Penny Arcade doesn't like the Switch campaign
I don't find the neurotic caricatures selected for these ads compelling in the least, they're not realer, they're people I want to avoid at all costs, examining my own life to systematically eradicate any similarities I might find between us. They are avatars of a corporation, not some kind of social movement, inheriting at full volume the smug superiority that Windows users seek to return in kind.
I'm inclined to agree with him.
On the issue of computer friendliness. <a href="http://www.theonion.com/onion3636/counterpoint_technology.html"; target="_blank">The Onion</a> reminds us yet again that 99% of the time, it's the user's problem.
[ 07-12-2002: Message edited by: groverat ]</p>
Comments
Apple, you hear this? Get me up there. I'll talk about all the really hot girls that ask me about my 'pretty laptop'. Yeah. You'll have tens of thousands of college guys buying PowerBooks. Promise.
It would be a marketing coup if Apple could cater to the elitists and the common user.
And it looks like that's pretty much what they're setting out to do. I don't really see the PA guy's disapproval as a red alert. The guy is obviously techy and nerdy enough to know better, but that's not what marketing is about anyway...
Would elitist attitudes exist without envy?
[quote]The whole thing is stupid. If Apple really wanted to sell more Macs, they should just show people how it looks when you minimize shit in OS X. I thought I was going to pee my pants.<hr></blockquote>
I do agree with him here though. If only they showed the eyecandy in motion in an ad. They've done iApp, hardware, and anecdotal ads. It's time for a straight OS X ad.
I've never met an Apple Elitist Asshole. Evey Apple user I've ever known has been kind thoughful but never put down people for using Windows. That's like calling someone stupid for using AOL who has never really known any other way to go online.
If you look at some of the testimonials, most of the switchers never knew anything about the Mac except that it was thought of as a toy or as a computer for artists. They didn't know that it was a tool that anybody could (and should) use.
Later...
Windows is almost like a straw man at this point. Everyone who uses computers is familiar with the Blue Screen of Death, the lock-ups, the crashes, the incompatibilities. So when Apple starts beating the man down, it's bound to polarize and offend some people. Especially those who strongly identify with particular brands. Like us.
MS's new ad campaign: Switchback!
<strong>I must say, if the ugly halfwits that Apple picked are what's considered the 'elitist mac user base' -- god help us all.
Apple, you hear this? Get me up there. I'll talk about all the really hot girls that ask me about my 'pretty laptop'. Yeah. You'll have tens of thousands of college guys buying PowerBooks. Promise.</strong><hr></blockquote>
"ya I used to use a PC notebook, but uh, nobody seemed to really care. Oh ya, and it was a horrid machine. It had these holes in the side for either a CD ROM or a battery or somethin', I could never figure out which. So I bought my uh, ya, PowerBook and now uh when I use it in the Starbucks and uh public places, all these hot chicks ask me about my cute computer. Uh, my name's Jonathan and I'm an internet forum administrator."
Actually the amount of attractive women that talk to you when you have a Mac laptop does go up, I have first hand experience as well.
I guess I should really care what he thinks.
For the record, I think the Switch campaign is in essence a good idea, but the people they have chosen and the way they present their stories are less than compelling. I think their ad agency maybe dropped the ball.
Thoth
<strong>What if Penny Arcade were to bash a Pine-Sol commercial?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Why, I suppose I'd have to re-think my choice of Pine-Sol as a floor cleaner. <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
[quote]<strong>Who cares?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Indeed.
[ 07-12-2002: Message edited by: spotbug ]</p>
HOWEVER, 10.1 has been pretty damn functional and solid and full-featured for a good while now...and still not ONE OS X commercial!
I find that amazing. We get Windows XP spots with people flying around offices and pastures, but Apple can't put together 30 seconds of dock-showing, burning-from-the-finder, Aqua-is-lickable, iApp-integrated OS X coolness?
So odd...
IF Apple (instead of the ordinary, regular-joe people they chose) had gone with perfect, flawless and impossibly attractive people for these "Switch" ads, they'd get reamed JUST as hard for being "unrealistic" or "trying to insinuate that Mac users are more attractive..." or whatever.
So they go with REAL people, with REAL hair-do's and clothes and people (like Supreme Idiot of the Hemisphere Dvorak) go on about how "ugly, plain and unexciting..." they are.
Can't win for losing.
Although I do agree with Jonathan. I hope a second series of "Switch" ads in unveiled soon and features a new crop of faces and personalities (some youth, some funkiness, a senior citizen, a soccer mom, perhaps a famous face or two, etc.).
These current people are sincere and all, but the ads are a bit of a yawn.
Apple CONSTANTLY seems to NOT expoit and fall back on its one amazing trump card and big gun: it's style, vibe and ease-of-use.
Start making some commercials showing someone burning a CD or doing the iDVD thing or iTunes or whatever. SHOW Microsoft Office and AOL and whatever the hell else people like to use BEING USED on a Mac!
Why is this so hard?
All this stuff is SCREAMING to be done, and all we'll get is 8 more so-so looking and flat, boring cubicle jockeys yammering on about their "switching" success.
Actually, the campaign needs to be broken up: "Switch" would be one component. But there needs to be a component highlighting the OS, and another campaign showcasing the iApps, THEN a fourth one tackling "the myths" head on and straight-forward.
The four of these approaches TOGETHER (with generous footage of gorgeous Apple hardware doing its thing and looking all yummy in the process) would probably spark some interest.
Don't you think?
We all know Apple has some VERY high-profile and prominent Mac users out there. I wouldn't mind seeing a separate campaign featuring some of these people touting the platform.
When you think about it, THAT approach would probably go 10 times further than some denim-shirted nobody nervously gesturing and fumbling for his words for 30 seconds.
All those famous people we know who use Macs and Apple products (Harrison Ford, Shaq, Kevin Smith, Hines, Seal, Moby, Coppola, Drew Carey, etc....TONS of people from all fields of art and entertainment and sports).
Nope, makes too much sense...
<a href="http://www.atnewyork.com/news/article.php/1403581"; target="_blank">"Mac users rule says study"</a>
they aren't aimed at 99% of the people out there.
they are aimed at sys admins, unix users, uber geeks.
the reason why? apple has to shake this "toy" computer and OS problem they've had for years.
convince a few geeks to get on board and let word of mouth do the rest. watching Tom Cruise talk about how great the Mac is would not impress me. some fat bearded Unix head falling all over himself talking about how great a Mac is would.
and know what? if i think Macs are a viable option that's at least 300 people in my dept. alone who come to me and hear from my mouth that they should look at a Mac as well as PC's when they go to make their purchases.
that's worth more than Tom Cruise, IMO.
Re-read my post (first, I don't give a rat's ass about Mr. Cruise). I very clearly state that a celebrity approach be a PART of a multi-pronged campaign:
1. The "Switch" ads, as they are, updated every now and then with more success stories of "regular people". These ads pull in the hardcore types, the geeks, etc.
2. OS X
3. iApps
4. Famous people, for those who DON'T give two damns about what some fat, bearded Linux spaz has to say. Some people (not all, SOME) are impressed and swayed by celebrity and fame, Tom Cruise or otherwise. That's just true, so why not use it?
Not everyone is swayed by the geekier arguments and reasons.
Either way, I never said it had to be an "either/or" situation. Tons of companies have campaigns that alter the feel/approach a bit, depending on what they're trying sell and who they're selling it to.
All the seniors, soccer moms, students, teenagers, twenty-somethings, movie fans, TV viewers, CD buyers, etc. out there (and there are more of them than diehard geek types) aren't going to be impressed by a geek-centric approach either, you know?
My mom wouldn't care if the top guy at NASA or MIT was on an Apple commercial, praising the OS and hardware to the heavens. But if Vince Gill or Gene Hackman was sitting on a stool and talking about how "cool and easy to use" his iBook is, she's buy one TODAY! Hell, probably TWO.
[ 07-12-2002: Message edited by: pscates ]</p>
<strong>All the seniors, soccer moms, students, teenagers, twenty-somethings, movie fans, TV viewers, CD buyers, etc. out there (and there are more of them than diehard geek types) aren't going to be impressed by a geek-centric approach either, you know?[ 07-12-2002: Message edited by: pscates ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
All points noted, but I might add that this agenda does get some exposure in the form of ongoing product placement in popular TV shows that do address seniors, soccer moms, movie fans, etc. Shows like Ally McBeal, Boston Public, that show about the American Embassy, Dark Angel, that 70's show (OK, I made that one up, but wouldn't that be weird if a Mac some how ended up in the 70's era show?), Hank Hill, numerous "retro" Mac inferences in Futurama, X-files, older shows such as 90210 and Melrose Pl, Saturday Night Live, and plenty more that I'm not aware of...
I do agree that a celebrity-Switch commercial would be nice to see, but for the most part- nah gonna happen. A celebrity roundup like that would probably be waaay too expensive, and not every Mac-using celebrity would want to participate for fear of cheapening their star image. Maybe they could swing a promotional campaign deal with a single celebrity (outta work and/or retired from Hollywood)- sort of like Kirstie Allie for Pier 1 and those Radio Shack celebrities. Maybe the "Lone Gunman" cameo would make a good commercial showing all the cool, sci-fi stuff you can do in "teh Unix" of OSX? Then you could have the lovely Gillian Anderson do a promo- just being, well, lovely and such. I'm sure Lee Horsely, Ted Danson, that Magnum PI dude could use some work? That'll cover the Mom sector. ...But I guess going in so many directions at once, you risk losing the focus of your ad.
Here's annother one where penny-arcade looks at fanatical mac fans:
Seeing a purple iMac on that lady's desk on Drew Carey's show probably isn't actually contributing to any sales or increased popularity.
Macs could be prominently featured on every TV show made, but if it's just a silent background prop, nothing much changes.
I do like how Macs are often shown in lots of TV shows. But it's more for us "already on the team" guy than anything. I mean, WE'RE the ones who get jazzed about it. Not a PC-using, casual viewer.
So there STILL needs to be some informative, cool-looking ads. That's never been in question.
As for the celebrity thing, it wouldn't be a "switch" series. The switch series is what it is: real people in real situations.
I'd envision celebrity usage being more in the vein of celebrities who ALREADY use (and have for a good while now) Macs and are talking about them in a passionate and motivating way, showing off the hardware, touting the ease-of-use, iApps, things they do with it, etc.
There are enough Mac-using celebrities (of all levels...doesn't HAVE to be a Harrison Ford-level mega-star...actually, I'd kinda prefer if it wasn't!). But some lower-key, likable and popular types (I'd love to see Sheryl Crow, Luke Wilson, Don Cheadle, Eric Idle, Gillian Anderson, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, the "Malcolm in the Middle" mom, etc. THOSE types of people. Recognizable and well-known, but still seem somewhat "real" or in touch with the world, and liked/admired (at least not outright hated) by most people.
In other words, NO Michael Jackson, Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Manson or Madonna types. They're on their own planet, in lots of ways. Too detached, too distant, too polarizing. Too unlike most of the real world, you know?
Play it safe, BUT play it very cool. It can be done.
[ 07-12-2002: Message edited by: pscates ]</p>