[Mac Forum] New Apple Ads

[Cara Veteran]

Ok, I even prefaced this one to try and limit what I know will be a slew of hostile posts but...

I have to ask...what are your thoughts about the new Apple Ads? (http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/) Apple's previously thinly veiled attacks at Vista have finally hit a new level I feel with 'Calming Teas' and I was curious what the Apple Community thinks?

Microsoft is supposedly going to open a campaign against Apple to support and push Vista so it only made sense that Apple would release the hounds and open fire with all barrels...however what do you think about this? The great majority of us, and I feel the majority of PC users even if they wouldn't admit to it in public, know that Apple is gaining traction in all areas and growing it's market-share in a way that no other computer company is doing right now, but are the Apple 'I'm a Mac' ads really play that large of a part in things or is it truly the products?

Lets keep this clean and professional please guys, if it gets out of hand I'll request the thread be closed/cleaned but I'm genuinely curious as to what people are thinking with this latest salvo launched at the floundering Vista giant being a little less hidden than previous attempts...

[wctaiwan]

The later (like, after the first batch) Get a Mac ads are hostile and a dirty, despicable trick. Simple as that. The joke is way too old to be funny and anyone who is slightly knowledgeable should not have believed them.

I'd find it pretty sad if it's found out that rather than by their solid set of features and advantages / differences, Macs are only chosen because of the ads and the stupid propaganda. Okay, they may introduce people who have never heard of Macs to them, but if anyone based their judgement on Apple's (baseless) criticism against Windows-based PCs...

Um, yeah.

wctaiwan

[Hurmoth]

I still don't see a problem with the ads. If Microsoft has an issue with them, they need to get off their asses and put ads out that either attack Apple (in a funny way like Apple's ads do) or prove Apple's ads wrong. But they have to be creative and memorable.

Flying around beautiful scenery isn't going to cut it. Showing people at their computer saying "WOW" isn't going to cut it either.

[zhangm Supervisor]

I was under the impression that the Microsoft ads (where are they anyway?) were going to detail features of the operating system. I don't understand what it has to do with Apple at all, or why they warrant additional, stepped up attacks from Apple.

[Rudy]

I love those apple ads :)

[Denis W. Veteran]

Calming Teas was absolute horse(dung). Some third guy should've just showed up and yelled "WOULD YOU LIKE SOME CHEESE WITH THAT WHIIINNNEEE?" :pinch:

... on the other hand, Pizza Box was hilarious. (Y) Can't they have more of these ads instead of constantly bashing Vista?

@Hurmoth: You nailed it about Microsoft's ads. The ads focus on 'you have the potential to do this with our product' and 'feel comfortable with blah.' Which is all good for being well natured, but this society enjoys ridiculing each other. :rolleyes:

So whatever Microsoft comes out with, they'll still keep that in mind. Apple going even worse with their Vista bashing instead of letting it loose a bit may eventually come back to kick them in their arses some day.

[markwolfe Veteran]

I still don't see a problem with the ads. If Microsoft has an issue with them, they need to get off their asses and put ads out that either attack Apple (in a funny way like Apple's ads do) or prove Apple's ads wrong.

(Y) Good counter-point to those on the Microsoft side that say "If Apple wants OSX to compete against Windows, they need to get off their arses and write better software".

Now the marketing situation is just the opposite: if Microsoft wants to compete against Apple in this area, they need to get off thier arses and put out better ads.

[WelshBluebird]

Most of the ads I feel are fine, but I really feel apple (or the PR company behind the ads - whoever comes up with the ideas) should be ashamed of the calming teas one. It has absolutely nothing to do with apple, and is just fuelling the mis-information thats going on with vista. I'm sure if MS did something similar, spreading BS about OSX or apple, then people would be up in arms, and there would be a lawsuit on the horizon.

[Cara Veteran]

The later (like, after the first batch) Get a Mac ads are hostile and a dirty, despicable trick. Simple as that. The joke is way too old to be funny and anyone who is slightly knowledgeable should not have believed them.

I'm not sure I agree on this one. The reason behind all marketing is to potray your product in a superior light to the competitor...

Now I will agree that Apple seems to be a bit Hostile to Vista but I think they are simply playing on the general community feelings so is that really dirty in any way, or just opportunistic?

I was under the impression that the Microsoft ads (where are they anyway?) were going to detail features of the operating system. I don't understand what it has to do with Apple at all, or why they warrant additional, stepped up attacks from Apple.

I'm looking forward to seeing Microsoft's ads to be honest, I'm hoping to see some true creativity out of Redmond instead of something that looks like a bad knock off of a Calvin Kline ad. ;) (That wasn't a shot at MS but their previous Advertising has been less than lackluster.)

[BajiRav]

I think they are as dumb as ever and the joke is now seriously old. :x They had some funny ones in past (I recall laughing hard at the UAC one)

Pizza box: This is ironic since it's apple who is wooing crowd with free iPod/printers and what not.

Throne: Insult to even non-tech savvy people

Calming Teas: Lies and more lies.

[WelshBluebird]

I'm not sure I agree on this one. The reason behind all marketing is to potray your product in a superior light to the competitor...

the point of marketing is the get people to buy your product, yes, but surely there should be some ethics involved? I.E - that the ad should be truthful and not spreading BS?

You wouldn't (as much as it would be kind of funny) see a MS 360 advert having a go at Home being delayed all the time. Or a sony ad taking the mick out of the RROD issues.

Or you don't see ads from nike, having a go at adidas etc.

Ads should focus on your own product.

[1759]

I'm not even sure what those new ads are even about, pizza boxes, tea...I thought Apple was trying to sell computers.

I would rather see ads, pitting Front Row vs Windows Media Center, iWork vs Office (although Numbers would get stomped on by Excel), Finder vs. Explorer, IE vs. Safari, Windows Live! vs MobileMe, Xcode vs Visual Studio, etc.

Even though I have a Mac, I also run Linux and Vista, Win2003 occasionally, but I've always found the "Get a Mac ads" flippin' condescending. They remind me of work (IT environment, predominately Windows) and surrounded by people that think they know everything, because they have a lot of "certifications", and they also think they are perfect, even when something screws up, and are more apt to blame the user, when something does happen.

[39 Thieves]

I fail to see what Apple hopes to gain by all this, considering the lengths they've gone to allow Windows to run natively on their systems. At this point, I think these ads are less about gaining new customers, as they are about injecting a fresh dose of smug into existing Apple fans.

[Cara Veteran]

the point of marketing is the get people to buy your product, yes, but surely there should be some ethics involved? I.E - that the ad should be truthful and not spreading BS?

You wouldn't (as much as it would be kind of funny) see a MS 360 advert having a go at Home being delayed all the time.

Or you don't see ads from nike, having a go at adidas etc.

Ads should focus on your own product.

I'll give you a (Y) on this one, I completely agree that focus should be put on your product's strengths, not the weaknesses of your competitor solely.

I do feel Apple *IS* being truthful in their Ads however, though I feel it could be done with more tact...

[markwolfe Veteran]

the point of marketing is the get people to buy your product, yes, but surely there should be some ethics involved? I.E - that the ad should be truthful and not spreading BS?

You wouldn't (as much as it would be kind of funny) see a MS 360 advert having a go at Home being delayed all the time. Or a sony ad taking the mick out of the RROD issues.

Or you don't see ads from nike, having a go at adidas etc.

Ads should focus on your own product.

Funny, but I remember Coke & Pepsi going at it directly back in the day (you have to realize that I am 41, so remember things from more than just the past 5 years). And burger establishments like Wendys picking on McDonalds for leaving food under heat lamps. And Wendys again (my, they were agressive - eeevil, even ;)) picking on McDonald's Chicken McNuggets with "Pieces parts" for what was in their chicken nuggets. And again Wendys (OMG Tehy are teh evul!) whole "where's the beef?" ads picking on the other places with more bun than burger.

Ads are to generate revenue. Any ad that is deemed not truthful can be brought up to the FTC for legal/punitive action.

[James123]

They used to be bad... but now they're just pathetic, it's sad to see a company as big as Apple spreading lies about the competition rather than focusing on the good points of their own product.

[BajiRav]

I do feel Apple *IS* being truthful in their Ads however, though I feel it could be done with more tact...

truthful? How?

[Denis W. Veteran]

I'll give you a (Y) on this one, I completely agree that focus should be put on your product's strengths, not the weaknesses of your competitor solely.

I do feel Apple *IS* being truthful in their Ads however, though I feel it could be done with more tact...

Yeah, for *their own* side. ;)

The problem is they bring up the 'other' side's problems, some of them insignificant and outdated at the time of the ad's production, and blow them up at 100000x magnification.

[PyX]

I like them, they always make me laugh.

But I can understand how Windows lovers can be shocked and angry while watching these. I mean, not necessarily because it's true (this is a personal opinion that I have, and yeah I firmly believe most of the ads are true), but more because they really are something in terms of arrogance.

---

On another note that is more or less related to these ads, I really think Apple is growing too much at this moment to keep the same quality for all their products that they managed to keep in the past. So it would make the ads less true these days, by saying for example "OS X never had any problem, it's 110% secure, etc."

MobileMe is a good example of a newly introduced product that needed to be rushed or they cut the edges too round maybe because they didn't have all the staff required to make it in time, or maybe they just needed more time.

[39 Thieves]

truthful? How?

Considering that Cara works for Apple, most people probably had no idea there were new ads on the Apple website until she posted an opinion thread about them here, and everything she posts reads like it was filtered thru Apple marketing...do you honestly expect a rational explanation?

[Denis W. Veteran]

Funny, but I remember Coke & Pepsi going at it directly back in the day (you have to realize that I am 41, so remember things from more than just the past 5 years).

Example of what he's talking about:

[DavidM]

If the ads only talked about SOMETHING, instead of the same old crap. What are the benefits of OSX, or why is a Macbook so much more expensive than a Dell or Toshiba or HP with the same specs?

Tell me something, anything - oh wait they did tell a "genius" will transfer my files for me. Should I be nervous that it takes a "genius" to transfer files for me? Is there a "genius" testings facility? Are they certified "geniuses" or just run of the mill "geniuses"? Ok, yep the "genius" thing has run it's course.

The pizza box ad tells me more college students are buying them, buy why are they buying them? Are they better or is it a everybody else is doing it so I have to do it too?

The throne ad (see above "genius" rant)

The calming ad is just a stale joke that has run it's course.

A side note, the ads will not load in Safari, FireFox or IE for me (could just be my settings) I had to watch them on Youtube.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

I used to think the Get A Mac ads were funny, but these new ones bug the hell out of me. Watching them seriously makes me want to ditch my Macbook.

http://brandonlive.com/2008/08/19/get-a-ma...jump-the-shark/

[1759]

Funny, but I remember Coke & Pepsi going at it directly back in the day (you have to realize that I am 41, so remember things from more than just the past 5 years). And burger establishments like Wendys picking on McDonalds for leaving food under heat lamps. And Wendys again (my, they were agressive - eeevil, even ;)) picking on McDonald's Chicken McNuggets with "Pieces parts" for what was in their chicken nuggets. And again Wendys (OMG Tehy are teh evul!) whole "where's the beef?" ads picking on the other places with more bun than burger.

Ads are to generate revenue. Any ad that is deemed not truthful can be brought up to the FTC for legal/punitive action.

Those "Where's the Beef!" ads with Clara Peller were great, but then again, after awhile, most ads lose their effectiveness.

The problem I have with Apple, is that ever since they've gone to Intel, gone to selling more Macs, gone to the iPhone and shifted engineers around, their QC has slipped, and sometimes I feel they toss stones at glasshouses.

Leopard launch. Buggy.

iPhone FW 2.0. Buggy, and 3G issues.

MobileMe launch. Buggy.

Condensation in some iMacs, cracking 3G iPhones, cracking MacBooks, mobos failing, KB/sleep/Wifi issues in MBPs, poor TN panels in the new iMacs. It strikes me as funny, when people state how great Macs are, but then say to make sure to get the APP, or avoid Revision A, til Apple gets the bugs worked out. It's great that Apple would most often replace these computers, but their volume isn't really that high in the first place, they've barely beat out Acer in the US. For their price points, they should be better.

Vista's major problems were a year and a half ago, and they still have the problem with OEMs loading a boatload of crapware, and to most people, the bad word of mouth has turned them off. At one time, I found the "Get a Mac" ads clever, but the only people that still find them amusing are Mac users, and there is no use preaching to the choir.

[markwolfe Veteran]

I used to think the Get A Mac ads were funny, but these new ones bug the hell out of me. Watching them seriously makes me want to ditch my Macbook.

http://brandonlive.com/2008/08/19/get-a-ma...jump-the-shark/

From your blog:

? do I replace my trusty Macbook with another Mac? Or do I save money and get a better system from Dell or Lenovo?[/quote:trout:t:

What's the matter with you if you are saying you think that other models are "cheaper & better", but are stildeliberatingi> about it? Most of us with sense would get the option we felt was cheaper & better without having to publicly ponder this.

For some, Apple may not be cheaper, but better (wasn't there a thread here on Neowin where a user ended up getting his RAM and HD moved into a newer better Mac because he didn't like the washed-out quality of the screen? Immediate customer satisfaction. For him, I am sure that he feels he got his extra $200 out of the Mac right there and then.