Apple's ‘Blue Screen of Death' ad mocks Windows PCs

Do you remember the CrowdStrike outage from last year? On July 19, 2024, millions of Windows PCs around the world suddenly crashed, showing users the infamous Blue Screen of Death. The disruption was caused by a faulty update distributed by the American cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. The event is now remembered as one of the largest IT outages in history.

The outage affected only Windows PCs, while Apple’s Mac devices remained unaffected. A year after the incident, Apple has released a new ad that not only celebrates the elegance of its Mac ecosystem but also takes a playful jab at Windows PCs.

Apple’s new ad, titled “BSOD (Blue Screen of Death),” takes a direct shot at Microsoft’s infamous error screen. The ad is part of Apple’s The Underdogs series, which portrays a group of co-workers using Apple products to boost their productivity at work and remain safe from Windows PC errors.

The video description reads, “The Underdogs are ready for their first-ever trade show until a PC outage strikes and the Blue Screen of Death threatens their beloved Container Con. Thanks to the security of their Apple products, the Underdogs are unaffected and experience extraordinary success.”

Apple also highlights the security of its ecosystem by sharing a link to its Enterprise page, which emphasizes that “Kernel-level protection is designed to safeguard your system against breaches, outages, and unauthorized access.” Apple’s ad concludes with the slogan, “There’s no security like Mac security.”

Mac computers are generally considered safer than Windows PCs. One reason is that macOS is Unix-based. Additionally, Apple maintains tighter control over both the hardware and software of its devices, which further reduces potential vulnerabilities.

Meanwhile, every computer, whether it’s running Windows or macOS, can still be vulnerable to attacks if the necessary security measures aren’t in place.