“We’ve seen them in the US, in Japan and now the Mac & PC guys arrive in the UK, except its not the usual suspects, but two actors from the ‘Peep Show‘ series,” isoflash reports.
Channel 4’s ‘Peep Show‘ series follows the domestic adventures of twentysomething south London flatmates Mark (David Mitchell) and Jeremy (Robert Webb).
David Mitchell is the “PC” in Apple UK’s “Get a Mac” campaign. Robert Webb is the “Mac.”
Video of new Apple UK “Get a Mac” ads by isoflash via YouTube (shot in High Street Kensington Tube Station a few hours before the ads were removed from display):
Apple UK’s website currently does not feature the new actors. The Long and Hodgman “Get a Mac” ads are here: http://www.apple.com/uk/getamac/ads/
Full article with still image via isoflash here.
Related article:
Apple Japan debuts three ‘Get a Mac’ ads – November 12, 2006
Thoses two are well funny… love the Peep Show
Very good casting considering the nature of the adverts. David Mitchell is very similar to John Hodgman, very much the same corner of the market if you see what I mean. Meanwhile Robert Webb is probably gonna be less irritating as the Mac, so although you’ll like PC you won’t find yourself liking him more because Mac is a bit smug. Since they’re a comedy team as well there will be more interaction and camaraderie potentially, there will be more room to highlight the similarities but also then to illustrate that Macs are better. I think the US casting is a bit too polarising.
brilliant casting – cant wait to see these on tv!!!!
its about time – everyone i know in the uk who’s seen the american ones (mac fans and not) think that they are funny and shoul dbe shown over here… i think mitchell and webb will do a better job in getting the word out and creating a more ‘viral’ buzz!
Not sure about this one. Although they could well produce some great comedy, the whole premise of Peep Show is that while one is “hip” and the other is “square”, they are both total losers.
Maybe it’s a spoof, meant to advertise Peep Show rather than Apple. Do they have an upcoming new series or DVD release?
who cares?!
Anyone who has enough time to go to a site, read something, then post “who cares” needs to get something else to keep them busy– wasted effort.
Anyway, I think this is cool. Exactly how popular are these guys in Britain?
“… Exactly how popular are these guys in Britain?…”
they have a pretty big/strong cult following – but are still very recognisable amongst those who minght not have been expose to them. their tv ‘charachters’ are very well known – as one poster has written, they both pretty much play anti-heroes and losers… i still think it’ll work though as they have a lot of current cultural caché, i think it’ll drive people to the apple site.
in the last couple of years they’ve had shows on both the bbc and c4 – as well as radio plays. you can imagine both mitchell and webb know that aligning themselves with apple and these advert will also help raise their own profiles.
both parties win.
David Mitchell has also been on a number of comedy panel shows and is an _extremely_ witty guy. (Too smart to be the PC, IMHO.)
You can see a _lot_ more of Robert Webb in the movie ‘Confetti’, where he plays one half of a naturist couple about to get married. Yes, you get to observe rather more of ‘Mac’ than you might require…
Is the peep show anything like the Fast Show? I.e. the latest successor in sketch comedy a la The Fringe, Monty Python, Not (necessarily) the Nine O’Clock news, etc…?
funny guys they are….that’s numberwang!.. or somat
good choice, well done someone
Peep Show is superb. Not convinced that the Peep Show characters are suitable, but Mitchell and Webb playing PC and Mac could work. Superficially the Peep Show characters are similar. one is a Nerd (does not get laid, wears suit, socially very self-conscious) and one is Cool (gets laid, wears t-shirts, has cool friends). Underneath the surface though, one is hard working, conscientious and inept, the other is lazy, selfish and talentless. The beauty of the show is that the format kind of lets you into their minds. You get to hear what they’re thinking. And from the inside, you get a much clearer picture if what they’re like than f you just saw the surface.
How many video “security” cameras did you see in that short clip?
Is every square foot of Britain under surveillance yet?
Let me know when it is. :::roll eyes:::
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I’m calling this one fake. Why would Apple or one of their agents put up an ad directing people to the UK website – which has no related content – and then remove it later?
Frogmella: “I’m calling this one fake”…
I guess we will see but I am hoping it isn’t. I agree with ‘That was a great goal…’ that it has been a shame we don’t see the Get a Mac ads here in Britain.
In fact it’s been ages since I saw a Mac ad at all on the telly. The last ones we had were the new Intel ones with the bunny suits saying that the Intel processor has been set free. We get plenty of iPod- iTunes ads and there’s no point to them any more as virtually everyone here buys iPods anyway. We need Mac ads Apple. So get these guys on the telly PDQ
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The iPod shuffle ads are constantly on TV here in the UK. And I also believe these are fake. they are also promoting who plays the Mac and the PC… now what would the point be of that for Apple?
Big Brah: welcome to Tony Blair’s ‘Big Nanny’ state, where the average Londoner will be seen on more than 300 cameras a day.
heart: more like Simon Pegg’s ‘Spaced’
You gotta love Numberwang!
I have no idea what was said during that clip. Can’t understand a word.
Was it about Macs or wanting more marbles in his mouth?
6 ads are now up on the UK site.
Ads have now appeared:
http://www.apple.com/uk/getamac/ads/
Note that there are NEW ads and that appropriate cultural differences have been added!
One thing I noticed that I love: for all the alleged superiority of British English over American English, their stations don’t have “EXIT” signs. They have “Way Out” signs. Apparently “EXIT” is too hard, having four letters and all.
MW I “see” some dumbing-down over there!
Colonial reminds me of trips to USA…
Waiter: “What would you like to drink sir?”
Me: “Water please”
Waiter: “What?”
Me: “Water”
Waiter: “What?”
Me: “Water”
Waiter: “What do you want? A coke?”
Me: “No, water, H2O”
Waiter: “What do you mean?”
Me: “Water”
Another diner: “He means wadder”
Waiter: “You wanna wadda?”
This happens all the time to me and other Brits I know visiting USA, we are amazed that it appears to be so hard to figure that “waTer” is the same as “waDDer” when you asking someone what they want to drink.
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Two page spreads of these in print in The Independent and The Metro this morning.
http://itsneak.itweek.co.uk/2007/01/duopowered_macs.html
The T and D are becoming indistinguishable in Merkan. I lurk on some auto boards and the number of times people post that the car “shutters”. Very amusing piece on the radio the other day about equestrian novels; couldn’t tell if it was writers writing with riders or riders riding with writers!