As for blasted for not showing specs or usefulness… When has Apple ever done that in a commercial??
They've done it lots of times, indirectly, through lifestyle ads showing lots of different people doing lots of different things on a Mac. And if you think back to some of the earlier Mac ads there was the one where "this is what you have to know to use a PC" and they drop a giant user's guide and "this is what you have to know to use a Mac" and they drop a very thin user's guide. And there was also the one about "this is how you setup a Mac" (I think for the first iMac) which was plug it in, plug in the network cable and turn it on".
I'm in the minority who didn't like this ad. I don't expect a Mac ad to read off specs to me, but I should buy a Mac because I can put stickers on it? Really? Who is the target for this ad - 12 year old girls? (Or is it old men who remember the rainbow logo?)
Wouldn't a better ad have been to either emphasize the UI, emphasize all the apps available (like they largely do for iPad and iPhone ads), emphasize distinctive users, emphasize users who carry it around or emphasize the ease of integration/sync between the Mac, iPads and iPhones?
I have watched this ad over ad nauseam all day with my krkvxt6's cranked up to no. 11 I'm now regretting that I did not purchase that rp10s sub I saw on ebay last week. The ad immediately inspired me to copy the 8 bit logo to make an avatar, which I can't manage to get working.
Originally Posted by zoetmb
I should buy a Mac because I can put stickers on it? Really? Who is the target for this ad - 12 year old girls?
No you should buy a mac because you love whatever it is you love about mac, I'd never deface the pristine spartan beauty with a sticker but I get the point.
That's a puzzling statement. Are you suggesting that Apple is advertising for itself, and not its customers?
He's not saying that. He's saying that if an individual doesn't get the ad doesn't mean that Apple has failed to target the ad properly. I like the ad and I've read many positive comments so it's working on some level.
I Love Apple but they appear to be struggling with advertising- this seems out of sync, the last 5 commercials are jumping around, and lacking coherent vision. Where's the stamping overarching message and brand impact?
Apple is better than this, I expect better!!!
Ha! You'd have a great criticism if it were the 1960s.
But I guess you'll have to go back to commercial film school in this century.
I agree... ads today need to catch the viewer with the attention span of someone with ADHD disorder on a sugar high... Leaving us old guys going, "What the heck was that!?"
Keep in mind that this ad is really targeting Back to School sales (time of year and Macbook Air). It is very well done and targets that demographic phenomenally well.
I hope I'm off base here, but I really did not like this ad at all. It's a fine ad, but doesn't come close to the quality that Apple should be putting out. It tries to be cool and cute, but it fails because there is no substance behind it. The black decals are cute, but who really uses them? I've never seen one out in the "wild." I have an awesome gelaskin, and the minimalistic design of the MBA lends itself perfectly to show it off. But the black decals seem like a miss. Also, what was with the glitchyness at the end? A strange effect with no intuitive purpose (that I could see). Who watching that knows what Apple's old logo looks like? And even knowing that, I still don't get it. Please Apple don't put more ads out there like this one. The only positive I got from it was promoting customizability, which I think is an under appreciated benefit of apples minimalist aesthetic, but I still think this could have been promoted more effectively.
I really do think you are off base here. You also do not sound like someone firmly within the targeted demographic. The millennials put stickers all over their computers. You can even get your computer laser etched if you don't like stickers.
The glitch effect with the old logo was well done. The commercial was edgy because it was in your face weather you like stickers, the music, or not. It was all about the cultural expression that is shown by people decorating their computers that they love. Cultural expression is a historical underlying trait for Apple and another good reason for a nod to the old logo. To me it says they are in some ways still the old Apple. To the target millennials it is retro even if they don't understand the old Apple.
One question I'd have is why are they promoting Macbook Airs when they only got a minor update? If there's to be Retina Macbook Airs coming, why promote the old model? Maybe there won't be another Air update this year. Haswell refresh for the MBP, a drop-in upgrade for the Mac Pro and that leaves the biggest Mac update for 2014 being the Retina iMac with Retina Thunderbolt displays and TB2. The bigger laptop updates might be pushed to next Summer for Broadwell as those will get faster integrated graphics to drive the Retina displays.
Yeah, I don’t get that. I’d love for avatars to be enabled site-wide. And while they’re at it (because they’d have to take the site down with a “we’ll be back!” page when this happens... for whatever mind-numbingly stupid reason...), they could also let users edit their taglines. Not that I don’t still love cartography, but...
As Soli has mentioned earlier, & made clearer after his edit, they are not allowed in 'Desktop' mode, but they are in 'Mobile' mode.
These modes are selectable at the bottom of each page, though I cannot recall if you have to be a site member (logged in) or not, but it is easy enough to confirm.
One question I'd have is why are they promoting Macbook Airs when they only got a minor update? If there's to be Retina Macbook Airs coming, why promote the old model? Maybe there won't be another Air update this year.
That's a strange question to me. That's like saying: "Why are they promoting the iPhone 5s when it's a year old and rumored to be replaced soon? If there's to be a bigger screen iPhone 6 coming, why promote the old model? Maybe there won't be another iPhone this year."
Comments
That is a pretty short commercial. Probably more to come. A little early for back to school but the target market is unmistakeable.
Agree about reading too much into rainbow.
As for blasted for not showing specs or usefulness… When has Apple ever done that in a commercial??
They've done it lots of times, indirectly, through lifestyle ads showing lots of different people doing lots of different things on a Mac. And if you think back to some of the earlier Mac ads there was the one where "this is what you have to know to use a PC" and they drop a giant user's guide and "this is what you have to know to use a Mac" and they drop a very thin user's guide. And there was also the one about "this is how you setup a Mac" (I think for the first iMac) which was plug it in, plug in the network cable and turn it on".
I'm in the minority who didn't like this ad. I don't expect a Mac ad to read off specs to me, but I should buy a Mac because I can put stickers on it? Really? Who is the target for this ad - 12 year old girls? (Or is it old men who remember the rainbow logo?)
Wouldn't a better ad have been to either emphasize the UI, emphasize all the apps available (like they largely do for iPad and iPhone ads), emphasize distinctive users, emphasize users who carry it around or emphasize the ease of integration/sync between the Mac, iPads and iPhones?
I have watched this ad over ad nauseam all day with my krkvxt6's cranked up to no. 11 I'm now regretting that I did not purchase that rp10s sub I saw on ebay last week. The ad immediately inspired me to copy the 8 bit logo to make an avatar, which I can't manage to get working.
I should buy a Mac because I can put stickers on it? Really? Who is the target for this ad - 12 year old girls?
No you should buy a mac because you love whatever it is you love about mac, I'd never deface the pristine spartan beauty with a sticker but I get the point.
Not sure it's something I'd do...but it does look cool!
Great ad.
Best.
Critics: Apple does some things right sometimes.
Trolls: Must fight all positive perceptions of Apple.
It's working fine. There are no avatars allowed on [desktop] AI threads[, which I assume is why you think it's not working correctly.]
Nobody cares if you don't 'get it'. Especially Apple.
That's a puzzling statement. Are you suggesting that Apple is advertising for itself, and not its customers?
He's not saying that. He's saying that if an individual doesn't get the ad doesn't mean that Apple has failed to target the ad properly. I like the ad and I've read many positive comments so it's working on some level.
It's working fine. There are no avatars allowed on AI threads.
Ahem...
I Love Apple but they appear to be struggling with advertising- this seems out of sync, the last 5 commercials are jumping around, and lacking coherent vision. Where's the stamping overarching message and brand impact?
Apple is better than this, I expect better!!!
Ha! You'd have a great criticism if it were the 1960s.
But I guess you'll have to go back to commercial film school in this century.
I agree... ads today need to catch the viewer with the attention span of someone with ADHD disorder on a sugar high... Leaving us old guys going, "What the heck was that!?"
Keep in mind that this ad is really targeting Back to School sales (time of year and Macbook Air). It is very well done and targets that demographic phenomenally well.
I hope I'm off base here, but I really did not like this ad at all. It's a fine ad, but doesn't come close to the quality that Apple should be putting out. It tries to be cool and cute, but it fails because there is no substance behind it. The black decals are cute, but who really uses them? I've never seen one out in the "wild." I have an awesome gelaskin, and the minimalistic design of the MBA lends itself perfectly to show it off. But the black decals seem like a miss. Also, what was with the glitchyness at the end? A strange effect with no intuitive purpose (that I could see). Who watching that knows what Apple's old logo looks like? And even knowing that, I still don't get it. Please Apple don't put more ads out there like this one. The only positive I got from it was promoting customizability, which I think is an under appreciated benefit of apples minimalist aesthetic, but I still think this could have been promoted more effectively.
I really do think you are off base here. You also do not sound like someone firmly within the targeted demographic. The millennials put stickers all over their computers. You can even get your computer laser etched if you don't like stickers.
The glitch effect with the old logo was well done. The commercial was edgy because it was in your face weather you like stickers, the music, or not. It was all about the cultural expression that is shown by people decorating their computers that they love. Cultural expression is a historical underlying trait for Apple and another good reason for a nod to the old logo. To me it says they are in some ways still the old Apple. To the target millennials it is retro even if they don't understand the old Apple.
It is not early for back to school by Apple's standards. Apple has already been running their promotion for the gift card deal this year.
Yeah, I don’t get that. I’d love for avatars to be enabled site-wide. And while they’re at it (because they’d have to take the site down with a “we’ll be back!” page when this happens... for whatever mind-numbingly stupid reason...), they could also let users edit their taglines. Not that I don’t still love cartography, but...
As Soli has mentioned earlier, & made clearer after his edit, they are not allowed in 'Desktop' mode, but they are in 'Mobile' mode.
These modes are selectable at the bottom of each page, though I cannot recall if you have to be a site member (logged in) or not, but it is easy enough to confirm.
One question I'd have is why are they promoting Macbook Airs when they only got a minor update? If there's to be Retina Macbook Airs coming, why promote the old model? Maybe there won't be another Air update this year.
That's a strange question to me. That's like saying: "Why are they promoting the iPhone 5s when it's a year old and rumored to be replaced soon? If there's to be a bigger screen iPhone 6 coming, why promote the old model? Maybe there won't be another iPhone this year."
It's working fine. There are no avatars allowed on [desktop] AI threads[, which I assume is why you think it's not working correctly.]
Ah yes now I see that it only works for the ai app, there is also no avatar on the mobile version as well as the desktop version.