Got a tip for us?
Let us know
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
- Thread starter davepelz
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
is going to get burned with this one. This commercial is great.
It's Microsoft's own fault
I'm sorry, but any stereotype that Microsoft or Windows has is Microsoft's own fault.
Microsoft botched Vista...the launch and the initial release. Even if they have turned things around with Vista SP1, they still have a ways to go to get over the overall image of Vista.
Apple, like any good company who is in direct competition with Microsoft, took advantage to exploit this weakness.
Apple did not make this stuff up for their ads. It's all true....simplified....but true, and that's what makes it a very effective advertising campaign.
You might not like it, or agree with it all the time, but it's working for Apple and their sales.
People don't want complex, I shouldn't have to THINK about a commercial, or have to go online to have someone explain it to me. If Apple can get across a simple point, such as Microsoft Office runs on a Mac (which we've seen in some of the VS ads), and if that point can get a potential buyer to think twice about an upcoming computer purchase, then they have done their job.
Plain and simple, Vista had problems (some might argue it still does), Apple took the opportunity to let people know that there IS another choice other than Windows.
Personally, I think the Apple ads work. No, they aren't the best, but they work. Some people on these forums seem to think that an ad needs to win an Oscar. An ad needs to sell a product. THAT is what the Mac VS PC ads do.
-Kevin
I'm sorry, but any stereotype that Microsoft or Windows has is Microsoft's own fault.
Microsoft botched Vista...the launch and the initial release. Even if they have turned things around with Vista SP1, they still have a ways to go to get over the overall image of Vista.
Apple, like any good company who is in direct competition with Microsoft, took advantage to exploit this weakness.
Apple did not make this stuff up for their ads. It's all true....simplified....but true, and that's what makes it a very effective advertising campaign.
You might not like it, or agree with it all the time, but it's working for Apple and their sales.
People don't want complex, I shouldn't have to THINK about a commercial, or have to go online to have someone explain it to me. If Apple can get across a simple point, such as Microsoft Office runs on a Mac (which we've seen in some of the VS ads), and if that point can get a potential buyer to think twice about an upcoming computer purchase, then they have done their job.
Plain and simple, Vista had problems (some might argue it still does), Apple took the opportunity to let people know that there IS another choice other than Windows.
Personally, I think the Apple ads work. No, they aren't the best, but they work. Some people on these forums seem to think that an ad needs to win an Oscar. An ad needs to sell a product. THAT is what the Mac VS PC ads do.
-Kevin
...man I can't believe they paid Jerry Seinfeld $15 million for two freakin ads. What a waist of money imo...speaking of waist, all this waisted bandwidth discussing these boring commercials is scandalous. lol
Cant wait for Apple's response!
The best thing apple could do is completely ignore them. Make Microsoft waste more money trying to get Apple's attention. Microsoft is slipping, Apple is coming up faster than ever right now.
I thought the ad was pretty sharp in comparison to the Gates and Seinfeld ones. I'd give a 7 out of 10 for being fairly straight on message - "there are a lot of PC "user" types out there. I still don't get the Seinfeld ones...
I love my macs (I have 4) much more than my pcs (I have 3) in my home, but this was not a bad ad at all.
I love my macs (I have 4) much more than my pcs (I have 3) in my home, but this was not a bad ad at all.
LMAO thats a great one!
yeah. it really is!
sell it to apple.
why do you need windows.
lol
its funny coz its true.
This one was ok, but they really shouldn't address the apple ads directly like that. This ad would have been much better if the people in it had said something like "I use windows, and I'm a fisherman. I use windows, and I'm a bricklayer. etc etc" Just a feel good ad about everybody using windows. Being the market leader, they need to take their cue from companies like Coca-Cola, and run ads that reassure people they are continuing to go with the right product.
People seem to not understand that Microsoft/Apple aren't exactly direct competitors. Apple is a Hardware/Software company, Microsoft, for the most part, only sells software. If someone who owns a Mac is running Windows (which, if the law is being followed, means MS sold them a license), Microsoft isn't going to complain. They've sold their product.
Your Dells/HPs/Toshibas would be the ones that have a problem with that scenario.
Genius.
Apple had better do something like this, just to show how stupid this whole campaign is.
TEG
Microsoft, as I notice my stock value go way, way down, I've come to the conclusion that you just don't care about your image and make poor attempts to change the views that hinder the brand.
Ballmer, I tip my cap to you.
If you are going to mimic an ad, do it right. Apple does not portray the fun, laid back guy as the image of the users, its a representation of the OS and hardware.
Your customers aren't PC's. Your customers are PC users. From this commercial, i've only gained that the various OEM manufacturers consist of the following genres
1) Fishermen (Alienware)
2) Soccer mom's (E-Machines)
3) Farmers (Dell)
4) Astronauts (IBM)
5) Unknown (HP)
Course I love my Lenovo ThinkPad and my Proliant/Blade servers. There, I have no problem with (for work)
Ballmer, I tip my cap to you.
If you are going to mimic an ad, do it right. Apple does not portray the fun, laid back guy as the image of the users, its a representation of the OS and hardware.
Your customers aren't PC's. Your customers are PC users. From this commercial, i've only gained that the various OEM manufacturers consist of the following genres
1) Fishermen (Alienware)
2) Soccer mom's (E-Machines)
3) Farmers (Dell)
4) Astronauts (IBM)
5) Unknown (HP)
Course I love my Lenovo ThinkPad and my Proliant/Blade servers. There, I have no problem with
(for work)The ad isn't selling Vista it doesn't mention it anywhere.. it's selling windows the brand. They're trying to humanize the brand and they've done a great job at that. They've taken back the word 'PC' in one campaign - now anytime people see a mac ad people will also think of Windows and Microsoft. It's simple but extremely well done. And anyone saying it isn't purely because of the brand it's promoting is blinkered because if it was an Apple ad you would have all just wet your pants.
How much MS spends on OS development isn't the problem
While I much prefer OSX to XP or Vista, I don't even for a second feel that Vista flopped because MS didn't throw enough money at it.
Bottom line, more $$ != better product.
MS has proven this beyond a shadow of a doubt. There dev team probably needs to trim down and become more efficient just as bad as Vista needs to become leaner.
The money would be much better spent on the OS.
Then again the problems I have on Vista are from non-Microsoft programmers.
While I much prefer OSX to XP or Vista, I don't even for a second feel that Vista flopped because MS didn't throw enough money at it.
Bottom line, more $$ != better product.
MS has proven this beyond a shadow of a doubt. There dev team probably needs to trim down and become more efficient just as bad as Vista needs to become leaner.
Windows 7 and Snow Leopard both look like the optimized and slimmer versions of their respective operating system lineages.
Let us just hope that Microsoft can deliver this time.
I sent my ad idea to TBWA\Media Arts Lab, the agency that does the "I'm a Mac" ads. I know there's not a chance in hell of them ever buying it but I figured what the heck.
If that's the case, i hope they trim the length of these ads in the future. The "Jerry" ad was funny but interminably long, and the "PC" ad had way too many vignettes. Tech folks are bright, and get the point quickly. No need to go on and on.
The Jerry ad was so long, i first thought it was a lost episode of Seinfeld being aired.
good ad but...
these ads are a lot better than the seinfeld ones
and they make more sense
but... i have a feeling there are going to be a ton of parody videos on youtube over these videos (just like they did with mac) except making a parody of this commercial will be a lot easier!
these ads are a lot better than the seinfeld ones
and they make more sense
but... i have a feeling there are going to be a ton of parody videos on youtube over these videos (just like they did with mac) except making a parody of this commercial will be a lot easier!
There are a couple things in this new spot I'm not quite sure how to interpret. I was a prime candidate for Apple's I'm a Mac ads. I had used Windows exclusively from 1994 until I switched in late 2007 to Mac. Part of my switching came from the success of the Apple ads to get me to THINK and CONSIDER what a Mac might do better and easier for me. While this new MS ad isn't bad from a first glance viewpoint, what I don't get is why aren't they telling me why Windows is the better operating system? All they're accomplishing with this is telling people what we already know; that MS commands an overwhelming share of the OS market. In today's marketplace, monolithic doesn't equal better or even good. I bought Vista to run off boot camp in my new Mac, thinking it would come in handy if I ran across a need to use a Windows program. I've noticed I hardly ever switch to the Windows partition anymore. My Leopard OS can handle any program I need and after the first few "stalls", (I thought I'd use a nicer term than crashes), with Vista, I'd rather forget I even have it. Also, other than just stating that "I'm a PC", why doesn't anyone in the ad mention whether they LIKE being a PC???
