Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Microsoft's "I'm a PC" Ad Airs

Apple's ads really are terrible. Only Mac users like them, and even Mac users think they insult their intelligence.


These MS ads are great. I guess if they went on for years, it would get tiring, but I doubt the marketing company that made this ad would just sit on the same idea for years. They seem more creative than whoever is doing Apple's adverts (although they're not THAT creative).
 
Earlier, a Commenter said that "I learned that logical fallacy in the 9th grade."

Yes, I agree - It is a logical fallacy to appeal to the character, authority of another person to "boost oneself up". But guess what? Apple is doing EXACTLY THAT, this time "appealing" to an UNPLEASING "authority" aka UglyPCMan.
And what's more - Last time I checked, I don't see how using the "Live free or die Hard" guy isn't appealing to Ethos either...
yeah...
 
I like Macs. I'm so not Justin Long. Macs are just better. Spend your millions on making a better product.
 
840quadra said:
"Windows ... Life Without Walls"

Ouch!

Kind of a subtle sting to Apple's slightly walled garden, or am I reading into that a bit much? Either way, it has some creativity to it in it's own way. Curious to see what Apple's response, or new ad craze will be!.
Click to expand...

Small problem there; how is it any different in the Microsoft world - you're still stuck using Windows. Its like going into a town and being told, "there are 100's of restaurants' and finding out that they all have the same menu. How the hell is that choice to the average consumer?

I use a Mac because Windows is completely and utterly crap. Until Microsoft gives me a UNIX based operating system with a nice GUI ontop that runs all the applications *I* want to run - they can forget about me ever using a Windows powered computer.

They've **** in their bed - its up to them to put up with the stink.
 
Luv it

A great add...

I like apple - my main design computer is my Macbook Pro
I like microsoft - my secondary notebook is a Acer Aspire One Netbook (this rocks)

Who said i should choose sides - i get the best of both worlds!

(btw - the Aspire One can run OSX with a bit of tweaking! The ultimate in OSX portability!) :D
 
nice.

I actually am really starting to like these microsoft commercials. I think it is about time that MS starts jabbing back at apple.

MS makes some really good enterprise stuff. I don't see apple making any of that stuff that actually makes the world go 'round.
 
I like it actually. It's not as exaggerated as the "I'm a Mac" ads.

Of course I don't hate Vista in the first place, so these ads don't change much.
 
not really that great an advertisement.

Kind of reminds me of REVENGE OF THE NERDS

I am a Nerd!


Hardly makes Winblows sexy
 
Good to see this has more positive votes than negative. At least some people vote with an open mind and don't cloud themselves with their fanboyism.
 
I dig it, much more human. I would say comparable to Apple's ads, although a different style. Nice work MS. It's still unfortunate that it took them this long to respond. Can't wait to see Apple's next craze, that MS with then respond to.
 
It a decent ad, honestly it is probably one of the best Microsoft has put out in a long time.

It is definitely a milestone, though, as the first time in decades (?) that Microsoft has publicly admitted to Apple being competition *

* By publicly I mean in an Advertising campaign, the vast majority of the world doesn't read tech blogs and quotes from Steve Ballmer
 
I liked it. I love my Mac and have no intension of changing over but I am getting a bit bored with whats coming out of Apple for the Mac these days. I am talking mainly software here. There is progress but little revolution at the moment.
If the gloves come off and these ads pose a challenge to apple there might be some real head to head competition once more, we might see something out of Apple to get excited about again rather than ipods with new colours. When rumours sites have to fill pages with news of new adverts and store openings you know things are getting dull.
 
Xenu007 said:
What Microsoft still doesn't get is that they need to INNOVATE! And apparently in their advertising too! The Seinfeld ads were a great example of what happens when Microsoft tries to innovate.

Now their entire new ad campaign is in REACTION to Apple's ads! The whole theme of this new ad campaign is reactionary and defensive! They even used the Microsoft 'trademark' approach of copying Apple by ripping off one of Apple's ad campaign's characters!
Click to expand...


The problem here is that Apple has made Microsoft feel like they need to compete on the grounds of "coolness." While one could say the mac commercials were actually about the functionality of Windows vs. Mac, the real message that they sent was superficial and completely based on the appearance and personalities of the people on the screen. If they had two nerds on screen then maybe it wouldn't be image-based advertising, but... it is.

Microsoft, clearly, doesn't know how to make themselves look cool. But they're right: lots of PCs are used for very important work that is done across the planet. And a lot of people are happy with the computers and the operating system they're using to do that work. Why should they need to innovate on their advertising?
 
"i'm a PC just like BG" hahaha that line by pharrell speaking on bill gates was pretty funny. The commercials were not the best i have ever seen but obviously a large improvement from their seinfield ads that were a bust. Well done, who else would of grabbed a negative ad campaign and made it something to sell their product with.
 
Thiopentone said:
Gold, my friend, and you beat me to it. He needs to spell and parse properly before asking if the original poster was dropped on his head at birth.
Click to expand...

If you do not like it u can kiss my ass.. This is a forum on the internet not school or being payed to spell right.. Please is that all you can come up with is BS..
 
great response

well done microsoft. instead of taking on the mac commercials, microsoft embraced them and spun them in microsoft's favor. the message I hear from the new commercials is that microsoft is "cooler" than the justin long character because microsoft is everybody, not just a hipster and not just an office geek.

I still refuse to buy their computers, but I do admire the new ads.

to echo previous posts ... time for new marketing angle apple?
 
Defensive

It's pretty unusual to see a gorilla in a space -- Windows with about a 93% share -- responding so pointedly to a 7% competitor. Seems unprecedented, or at least I can't think of any examples in any other industries. Imagine Budweiser going after Rolling Rock, only worse.

Interpretation No. 1: Microsoft can brook no threat to their hegemony. Their only real competitive advantage is their ubiquity, and if the Mac OS hits a critical mass you've got the dreaded, emperor-has-no-clothes scenario. So they've got to stop the Mac OS. And Microsoft either sucks at everything else they've attempted or, as with Office, inherits market power from the dominance of the operating environment.

Interpretation No. 2: They have research that shows that things are much worse than anyone suspects. Those share numbers above probably got a big bump from mass Vista upgrades, or they don't reflect a cratered college market, or they've got a defection model that says something like "28% of non-Mac iPhone customers are switching to the Mac OS after 9 months," etc.

Interpretation No. 3: The Hodgman/Long ads are simply pissing them off, so they've got this executive-level emotional response they're projecting through their agency.

Interpretation No. 4: They've run out of ideas. They can't talk about the product, because everyone's eyes glaze over. They tried the Seinfeld thing, which was weird. They tried to do hip -- like the Zune's "Join the Social" -- and just plain can't pull it off. So they try it again, playing off the Mac's "I'm a PC" ad. Pretty good execution, but off a lousy strategy.

This is fun.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back