WOW! the evidence youve accumulated is astoundingpeharri said:
No advertising=more sales
Why are you pushing your opnions as fact?....
I agree with ready2switch below me
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Justin Long on Apple Ads
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No advertising=more sales
Why are you pushing your opnions as fact?....
I agree with ready2switch below me
I know some Mac haters and I know some PC haters, and I don't believe the ads are focused on either. I think the ads are focused on people like myself, PC users who know the ins and outs and pitfalls of a life with Windows and understand just how frustrating and "un-fun" they can be. While they may seem condescending from some standpoints, I see it as being closer to self-depricating humor. Everyone knows that Windows has its quirks (or bugs or flaws, depending on which camp you are in), and that's what the ads play off of. What the ads do for me is make me want to research the OS alternative to Windows, and really find out if Mac is all it's cracked up to be.
The fact that Justin Long is getting caught up in the buzz and mistakenly thought of as a Mac Nerd just shows how idiotic the tv-watching public can be. If they don't understand that these are actors, how are they ever going to understand the commercial's premise: that Macs may be just what you, the frustrated Windows user, have been looking for.
The fact that Justin Long is getting caught up in the buzz and mistakenly thought of as a Mac Nerd just shows how idiotic the tv-watching public can be. If they don't understand that these are actors, how are they ever going to understand the commercial's premise: that Macs may be just what you, the frustrated Windows user, have been looking for.
SteveRichardson said:
Exactly. I find the Mac character to be very smug and condescending. I don't like being associated with that just because I choose to use Macs. I've talked to several people about the ads, and most find them to be offensive because of the elitist attitude. It's not just "Look at how great I am," but it's "Look at how crappy you are, too." Nobody likes being told they're crappy.
Some people I know just dismiss it as an ad for a product they'll never buy. A few told me they ultimately dismissed it before really considering the Mac argument because it seemed like all fluff and no substance (that seems to be a common perception among people who avoid Macs: that they are all about style and not substance). Other people said it actively made them want to do anything to hurt Apple - not only by not buying the products, but advising everyone they know to stay away as well.
I can't think of one person I've talked to who found the ads to be completely positive. The people I know who like Macs were all a bit uncomfortable like me, being stereotyped as smug and elitist.
LordJohnWhorfin said:
Yeah, they're easy to parody because they're made so simply. Same as the "switch" ads. Speaking of parodies, this one's my favorite:
SteveRichardson said:
I don't think the Apple ads are elitist or snobish, however I do think the HP ads are very cool. By showing what the computer can do in a slick, sci-fiction way, the ads sell the HP computer in a way that the Mac vs. PC ads don't
If Apple's seeing increasing market-share it because they're finally trying to sell the computer and it's this ad presence that is working. The commercials' content doesn't really work, but only die-hard geeks can really get fired up for these commercials.
For Joe Sixpack, the commercials remind him that Mac exist, they're cool and they do neat stuff. And that's the good part.
The bad part is some people think they're being insulted, and some of those people will matter when it's time to buy a computer.
Apple should've gone the HP way, show how cool the computer is and stop mentioning the PC at all.
However, during WWDC, take a shovel to Microsoft is so inclined, that's a time to stir the troops into a fury.
bankshot said:
If someone calls me smug or elitist because of these commercials I'll be forced to hurt them....Or at least sack their house with siege machines.
Apple Ads = Chiat Day/Apple Executives
Me != Chiat Day/Apple Executives
Therefore, Apple Ads != Me. I don't know why people cannot grasp this simple idea.
The only people who like these ads are mac users. They make the zealots feel special and supperior which might have been the whole point. As said before, you never get customers by making fun of them. These ads only alienate POTENTIAL customers, thats not a success and its not brilliant. So far apple users are the only ones defending these ads as representing products rather than the people who use the products. If everyone else doesnt see it the same way then the ad is a failure no matter how much people argue, once the target audience misses the point then youve lost. Youll get absolutely nowhere asking "are these ads elistist?" on a mac forum, go ask it on a forum with a high number of PC users and Im sure the responses will be 100% different. Computers arent cheap, if you make fun of someone who spent a lot of money on something, something they probably like a lot, youll just make them defend themselves if you act like they made a stupid decision. I mean jeez, how is that not common sense?
While Im sure they made a few sales with the ads (or pushed a lot of people on the edge of getting a mac back over to the PC side), they could have made MUCH better ones that didnt make fun of potential customers. HP's commercials are good examples of how to sell a computer, they show celebrities and all the things they do on their laptop. Someone new to computers is going to see that ad much more favorably over the apple ad since it actually shows why they should get a computer rather than how stupid everyone else is for not having a mac.
The ads were well executed like usual, but the stupid idea strengthens the stereotype of apple user elitism. I think apple should try to fix that stereotype rather than keep reinforcing it. Instead of saying "hey dumbass, stop playing with calculator and get a mac" in a passive aggressive way, they could have said "pc's are cool but you might find that macs are better at a lot of things, check it out."
While Im sure they made a few sales with the ads (or pushed a lot of people on the edge of getting a mac back over to the PC side), they could have made MUCH better ones that didnt make fun of potential customers. HP's commercials are good examples of how to sell a computer, they show celebrities and all the things they do on their laptop. Someone new to computers is going to see that ad much more favorably over the apple ad since it actually shows why they should get a computer rather than how stupid everyone else is for not having a mac.
The ads were well executed like usual, but the stupid idea strengthens the stereotype of apple user elitism. I think apple should try to fix that stereotype rather than keep reinforcing it. Instead of saying "hey dumbass, stop playing with calculator and get a mac" in a passive aggressive way, they could have said "pc's are cool but you might find that macs are better at a lot of things, check it out."
Abulia said:
I have to disagree with a lot of what you say, as you're looking it at (as you would, working in IT) from a purely technical point of view. Marketing does not work that way. What did Budweiser do? They made themselves the "fresh" beer, as all their beer would be on the shelves within 24 hours of leaving their factories. However, every single company does exactly the same thing - only you don't realise it. The mistake people make with these adverts is that they look at them, knowing the technical side of things, and wish they were present. When was the last time you saw a car advert that purely focused on the selling points? No longer are products being sold for their features, but for their story and lifestyle offering.
When IT experts criticise the campaigns, they're erroneously doing so - because they're not the target audience and never will be. When you read it in the New York Times, or an IT specialist magazine, then you'll read all about specs, performance and so on, but not on TV.
The adverts have resulted in a lot of media attention, so are they successful in that respect? I don't know, but the more people aware of your product, the more potential customers you have. It's like direct mail - if you hit them once, there's a very high chance they'll forget you, but if you follow it up with an e-mail, and then phone them, your conversion rate is greatly increased. If Apple follow-up these adverts with more, and then ultimately demonstrate other aspects of switching, it might prove incredibly successful.
I feared my Apple bookmark!!!
I hate these ads. Thankfully they have taken it off the Apple front page, it was getting to the point where I feared my Apple bookmark. Apart from them being irritating, negative, uninformative and dull, they do not travel well.
At least the dreadful "Shake 'n' Vac" adverts were dubbed into a local tongue when they played outside of the US.
I hate these ads. Thankfully they have taken it off the Apple front page, it was getting to the point where I feared my Apple bookmark. Apart from them being irritating, negative, uninformative and dull, they do not travel well.
At least the dreadful "Shake 'n' Vac" adverts were dubbed into a local tongue when they played outside of the US.
how about an ad that just urges users to ask their friends
something like this:
Buying a computer is a big investment, so before you make your next big investment ask yourself "do you want to be happy?"
if the answer is yes, then we recommend you ask your friends:
"do you use a mac or pc?"
"are you happy or frustrated with computers?"
i can't think about anything better than letting customers interview their own friends... it gets some buzz going and gets people talking publicly more
something like this:
Buying a computer is a big investment, so before you make your next big investment ask yourself "do you want to be happy?"
if the answer is yes, then we recommend you ask your friends:
"do you use a mac or pc?"
"are you happy or frustrated with computers?"
i can't think about anything better than letting customers interview their own friends... it gets some buzz going and gets people talking publicly more
freeny said:WOW! the evidence youve accumulated is astounding
No advertising=more sales
Want to quote where I said that? Perhaps you and the ready2switch can find a set of words in my comment that actually mean that. I can't. Not even in the parts you quoted.
What I've said are:
- Sales would be higher now than six months ago regardless of what advertising Apple did. No advertising, bad advertising, good advertising. The fact is that Apple's PowerPC line was Osbourned. People were waiting for Intel Macs. They weren't about to buy machines Steve Jobs was telling the world were obsolete.
- Apple's current advertising is bad. It insults its current target audience. If Apple wasn't insulting its target audience, sales would be higher.
It's easy. It's also blatantly obvious.
I don't have an opinion on what an opnion is. If you meant "opinion" though, I suggest you avoid any further posting. After all, you wouldn't want to express your opinions would you? Doing so would be "pushing" them as facts, right?
hulugu said:
Hear hear!
Excellent examples of good advertising. Nothing about the HP ads insulted the target audience, stereotyped, or posted stuff the viewers knew was false (therefore ensuring distrust of the maker.)
There's so much that's good about the Mac, and the current ads hide those positive traits in favour of defining the Mac in terms of the PC and generating hostility at the same time.
I know a lot of PC users. I know geeks and non-geeks alike. I can't say I've met anyone who thought better of the Mac after watching the "I'm a Mac" ads, and I've met several that thought worse of it. And geeks are telling their families and friends, at the moment, that the ads are misleading, and Apple's reputation is suffering as a result.
peharri said:
I don't think for the general public the ads really do much, the emotional reaction to the ads is mostly confined to geeks and geek press. Really, for people looking for a computer any commercial about Apple, especially a beautiful and well-designed one, is a good thing and reminds them about the company and it's very cool systems.
But, I like the cool stuff aspect of HP's ads rather than the Mac vs. PC version of the 'Get a Mac' ads.
mrblah said:
I think there's a lot wrong with the above. I know plenty of people who either don't care at all about computers or don't really care for Macs (my girlfriend, for example) who find them humorous.
MY TV Production students all think they're great advertising, technically sound, and the subtle humor (not elitist attitudes) that really convey humor to a broad crowd, even if you don't get all of the reasons why the in-jokes are there.
As far as asking a PC user a Mac-biased question, well that's just stupid. I could riff on how it's like pro-life forum and talking about choice, etc. but I'll just leave it at this.
Bottom line, which I think nearly everyone missed, is that they are commercials, they are silly, and no one should really take them too seriously. If Justin Long single-handedly turned you off to computing with Macs, then--I hate to say this--you are probably a d-bag.
Spoof Commercials
There are a few good spoofs of the "I'm A Mac" commercials on You Tube. My favorite is the one where Mac and PC both make fun of Linux Guy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-L-0s-7-Z0
There are a few good spoofs of the "I'm A Mac" commercials on You Tube. My favorite is the one where Mac and PC both make fun of Linux Guy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-L-0s-7-Z0
Not elistist
I strongly disagree that these ads are elitist, or even snobbery. The point of the ads is that mac is different. HP can use demonstrations to show how, in a perfect world, their computers can do good stuff with windows. Apple has a different need. Apple does not build commodity computers. Apple is an ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM must differentiate itself compared to everything else out there. The need is to show that there IS a difference, and that Apple represents a very different way of working with computers.
I strongly disagree that these ads are elitist, or even snobbery. The point of the ads is that mac is different. HP can use demonstrations to show how, in a perfect world, their computers can do good stuff with windows. Apple has a different need. Apple does not build commodity computers. Apple is an ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM must differentiate itself compared to everything else out there. The need is to show that there IS a difference, and that Apple represents a very different way of working with computers.
It's been exciting around the macrumors forums lately, but this has the be most uninteresting story I've seen on the site since I've started coming here. And in the short amount of time it's been posted, this thread has already grown to nearly 4 pages.
I don't care to argue about the effectiveness of the adds. But I will say that the Angel/Devil one was kinda stupid. It didn't even advertise Macs. I think I am tiring of the format of the commercials. I would like to see one show just what can be done with OS X.
BobVB said:
I'm glad I wasnt the only one thinking like that. But its weird how Bob's comment was almost passed by, maybe because its not what people wanted to hear? Everyone here isnt a part of the 'I can be offended quicker than you can' crowd are they?... I sure hope not.* Personally I think he's hit the nail on the head.
*No, I wasnt suggesting anyone actually is, but its rather looking that way...
I thought it was just me, but I am stumped by that one. Its kinda... just... stupid?mahonmeister said:
APPLENEWBIE said:
As a recent switcher I can tell you the ads were very effective at delineating my concerns with Windows, and showing me that Mac might be the answer. ( Which, by the way, it was!)
EDIT: Nuts, I got censored
EDIT 2: Check that, they removed the post I responded too. It's a shame, I cleaned his clock! LOL