It seems many of us are not impressed. But I am. I think this is a very, very shrewd ad. The comparison is unfair (in terms of equal quality), but the ad sidesteps that of course in a smart way. So, they might get away with a simple misleading comparison.
The "no cool enough to own a Mac" is IMO also brilliant advertising. Coming from what ia apparently a reasonably cool girl, it depicts Apple and Apple users as snobs and elitists.
The fact that she then behaves so enthusiastically about the 'coolness' of the PC also counters the normal customer equation "cheap = uncool, worthless, bad".
Summing it up. it brilliantly (but misleadingly) depicts Apple as hugely overpriced.
So, this is brilliant advertising. The only way I can see this neutralized is when the independent press makes big work of it in terms of misleading. People like to pick on Microsoft, so that might happen.
But the ad is utterly brilliant.
Personally, I think Apple is slightly overpriced and my personal experiences with quality are also not very good. But I would not touch a Windows PC with a pole, because of the software. At work I am a WIndows user and I am each day reminded how clunky I find it compared to OS X. I would not take a Windows laptop for free (I could probably get one from work if I wanted). It would only be more stuff to lug around.
The premise is that Windows and other software bundled with PCs are equal in value to Mac OS X and iLife. Or, alternatively, that all software on a new computer is free, and the price tag is only for hardware.
If you buy that premise, you're dumb enough to be influenced by this ad.
I'm sure CP+B (M$'s ad agency) really had to dig deep to come up with this ad.
"Hmm. Let's take the oldest anti-apple cliche in the book, and have it delivered by a pseudo-cool 'everyday' chick. Oh, and the fact that this cliche happens to conveniently share timing with a recession, that works out great too. Also, let's not forget to ignore any mention whatsoever of our client's product."
People are in a recession. Apple have 28 billion in the bank. I'd like Apple to reduce their margins so that customers who stood by the company in the 'good times' are rewarded in the 'bad times'. But no. Apple doesn't even keep them level. They jack them up by at least 20% here in the UK. And that isn't all stering either. Other PC companies...loads of them...can take a hit on margins to sell a fair spec for a fair price.
Lemon Bon Bon.
Apple has a year round student discount. It is pretty good for students. Best time to buy is during the Summer deal. Last Summer students got free iPod Touches. That beats the hell out of a Zune or a digital camera. Just check out the education section. I guess their thinking is get them while they are young. That new Mac will take them all the way through their college years without complaints.
Oh and students buy laptops. With fully wired campus across the country, there is no reason to not take your laptop to class. Typing my notes kept them organized and readable. They were also indexable through search. My handwriting is not what it once was, but my typing skills are top notch. With the text to speech features built system wide, reading or rather listening to text was faster than ever and understanding was easier. E-books and audio books are really going to open the performance gap between those that have a computer and those that don't.
BTW student means any student. That is K-12 and college. Same great discount.
Apple might be a tad concerned about this data point too, as the "premium" brand touting reliability, ease of use and quality service:
March 25, 2009 (Computerworld) For the first time, Apple Inc. dropped out of the top spot in the computer-reliability ranking of Rescuecom Corp., a Syracuse, N.Y.-based chain of service shops, and ended in third place behind a pair of Asian computer makers that specialize in laptops.
Apple's Macs, which led all comers in Rescuecom's rankings during 2007 and 2008, were beaten in the first quarter of 2009 by machines sold by Asustek Computer Inc. (better known as Asus) and Lenovo Group Ltd. Following Apple in fourth through sixth place were Toshiba, Acer and Hewlett-Packard, respectively.
Funny to think that the ad agency Microsoft just hired to trash Apple runs Macs and edits all their campaigns on Final Cut Pro. Apple did a story on them a few years ago.
It seems many of us are not impressed. But I am. I think this is a very, very shrewd ad. The comparison is unfair (in terms of equal quality), but the ad sidesteps that of course in a smart way. So, they might get away with a simple misleading comparison.
The "no cool enough to own a Mac" is IMO also brilliant advertising. Coming from what ia apparently a reasonably cool girl, it depicts Apple and Apple users as snobs and elitists.
The fact that she then behaves so enthusiastically about the 'coolness' of the PC also counters the normal customer equation "cheap = uncool, worthless, bad".
Summing it up. it brilliantly (but misleadingly) depicts Apple as hugely overpriced.
So, this is brilliant advertising. The only way I can see this neutralized is when the independent press makes big work of it in terms of misleading. People like to pick on Microsoft, so that might happen.
But the ad is utterly brilliant.
Personally, I think Apple is slightly overpriced and my personal experiences with quality are also not very good. But I would not touch a Windows PC with a pole, because of the software. At work I am a WIndows user and I am each day reminded how clunky I find it compared to OS X. I would not take a Windows laptop for free (I could probably get one from work if I wanted). It would only be more stuff to lug around.
You know, there's a difference between depicting something and that something being effective.
Just because MS paid someone to pretend to be enthusiastic about her PC doesn't abruptly change people's feelings about PCs, which, from my experience, are rarely "enthusiastic" and generally more along the lines of "I just assumed it was what I was supposed to get" or "was cheap at Walmart."
And while there may be a certain demo that responds to "I guess I'm not cool enough to own a Mac", aren't they the same people that are already pretty sure they hate Macs, Apple, Apple's customers, iTunes, the iPhone, etc.? Who endlessly drone on on the internet about how all of Apple's customers are witless hipsters, posers, wannabes, vapid rich people, sheep, etc.?
In case anyone's forgotten, Apple currently has a lot more customers than Mac owners, and they may be somewhat taken aback to have MS tell them they they're assholes.
Apple has so rarely sold on price it could be argued they never sell on price. Apple has sold on the experience since 1984. And it is not just the hardware & OS, it is the bundled Apple applications.
The fact is, Windows is selling against itself here, because they have already established the fallacy that you get more bang for the buck. Did the agency, not get the underling message, clearly the ad committee at MS did. The redhead's first visit/choice was Apple, and she had to substitute a cheaper alternative. MS cannot advertise on superior usability or processing power or ease of connectivity because the have no advantage here.
They are relying on the hardware manufacturers to make their claim a reality. MS owes HP big time, because they are borrowing from HP's brand cache not their own. Microsoft's marketing is a ship without a captain and perhaps a wheel, it is drifting from one failed message to another. This ad toys with, but misses the only real competitive advantage MS has, choice of hardware manufacturer. As a boxed purchase off the shelf it is not only more expensive than the MacOS, but like Vista itself it is unnecessarily complicated to select the right version for the user.
It seems many of us are not impressed. But I am. I think this is a very, very shrewd ad. The comparison is unfair (in terms of equal quality), but the ad sidesteps that of course in a smart way. So, they might get away with a simple misleading comparison.
The "no cool enough to own a Mac" is IMO also brilliant advertising. Coming from what ia apparently a reasonably cool girl, it depicts Apple and Apple users as snobs and elitists.
The fact that she then behaves so enthusiastically about the 'coolness' of the PC also counters the normal customer equation "cheap = uncool, worthless, bad".
Summing it up. it brilliantly (but misleadingly) depicts Apple as hugely overpriced.
So, this is brilliant advertising. The only way I can see this neutralized is when the independent press makes big work of it in terms of misleading. People like to pick on Microsoft, so that might happen.
But the ad is utterly brilliant.
Personally, I think Apple is slightly overpriced and my personal experiences with quality are also not very good. But I would not touch a Windows PC with a pole, because of the software. At work I am a WIndows user and I am each day reminded how clunky I find it compared to OS X. I would not take a Windows laptop for free (I could probably get one from work if I wanted). It would only be more stuff to lug around.
You missed it completely, she is excited because someone else is paying for her computer, not because it was a Vista OS. Her first choice was the first store she visited and everyone knows you cannot get a MS OS computer at the Apple store. Her happiest moment is when she is handed the wad of cash, not when she took possession of the HP computer. This ad only further devalues the brand of Microsoft. The agency and MS blew it again.
I'm still trying to determine the ultimate purpose of the ad. People who buy Macs obviously do so because they have done their homework and they know exactly what they are doing. I doubt someone who is intending to buy a Mac will see this ad and suddenly proclaim: "by golly, this is amazing! I can get a Windows based computer for less than a Mac! I never knew that! I'm going to go buy a $300 netbook right now!"
Aren't they just preaching to the choir? Someone who is more concerned about price and just needs a computer that will let them surf the net, watch YouTube, check e-mails probably intended to buy that $300 netbook anyway.
Apple might be a tad concerned about this data point too, as the "premium" brand touting reliability, ease of use and quality service:
March 25, 2009 (Computerworld) For the first time, Apple Inc. dropped out of the top spot in the computer-reliability ranking of Rescuecom Corp., a Syracuse, N.Y.-based chain of service shops, and ended in third place behind a pair of Asian computer makers that specialize in laptops.
Apple's Macs, which led all comers in Rescuecom's rankings during 2007 and 2008, were beaten in the first quarter of 2009 by machines sold by Asustek Computer Inc. (better known as Asus) and Lenovo Group Ltd. Following Apple in fourth through sixth place were Toshiba, Acer and Hewlett-Packard, respectively.
Comments
The "no cool enough to own a Mac" is IMO also brilliant advertising. Coming from what ia apparently a reasonably cool girl, it depicts Apple and Apple users as snobs and elitists.
The fact that she then behaves so enthusiastically about the 'coolness' of the PC also counters the normal customer equation "cheap = uncool, worthless, bad".
Summing it up. it brilliantly (but misleadingly) depicts Apple as hugely overpriced.
So, this is brilliant advertising. The only way I can see this neutralized is when the independent press makes big work of it in terms of misleading. People like to pick on Microsoft, so that might happen.
But the ad is utterly brilliant.
Personally, I think Apple is slightly overpriced and my personal experiences with quality are also not very good. But I would not touch a Windows PC with a pole, because of the software. At work I am a WIndows user and I am each day reminded how clunky I find it compared to OS X. I would not take a Windows laptop for free (I could probably get one from work if I wanted). It would only be more stuff to lug around.
If you buy that premise, you're dumb enough to be influenced by this ad.
But the ad is utterly brilliant.
Yep, that age-old "macs are expensive" routine is utterly brilliant. Utterly, undeniably, pulse-poundingly, life-affirmingly BRILLIANT.
"Hmm. Let's take the oldest anti-apple cliche in the book, and have it delivered by a pseudo-cool 'everyday' chick. Oh, and the fact that this cliche happens to conveniently share timing with a recession, that works out great too. Also, let's not forget to ignore any mention whatsoever of our client's product."
Utterly, utterly, brilliant.
I fully agree with this.
People are in a recession. Apple have 28 billion in the bank. I'd like Apple to reduce their margins so that customers who stood by the company in the 'good times' are rewarded in the 'bad times'. But no. Apple doesn't even keep them level. They jack them up by at least 20% here in the UK. And that isn't all stering either. Other PC companies...loads of them...can take a hit on margins to sell a fair spec for a fair price.
Lemon Bon Bon.
Apple has a year round student discount. It is pretty good for students. Best time to buy is during the Summer deal. Last Summer students got free iPod Touches. That beats the hell out of a Zune or a digital camera. Just check out the education section. I guess their thinking is get them while they are young. That new Mac will take them all the way through their college years without complaints.
Oh and students buy laptops. With fully wired campus across the country, there is no reason to not take your laptop to class. Typing my notes kept them organized and readable. They were also indexable through search. My handwriting is not what it once was, but my typing skills are top notch. With the text to speech features built system wide, reading or rather listening to text was faster than ever and understanding was easier. E-books and audio books are really going to open the performance gap between those that have a computer and those that don't.
BTW student means any student. That is K-12 and college. Same great discount.
let's not forget to ignore any mention whatsoever of our client's product."
they're smart about that. competitor and any third party products are legally prohibited from being shown in ads.
Funny to think that the ad agency Microsoft just hired to trash Apple runs Macs and edits all their campaigns on Final Cut Pro. Apple did a story on them a few years ago.
Clearly they saw the value
It seems many of us are not impressed. But I am. I think this is a very, very shrewd ad. The comparison is unfair (in terms of equal quality), but the ad sidesteps that of course in a smart way. So, they might get away with a simple misleading comparison.
The "no cool enough to own a Mac" is IMO also brilliant advertising. Coming from what ia apparently a reasonably cool girl, it depicts Apple and Apple users as snobs and elitists.
The fact that she then behaves so enthusiastically about the 'coolness' of the PC also counters the normal customer equation "cheap = uncool, worthless, bad".
Summing it up. it brilliantly (but misleadingly) depicts Apple as hugely overpriced.
So, this is brilliant advertising. The only way I can see this neutralized is when the independent press makes big work of it in terms of misleading. People like to pick on Microsoft, so that might happen.
But the ad is utterly brilliant.
Personally, I think Apple is slightly overpriced and my personal experiences with quality are also not very good. But I would not touch a Windows PC with a pole, because of the software. At work I am a WIndows user and I am each day reminded how clunky I find it compared to OS X. I would not take a Windows laptop for free (I could probably get one from work if I wanted). It would only be more stuff to lug around.
You know, there's a difference between depicting something and that something being effective.
Just because MS paid someone to pretend to be enthusiastic about her PC doesn't abruptly change people's feelings about PCs, which, from my experience, are rarely "enthusiastic" and generally more along the lines of "I just assumed it was what I was supposed to get" or "was cheap at Walmart."
And while there may be a certain demo that responds to "I guess I'm not cool enough to own a Mac", aren't they the same people that are already pretty sure they hate Macs, Apple, Apple's customers, iTunes, the iPhone, etc.? Who endlessly drone on on the internet about how all of Apple's customers are witless hipsters, posers, wannabes, vapid rich people, sheep, etc.?
In case anyone's forgotten, Apple currently has a lot more customers than Mac owners, and they may be somewhat taken aback to have MS tell them they they're assholes.
Apple's response ad: I'm too cool to be a PC person.
I wouldn't think you'd have trouble grasping sarcasm Wilco.
Or recognizing a sourced, indented, color-highlighted QUOTE..... ...but hey.....
The fact is, Windows is selling against itself here, because they have already established the fallacy that you get more bang for the buck. Did the agency, not get the underling message, clearly the ad committee at MS did. The redhead's first visit/choice was Apple, and she had to substitute a cheaper alternative. MS cannot advertise on superior usability or processing power or ease of connectivity because the have no advantage here.
They are relying on the hardware manufacturers to make their claim a reality. MS owes HP big time, because they are borrowing from HP's brand cache not their own. Microsoft's marketing is a ship without a captain and perhaps a wheel, it is drifting from one failed message to another. This ad toys with, but misses the only real competitive advantage MS has, choice of hardware manufacturer. As a boxed purchase off the shelf it is not only more expensive than the MacOS, but like Vista itself it is unnecessarily complicated to select the right version for the user.
attempt to storm the beachfront of the incumbent.
They went up against Tivo and failed
WebTV failure
Zune failure
Live Search vs Google failure
They haven't handed out abject defeat to another company since Netscape imploded.
No one but Paul Thurrotten is all that enthusiastic about Windows other than "what bugs can I be spared from?"
Attacking Apple on price is silly bottomfeeder stuff.
It seems many of us are not impressed. But I am. I think this is a very, very shrewd ad. The comparison is unfair (in terms of equal quality), but the ad sidesteps that of course in a smart way. So, they might get away with a simple misleading comparison.
The "no cool enough to own a Mac" is IMO also brilliant advertising. Coming from what ia apparently a reasonably cool girl, it depicts Apple and Apple users as snobs and elitists.
The fact that she then behaves so enthusiastically about the 'coolness' of the PC also counters the normal customer equation "cheap = uncool, worthless, bad".
Summing it up. it brilliantly (but misleadingly) depicts Apple as hugely overpriced.
So, this is brilliant advertising. The only way I can see this neutralized is when the independent press makes big work of it in terms of misleading. People like to pick on Microsoft, so that might happen.
But the ad is utterly brilliant.
Personally, I think Apple is slightly overpriced and my personal experiences with quality are also not very good. But I would not touch a Windows PC with a pole, because of the software. At work I am a WIndows user and I am each day reminded how clunky I find it compared to OS X. I would not take a Windows laptop for free (I could probably get one from work if I wanted). It would only be more stuff to lug around.
You missed it completely, she is excited because someone else is paying for her computer, not because it was a Vista OS. Her first choice was the first store she visited and everyone knows you cannot get a MS OS computer at the Apple store. Her happiest moment is when she is handed the wad of cash, not when she took possession of the HP computer. This ad only further devalues the brand of Microsoft. The agency and MS blew it again.
Aren't they just preaching to the choir? Someone who is more concerned about price and just needs a computer that will let them surf the net, watch YouTube, check e-mails probably intended to buy that $300 netbook anyway.
Apple might be a tad concerned about this data point too, as the "premium" brand touting reliability, ease of use and quality service: http://www.computerworld.com/action/...source=NLT_MAC
That is questionable at best assessment of ranking by Rescuecom Corp
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/0...ity-headlines/
They aren't even an authorized repair shop.
they're smart about that. competitor and any third party products are legally prohibited from being shown in ads.
You misread my comment. Microsoft's ad agency never once mentioned Vista in the new ad. Vista is their client's product.
Although the macbooks are nice little machines for the price, the apple tax on the pros is painful!