think you know better than the ad designers for this campaign, then you are not one of those people.
I am sick and tired of the out of touch elitism on display in this and other threads. You think you are smart but you are actually missing the entire point.
really bad
bad ideas and bad execution. it looks like they try to sell the genius service. It's strange to show people need help with de basic functions and the simplest apps.
I think they missed the point. It could have been better if they had put the genius guy in situations where they come to rescue. Is there a doctor? No but there is a genius. A genius guy trying to help a pc guy with a pc problem, which takes him a half day just to get a clue.
A director needs to finish a movie and asks the genius to help. He finishes in a couple of minutes and advices some additions which makes the movie standout.
Well at least it would make fun of people not using macs. The way we like it right?
I don't agree with people trying to pin this on a person. I do however think that apple changes in a regular company. A LOT of people can put their thoughts and ideas into the new commercial. So we end up with a blend of ideas and protocol of approval. This probably is the difference with the past. It was judged by one guys gut feeling. In this perspective apple isn't really unique anymore. I guess we see more of this in the future.
bad ideas and bad execution. it looks like they try to sell the genius service. It's strange to show people need help with de basic functions and the simplest apps.
I think they missed the point. It could have been better if they had put the genius guy in situations where they come to rescue. Is there a doctor? No but there is a genius. A genius guy trying to help a pc guy with a pc problem, which takes him a half day just to get a clue.
A director needs to finish a movie and asks the genius to help. He finishes in a couple of minutes and advices some additions which makes the movie standout.
Well at least it would make fun of people not using macs. The way we like it right?
I don't agree with people trying to pin this on a person. I do however think that apple changes in a regular company. A LOT of people can put their thoughts and ideas into the new commercial. So we end up with a blend of ideas and protocol of approval. This probably is the difference with the past. It was judged by one guys gut feeling. In this perspective apple isn't really unique anymore. I guess we see more of this in the future.
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I didn't like these ads at all. They came across as a bit confused. I think there is a negative tone that is not helpful or effective.
I think there is an idea there somewhere that has potential, but the execution is way off.
I think there is an idea there somewhere that has potential, but the execution is way off.
Thanks for saying it. No doubt you'll be ignored by most here, though.
I saw these ads and thought two things.
1) Hey, they're advertising the Mac and not an iOS thingy! That's great!
2) This ad isn't meant for me, but if I suddenly keel over dead tomorrow, at least my parents will still be able to use their computer without my constant help.
The fact is, there are plenty of people who don't get computers. They don't even understand how to do really basic tasks with them. They need to be trained on everything, because they're unable or afraid to just try things and see what happens. Some are quite willing to admit this. The Computer is a scary expensive machine that is beyond their comprehension and they are afraid to break, but it's still something they want or need to use.
I know people who never understood how to quit applications and just close windows with the little red button. With instruction and repetition, they can figure out how to use the menu bar. Command-Q is totally arcane to them; They just can't do it. I know someone who, every November, asks me for help making and ordering a picture calendar in iPhoto to pass out to friends and family at Christmas for the upcoming new year. This has been going on for years.
Now, these tasks aren't hard, but they take a certain mindset that people here have, but not everyone has. For a very large segment of the population, there is a great deal of fear of The Computer. Most people here are very comfortable with computers, either the software, the hardware, or both, and if we don't understand something, we know how to self-help. For everyone else (most people), there are people who can help. Apple's advertised how easy the Mac is, but just because something is easy doesn't mean somebody's willing to do it without guidance. Apple's letting the greater population know that if there's something they don't understand or want to learn how to do, there's a place they can go, and people they can talk to.
There's a reason Apple Geniuses are called that. Most of us here probably don't consider them all that genius, but for the scared and confused, that's exactly how they seem. That's how we seem to those people.
Apple's just saying, hey look, those guys in the blue shirts? They're really friendly and they want to help. Compared to the sorts of employees you meet in other stores, I expect that comes as a great relief for many.
Long story short, good ads, not for you. The people who it's for don't feel insulted, even if they probably should be
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Amen, I'm tired of hearing stuff about Steve and how it would be better if he was here
He died. Okay? He is DEAD. You might think you suffer because you have to watch average commercials (no matter how much they suck) but just image what his family is going through. They are the real losers here, not you.
Apple will survive and grow until computer companies are no more and we are magically born with circuitry in our heads that let's us browse Facebook whenever we think about it. Apple can only go up from here. Steve was an amazing businessman, but he is not the only genius Apple has (or had). And I don't mean 'Geniuses', I mean real smart people!
Out of the 3 I thought the one about buying a dodgy mac was the worst. The other 2 were probably just o.k.
So friggin' true. I got fed up of people on my street asking me to look at their Windows boxes because "the internet is gone" etc. I just said get an iPad. Now they come over and ask how to close a tab in Safari.
"see that little 'x'"
"yeh?!"
"tap it"
"thats it?"
"thats it!"
New Ads
No, these ads don't have the simple and elegant gotcha effect of the older ones. This is true.
However, to criticize these ads as not representing the general base of Apple users' fluency with Apple products is flat out wrong.
Those who know their Macs like the back of their hands may like to fancy that at least 75% of all Mac users are as savvy as they are, while only 45% of PC users are as savvy with their PCs, but the truth is that the number is more like 25% if that. The majority of Apple customers are at the 'make the magic box work' level of sophistication, and I should know, because I was a Tier 2 Tech Support Specialist for Apple.
So these criticisms of these ads depicting the average Mac users as being 'computer dumb' are way off base, because they are.
And do I need to remind you folks that 'computer dumb' doesn't mean they're not intelligent and smart in other areas?
I have a friend online who is an Immunologist, a Doctor who specializes in diseases and the immune system, and I do all his Mac support for free. (Of course if he needs hardware replaced, he's still going to have to take it in.)
So please put some perspective to your criticisms.
The people in these ads are quite a bit more adept than a lot of the calls I took over the years.
No, these ads don't have the simple and elegant gotcha effect of the older ones. This is true.
However, to criticize these ads as not representing the general base of Apple users' fluency with Apple products is flat out wrong.
Those who know their Macs like the back of their hands may like to fancy that at least 75% of all Mac users are as savvy as they are, while only 45% of PC users are as savvy with their PCs, but the truth is that the number is more like 25% if that. The majority of Apple customers are at the 'make the magic box work' level of sophistication, and I should know, because I was a Tier 2 Tech Support Specialist for Apple.
So these criticisms of these ads depicting the average Mac users as being 'computer dumb' are way off base, because they are.
And do I need to remind you folks that 'computer dumb' doesn't mean they're not intelligent and smart in other areas?
I have a friend online who is an Immunologist, a Doctor who specializes in diseases and the immune system, and I do all his Mac support for free. (Of course if he needs hardware replaced, he's still going to have to take it in.)
So please put some perspective to your criticisms.
The people in these ads are quite a bit more adept than a lot of the calls I took over the years.
So friggin' true. I got fed up of people on my street asking me to look at their Windows boxes because "the internet is gone" etc. I just said get an iPad. Now they come over and ask how to close a tab in Safari.
"see that little 'x'"
"yeh?!"
"tap it"
"thats it?"
"thats it!"
Doesn't that just show that it really has nothing to do with the simplicity or the design of an OS, but that it is the people being untrained or just a bit slow.
T.
It will run on your mac fine.
I don't know what "as well as" means, but i think you mean by cable? Yes it will, and wireless, and over iCloud, and more.