Former 'I'm a Mac' Actor Justin Long Joins New Huawei Ad Campaign

[MacRumors]

Actor Justin Long, well known for his role in Apple's popular "Get a Mac" ad campaign, has signed on to star in a series of Huawei commercials promoting the company's latest Mate 9 smartphone.

Huawei reportedly sought out Long due to his past work with Apple, despite the fact that Long hasn't been in an Apple ad since 2009. "It was key when we considered Justin as a possible partner for Huawei," Jessica Grizzel, director of the WPP Blast Radius agency behind the campaign told ad industry news site Campaign U.S. in an interview.

From 2006 to 2009, Justin Long played a Mac computer in Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign, starring in commercials alongside John Hodgman, who played a PC. The commercials always started out with the tagline "Hello, I'm a Mac," and were some of Apple's most iconic ads, featuring Long as the cool, casual Mac while Hodgman was a stuffy PC in a suit and tie.

Huawei is China's largest smartphone maker and the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, but the company has bigger ambitions.

Huawei consumer head Richard Yu recently said the company's goal is to break into the top two market share, and, by 2021, become the top smartphone seller in the world. Given its ambitions, it is not surprising Huawei is attempting to take some advertising cues from Apple.

The ad agency behind the campaign even wanted to highlight Long's past relationship with Apple in its new line of ads, but Long reportedly convinced the company to go with a more subtle approach.

In fact, Grizzel says the original concept "was a much more emboldened approach to call out the previous relationship with Apple," but that Long and the client encouraged them to find "a nice middle ground where that idea is inferred as opposed to explicitly stated." [...]

"The storyline for the video series positions Justin as a new director providing guidance to a series of Huawei products as they are looking to break into the market and make their mark," she said. "There is no doubt that Justin's history as a pitch-man for Apple adds a nice subtext to the videos and builds on Huawei's challenger position in the market."

Long's first spot, "The Interview," features Long interviewing with a Mate 9 for the opportunity to direct Huawei commercials. The ad is fairly different from Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign, but it does feature the same light humor used to highlight Mate 9 features.

To secure a position as the top smartphone manufacturer in the world, Huawei will need to make serious inroads into the U.S. market, something the company may be hoping Long will help with. Huawei has not managed to establish deals with the major carriers in the United States and it has a ways to go to impact Apple, the U.S.'s top smartphone manufacturer.

Article Link: Former 'I'm a Mac' Actor Justin Long Joins New Huawei Ad Campaign

 

[farewelwilliams]

interviewing a phone? someone needs to be fired.

 

[wesleypitts]

Ugh. First Sprint with Verizon "Hear me now dude" and now this?

Could someone in tech advertising come up with an original thought or are those days behind us, too?

 

[44267547]

"Huawei has not managed to establish deals with the major carriers in the United States and it has a ways to go to impact Apple, the U.S.'s top iPhone manufacturer."

I would say a very long way to go make an impact against the iPhone.

 

[Appleaker]

I wonder how sucessful 'Mac vs PC ' ads would be with Android vs iPhone. Of course Mac vs PC would be better but the list of things to say is getting shorter and Tim Cook wouldn't be interested anyway.

 

[jdillings]

You're not going to break into the U.S. market using Apple ideas from 10 years ago.

 

[macgabe]

So the Huawei phone has taken the place of PC guy? Er, OK… Good luck with that!

 

[Derekuda]

interviewing a phone? someone needs to be fired.

To their credit, it's better then ANY commercial that apple has put out in the last 5 years hands down.

 

[spyguy10709]

Make Justin Long Great Again. Beloved dodgeball actor falls so far, we're losing to CHINA. SAD!

 

[snebes]

This just in. D-list Actor takes gig to make money. More at 11

 

[WaxedJacket]

Now I gotta Google Ellen Feiss, the stoner mac ad girl.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Traitor!

 

[AngerDanger]

I'm surprised to say I found that sort of endearing.

You're not going to break into the U.S. market using Apple ideas from 10 years ago.

Haha, actually, based on all the complaints about the direction Apple has been heading recently, many might find that exact strategy brilliant.

 

[Juicy Box]

From 2006 to 2009, Justin Long played a Mac computer in Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign, starring in commercials alongside John Hodgman, who played a PC. The commercials always started out with the tagline "Hello, I'm a Mac,"

The Mac's golden years.....
Could Apple even run commercials like these today?

 

[69Mustang]

and it has a ways to go to impact Apple, the U.S.'s top iPhone manufacturer.

I wonder who the 2nd top iPhone manufacturer is in the US?

 

[Juicy Box]

"Huawei has not managed to establish deals with the major carriers in the United States and it has a ways to go to impact Apple, the U.S.'s top iPhone manufacturer."

I would say a very long way to go make an impact against the iPhone.

I am sure Nokia and BB had the same thoughts about the iPhone ten years ago...... BTW, I am not saying that they will impact Apple, I am just saying never say never.

 

[myscrnnm]

Biggest betrayal since the "can you hear me now?" guy.

 

[WannaGoMac]

Traitor!!!

(kidding)

 

[Dezlboy]

Now I gotta Google Ellen Feiss, the stoner mac ad girl.

http://arthistory.berkeley.edu/people/graduate-students/101116-current

 

[44267547]

I am sure Nokia and BB had the same thoughts about the iPhone ten years ago...... BTW, I am not saying that they will impact Apple, I am just saying never say never.

And look where Blackberry is today. Nokia is attempting a come back. (Both were great phones in their time). And I never used the word "Never." I was just commentating on the uphill battle for Huwaei against Apple.

 

[jdillings]

Now I gotta Google Ellen Feiss, the stoner mac ad girl.

A reasonable guess is she is living in a state where pot is legal

 

[djcerla]

To their credit, it's better then ANY commercial that apple has put out in the last 5 years hands down.

nope.

 

[thekeyring]

I wonder how sucessful 'Mac vs PC ' ads would be with Android vs iPhone. Of course Mac vs PC would be better but the list of things to say is getting shorter and Tim Cook wouldn't be interested anyway.

Plus Android customers were maaadddd at things like Super Mario Run being an iOS exclusive. I think they'd torch the spaceship campus if Apple ran an ad highlighting Android's shortcomings.

 

[keysofanxiety]

This just in. D-list Actor takes gig to make money. More at 11

If he really is a D-list actor, you'd hope the role of an Android is the perfect choice!*

*Brent Spiner is exempt from any such criticism

 

[EiriasEmrys]

To their credit, it's better then ANY commercial that apple has put out in the last 5 years hands down.

#sarcasm. Fixed. Seriously though, there have been some not so good Apple commercials, but the last two years in particular have been really good. They're classy, tasteful, simple, and they still hold the crown for advertising here in LA. My clients use apple commercials as a reference more than I see any other company mentioned. "Like an Apple commercial" is just a phrase producers and filmmakers say to communicate either a sterile simple white/black background setup, or a light and airy lifestyle video with real people. Art is subjective, but my money is on Apple having very effective marketing to this day that mostly marches to the beat of their own drum. Is it as iconic as Here's to the Crazy Ones or 1984 or iPod dancers? No, but it also doesn't have to be. Those were only a few spots, out of years of hundreds of campaigns. Nostalgia gives everyone rose-tinted lenses. Now is never like "the good old days" until we look back fondly and forget the painful stuff.