“Apple’s marketing has been so focused on growing its iPod/iTunes business that it had been four years since the company put some national ad gusto behind its Mac computer line,” Theresa Howard and Jefferson Graham report for USA Today.
“Capitalizing on its iPod chic — and with a lineup of Macs transformed last spring with Intel chips to talk about — Apple again has been flexing its marketing muscle behind its computers with an ad campaign that began in May. The campaign now has 12 ads — created by longtime Apple agency TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles — that feature two characters who personify the PC and Mac,” Howard and Graham report.
Howard and Jefferson Graham report, “The campaign uses the same tone to promote the differences between PCs and Macs as the Switcher ads, but the characters put more humor into the ads. ‘We wanted to try and get some perspective out there in a fun way and remind people of some of the things they probably already know, and talk about how the Mac might be a little better,’ Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, said in an interview.”
Howard and Jefferson Graham report, “The ads got an above-average response from consumers surveyed by Ad Track, USA Today’s weekly poll: 25% like them ‘a lot’ vs. the Ad Track average of 21%, and 22% rate them ‘very effective’ vs. the average of 21%.”
Full article here.
Related articles:
Apple debuts major Mac OS X print campaign with 14-page ‘Get a Mac’ booklet – September 07, 2006
More new Apple ‘Get a Mac’ ads – one featuring Gisele Bündchen – seen in Apple Retail Store – September 05, 2006
Critiquing Apple’s new ‘Get a Mac’ ads – August 28, 2006
Apple debuts three new ‘Get a Mac’ ads – August 27, 2006
Nearly 20 more ‘Get a Mac’ TV spots ready to roll – August 11, 2006
Apple’s ‘Get a Mac’ ads too harsh? – July 31, 2006
Apple debuts three new ‘Get a Mac’ ads (with video) – June 12, 2006
Apple: ‘Get a Mac. Say ‘Buh-Bye’ to viruses’ – June 01, 2006
Expert panel critiques Apples’ new ‘Get a Mac’ ad TV campaign – May 15, 2006
Do Apple’s new ‘Get a Mac’ ads generate animosity among the uninitiated? – May 08, 2006
Why Apple’s new ‘Get a Mac’ campaign will fail – May 04, 2006
Apple’s ‘Get a Mac’ campaign seizes the moment as Microsoft suffers Windows Vista setbacks – May 04, 2006
iTWire’s Beer: Apple’s new ‘get a Mac’ campaign misses, preaches to converted – May 04, 2006
Apple debuts ‘Get a Mac’ TV ads, new section of website replaces ‘Switch’ (link to watch ads online) – May 01, 2006
What’s the margin of error?
To me, this is splitting hairs. Remove “Apple” and replace “Dell” and ask yourself if the numbers are that impressive?
Of course a recent poll shows that almost half of the American people still believe that Iraq had something to do with 9-11. They are wrong.
A recent poll shows that almost the same number think Iraq had WMD’s. They are wrong.
The same mentality that keeps people shackled to Windows allows people like Karl Rove to do the voodoo that he does sooooo well…
Now Lemmings, why’d you have to go and get political? (Not that I don’t agree, but it just opens a big ol’ can o’worms on what’s supposed to me a Mac-oriented site…)
MW large, as in “I expect a large flamewar to erupt any second.”
‘how the Mac might be a little better,’ Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, said in an interview.”
Talk about modesty. And they say the Mac community is arrogant and smug.
I’ve also have seen the new iPod commercials….pretty edgy stuff…looks great.
I’ve had 3 friends “go mac”, within the last 2 weeks.
Two of hem mentioned the ads in a posotive light.
I didn’t initially like them myself, but I guess they are just bland and non-technical enough (with a dash of humor), to be effective (to the average numb-nut).
This is a Mac site. No one wants to hear your political cr*p here.
Usually Right, how do your friends feel about you referring to them as “average numb-nuts”?
But… If these are the worst ads Apple has ever made, and do nothing but insult, alienate, and drive away potential customers – as we have heard repeatedly here in the comments – how can they receive better than average consumer response?
Puzzled-
because people are Numb-Nuts!
Dennis-
they think it is funny, because they think of themselves that way, too!
Oh I definitely HAD WMD’s. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve used them several times before. I just got rid of them before I got my @$$ kicked.
Of course, those Americans with memories longer than the next commercial will also know that I had them because your government sold some of them to me.
Lemmings seems to forget that Rush Limbaugh is a Mac evangelist.
“Lemmings seems to forget that Rush Limbaugh is a Mac evangelist.”
No they don’t. Trust me they don’t.
I dont like the guy but if he wants to talk up the Mac, I’m not going to stop him.
Then again Sinbad was a huge Mac fan and I didn’t think he was a damn bit funny. But I didn’t want him to stop neither.
Puzzled:
Actually the worst ever Apple ad was the “Lemmings” ad, where all the PC users are marching of the cliff. As I recall, that was 1987 or so. Now there was an ad that insulted the potential converts. (And it was totally unrelated to Mr./Ms. Lemming’s political screed in this thread!)
The difference is that ad made fun of the people. the new ads make fun of the computers. That, and by now everyone and his cousin has experienced the horrors of Windows, so they can relate.
I agree with qka … It was cool seeing an ad for Mac’s during the Cowboys & Redskin’s game last night … but I still like and think HP’s new computer ads are MUCH, MUCH Better
That liberals almost always spout their political views here says something about the individual, at the very least.
Tom Clancy is another Mac evangelist, as are plenty of other not-so-famous folks on the right side of the spectrum (including yours truly).
Save the politics for where people won’t fight back, like newspapers, TV, and other one-way communication mediums.
” I guess they are just bland and non-technical enough (with a dash of humor), to be effective (to the average numb-nut).”
Yup. With the great majority of existing and future computer buying users also being “bland and non-technical… Numbnuts” it seems to me Apple is right on the money with these Ads. They know exactly who they are targeting and it sure isn’t the average uber-geek like the ones that respond here.
Anecdotal evidence says these Ads aren’t offensive and are having a positive effect on Apple sales in the marketplace. They may well go down as the most memorable since the 1984 commercial.
Save the politics for where people won’t fight back, like newspapers, TV, and other one-way communication mediums.
Better yet, save the politics for a forum that matters.
Arguing politics here is like arguing it with family: it just gets everyone all pissed off, and doesn’t make one DAMNED bit of difference at the polls. People vote their mind no matter how hard they’re persuaded.
MDN should really have regular memberships, instead of these anonymous posts that any idiot troll can hide behind.
I like that I can stop advertising to the numb people out there…
All I have to say is, “Hey, it’s like the PC guy!!!” etc.