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MacFan25863

macrumors 6502a
Jun 20, 2004
557
0
I think an execellent campaign would be to have mock-PSA's (like the anti-smoking and anti-drug ones put on by the Ad Council) would be awesome. Something like "Findings show Windows XP is determential to the safety of your Personal Computer. Studies show the Mac is more resiliant to hackers. Do the smart thing. Buy a Mac".
 

~Shard~

macrumors P6
Jun 4, 2003
18,377
48
1123.6536.5321
Surprising and unfortunate - I would like to have seen Apple ads that weren't iPod-related for a change. But, if they decided it wasn't right, so be it - better to stop them now before going all the way on them and wasting more money.
 

jocknerd

macrumors regular
Apr 23, 2002
154
0
Virginia
There's a reason Apple isn't trying to switch the masses to the Mac

They've decided its easier to bring the OS X experience to the masses. The writing's on the wall people. OS X will be sold to the masses. Apple will sell 10 million copies at $100 each. Thats $1 billion in revenue on top of their hardware business. And don't worry. They won't lose hardware sales.
 

hyperpasta

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2005
680
0
New Jersey
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Arrrgh! Stupid Apple! If they just finally settle on a stupid ad campaign, then tons of people will switch. My neighbor was pleasently surprised to hear that when you plugged a camera into a Mac, it worked. THINK ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD BUY MACS IF THEY KNEW HOW THEY WORKED.

However, the old Switch campaign was crap. It was people talking about how Macs were cool without saying why. We need ads focusing on the reasons listed on the Apple website.
 

devilot

Moderator emeritus
May 1, 2005
15,584
1
raggedjimmi said:
whoa... i haven't really looked into this until now. but... I was contacted by Apple if they wanted to interview me about switching to Mac because of iPod. this was months back, back in Feb. was that my golden ticket? I didn't email back, i didnt know what to do! call it shyness or whatever.
Me too! Actually, the lady and I exchanged a couple of emails and then she called me... but I never really came through on my part. Hee. No camcorder you see? She wanted a video clip. :eek:
 

Fotek2001

macrumors regular
Jun 16, 2005
106
0
London, England
Microsoft advertises in the UK

Microsoft has a very slick advert for Windows XP in the UK at the moment.

The ad features all kinds of trendy people having a wonderful time doing digital-hub type things with their PCs and has a very Apple-esque feel to it.

The tag line is along the lines of "a world of software and devices that run on Windows XP".

As much as I don't personally like the Windows XP experience the advert is quite good and I can see people buying into the idea.
 

JediL1

macrumors member
Apr 12, 2003
68
0
It's not THAT uncommon to abandon ads while they're in production. Especially Apple, with their perfectionist attitude.

Remember those Mac OS X "Jaguar" Television Ads that were never run? Junk Mail, iChat and Sherlock 3?
 

MacHarne

macrumors 6502
Mar 3, 2005
321
0
Virginia, U.S.A.
I understand Apple wanting to maintain their "elite computing" status and trying to keep their hardware and software intact (i.e. not letting OS X slip onto any given PC box), but there is only so far you can isolate your product before you become a mysterious and obscure company. The last thing I want to see is Steve Jobs buried up in his home with tissue boxes on his feet, afraid of getting a Trojan or Blaster worm.

Apple needs some television advertising! There, I said it. They have incredible products and should not be shy about promoting them. Yes, there is a processor switch happening over the next few years; but that doesn't matter if you want to sell machines. The iPod has reached an iconic status, and *SURPRISE* there was a huge advertising campaign backing that advancement. PowerBooks, iBooks, iMacs, etc. - these are the machines that will change households (and, in effect, tech companies) if and only if they are marketed to the audiences available. Grab some primetime real estate, Apple, and get ready for a harvest.
 

ipodG8TR

macrumors member
Jul 18, 2005
44
0
South Florida
Say it ain't so!

Not that I was really looking forward to another round of Switch commercials, but Apple does need to take advantage of the ipod halo effect and start advertising the Mac. Show Tiger, and show how easily everything on a Mac works. Show iLife and how all the iLife apps function together seamlessly. Use quotes from mainstream media about the advantages of OSX over Windows. Put those quotes in large white letters across the store front of all of Apple's stores and overlay them in commercials.

Make sure Windows users know what we have today and what we have had ever since OSX first came out. I don't want to hear about all the great "new" features in Vista that we've quietly been enjoying for years. Take the fight to Microsoft. Commercials based on Expose, Dashboard, Spotlight and iLife would be a great start. When Time, Newsweek, Consumer Reports, etc says something positive about the Mac, use it to your advantage. I'm tired of having to do all the "work" myself. Apple, please don't allow all of your disciples to go it alone. Back us up with a real ad campaign and saturate the media while you have the most obvious advantage you've had in years!
 

Porchland

macrumors 65816
Apr 26, 2004
1,076
2
Georgia
rockthecasbah said:
it's a shame though to have wasted money on development...i hope they don't abandon the MAC ads and only focus on iPods again :(

I think there's going to be (a) an iPod update and/or (b) an iPod video announced in Paris and that it/they will get 100 percent of Apple's marketing attention going into Christmas.

There will probably be laptop refreshes before the end of the year, but I don't see Apple starting up a major campaign for an EOL'd product line. There will probably be a gi-normous push next summer for the new Mactel hardware.
 

tommac

macrumors newbie
Aug 12, 2005
1
0
there is more to it than advertising

people don't buy macs because they think they are expensive and they don't know how to use them. random t.v. ads won't convince them otherwise.

i can't tell you how often someone will sit down at my mac to check their email and have to ask me how to get on the internet. the perception is that the learning curve is to steep. why would they bother?
 

Silencio

macrumors 68040
Jul 18, 2002
3,447
1,552
NYC
Welcome to the world of advertising

Having worked in the ad industry for too long, I can tell you the whole process of creating an ad is usually a battle of the egos betweeen the agency and the client. In the case of broadcast, you add the ego of the independently-hired director to the mix. It can be a real nightmare, as some spoiled executive at the client always seems to want to put their mark on an ad and distract from the original concept. In the case of these three high-profile protagonists who are all arguably the best in their respective fields (Steve Jobs and Apple, Errol Morris, and TBWA/Chiat Day), those creative battles must've been something else

It's a sick, dysfunctional world in advertising. I still work with ad agencies, but I go nowhere near the creative process anymore. It'll take years off your life...
 

Doctor Q

Administrator
Staff member
Sep 19, 2002
39,777
7,498
Los Angeles
I'm sure Apple wants my personal advice on how to make new Switch ads.

First of all, interview volunteers locally (no transportation and housing costs), by setting up shoots in major cities (which can be done serially rather than all at once to limit the staff involved). Try out hundreds of potential candidates, not 60. Let them wear their own clothes as promised; the ads should show real people as themselves. Most important, don't spoon-feed lines. Instead, wait for the stories that grab you. With all those candidates, the points you want to make should come out if they truly matter to users. Coaching should be limited to speaking up and looking at the camera. Finally, accept the number of good ads that result rather than compromising. If the hit rate is low so you don't get what you want, keep filming candidates.

Thanks for listening, Apple. I'm always glad to help.
 

~Shard~

macrumors P6
Jun 4, 2003
18,377
48
1123.6536.5321
Fotek2001 said:
Microsoft has a very slick advert for Windows XP in the UK at the moment.

The ad features all kinds of trendy people having a wonderful time doing digital-hub type things with their PCs and has a very Apple-esque feel to it.

The tag line is along the lines of "a world of software and devices that run on Windows XP".

As much as I don't personally like the Windows XP experience the advert is quite good and I can see people buying into the idea.

We have the same adverts here in Canada - they're actually pretty well done, I must admit. Why can't Apple come out with ads like this? Simple, effective, to the point.
 

chimerical

macrumors regular
Jan 22, 2004
117
4
~Shard~ said:
We have the same adverts here in Canada - they're actually pretty well done, I must admit. Why can't Apple come out with ads like this? Simple, effective, to the point.

The Microsoft Windows TV ads are also in California. I believe I've come across magazine ads too.
 

barisax5of12

macrumors newbie
Aug 12, 2005
4
0
Ad Campaign Theme

After reading the above idea, a new one came to mind.

Why not have an ad campaign showing the day and life of "Joe" or "Jane" Apple user? Let’s call it “My Life”. (Could tie in with iLife but it shouldn’t focus on just that product but instead on selling entire Apple product line.)

It would start out in the morning showing the hustle and bustle and how Apple has made their life manageable. Next, our character would go off to work with Apple in tow. At work, show how the Apple is making their work successful. After work, Apple products would change from work to play as our protagonist makes the shift. At home, our protagonist and family use Apple products. At the end, protagonist falls asleep with them lightly snoring as the light pulses. Last, a title card shows “My Life with Apple”

If that is too much, break up the commercial into a series showing different scenes with our protagonist.

It’s a rough idea, but if Steve is reading this drop me a line. Who knows where this ad campaign can take the rest of the switching world and me? :)

PS. I’m a switcher after 10+ years with MS.
 

LaMerVipere

macrumors 6502a
Jan 19, 2004
971
1
Chicago
What a flippin' waste!

There's already Dell commercials on TV every damn day, yet none for Apple computers! If they would just f'n advertise them they'd sell so many more. :mad:
 

z.j

macrumors newbie
May 15, 2005
7
0
the exact same thing happened to me as devilot76

i sent them a story about how i got an ipod then switched, then she asked for a video clip, i didnt have a camcorder, and it dropped

then i see a month later on this website how i couldve been on all those commercials and ****, at least a free trip to la, and i was pist

now i hear its cancelled, but, hey, im still pist
 

quigleybc

macrumors 68030
iLife

Why doesn't apple hammer home how amazing the iLife suite is?

Garageband and iPhoto alone would turn some heads, but it would be a smaller demographic but still. The fact that Garageband comes stock with a new Mac is one of the best things about Apple.

If you are into music in the slightest, garageband could sell you on a switch.

I enjoy the small community that is the Mac community, but sometimes you just want to shout, "this is the best thing ever!!, use it you fools!"

Maybe that should be the commercial, just some guy yelling at the screen... :p

That would go over well right? :rolleyes:
 
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