What advertising concepts could Microsoft use against Apple?
I ask this for academic feedback, as I am an advertising major 
Seriously, I was thinking of an ad with all these snooty apple store employees, or graphic designer types, saying "I don't think you need to do that." or "I think that's not important" or "I think you don't understand" and then cut back to a kid looking at the camera saying "I just want to play a game on a mac" or a mom saying "I just want to do x,y, or z"- whatever they can come up with that apple supposedly can't do.
Then, a tagline- "Vista Can" or "Forget the I-Way" or something like that, and some happy music, and the microsoft vista logo.
See, I have been going around and around with this idea that Microsoft is finally going to attack apple. I am a mac convert- and I won't ever go back. I just don't know how they could do it. The only thing I could see them doing is taking on the "image" of the stereotypical mac user- I am not saying it is correct, but hey- the stereotype is out there.
The ad agency they hired is pretty amazing- I am itching to see what they come up with.
I figured being that we are mac users, some of us converts away from vista and xp, there might be some interesting discussion on what approach an "anti-mac microsoft campaign might take.
Thoughts, anyone?
Seriously, I was thinking of an ad with all these snooty apple store employees, or graphic designer types, saying "I don't think you need to do that." or "I think that's not important" or "I think you don't understand" and then cut back to a kid looking at the camera saying "I just want to play a game on a mac" or a mom saying "I just want to do x,y, or z"- whatever they can come up with that apple supposedly can't do.
Then, a tagline- "Vista Can" or "Forget the I-Way" or something like that, and some happy music, and the microsoft vista logo.
See, I have been going around and around with this idea that Microsoft is finally going to attack apple. I am a mac convert- and I won't ever go back. I just don't know how they could do it. The only thing I could see them doing is taking on the "image" of the stereotypical mac user- I am not saying it is correct, but hey- the stereotype is out there.
The ad agency they hired is pretty amazing- I am itching to see what they come up with.
I figured being that we are mac users, some of us converts away from vista and xp, there might be some interesting discussion on what approach an "anti-mac microsoft campaign might take.
Thoughts, anyone?
Comments
What is your source?
Are you for real! Wow- that would be hilarious.
What is your source?
I don't remember where I read that but it was several weeks ago. Google "microsoft knoxville" and you'll come up with a few hits
"Forget the I-Way"
Is it to late to change your major?
is it to late to change your major?
lol!!!
Anyway...
I agree with the other post about never talking about the #2- but I think there is a serious problem with Microsoft's eroding market share- every mac buy is not just a pc non-buy, but a buy against the market for future microsoft operating system upgrades. The buyer of a new mac would have been the buyer of a new pc that would likely be able to run the next windows. So #2 by marketshare today is likely on the road to being #1 by marketshare in the future. By that estimation, I think that makes Apple the #1, considering the next major revenue jump for Microsoft will be with their next major operating system.
Or Zune
You should know as an advertising major that the #1 never talks about the #2. If you're bigger you don't acknowledge the smaller players. I think they'll probably do stuff that talks up the features of Vista without explicitly mentioning the Mac. Of course, CPB has gone against the rules in the past, so I'm very interested to see what they decide to do as well. Having been an Associate Creative Director on the MS account for many years, I'm not so sure the barrier is the agency as it is the client.
So obviously the people at Bud Lite and Miller Lite didn't major in Advertising
Hey- I have an idea- how about people posting in this thread stay on topic and talk about approaches Microsoft might take in attacking Apple or promoting Vista instead of throwing lame insults at each other?
Agreed.
My point was not meant to be derogatory but rather quite serious in a playful manner. Look, I'll be the first to admit I know nothing about advertising except for two things:
1) Advertise what works
2) Don't forget #1
Budweiser is something like three times the size of Miller (well, before MillerCoors) and they didn't hesitate. If I thought long and hard enough I could probly come up with more examples but my point was simply "if it works, nothing is off limits"
I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but if you did an advertising major why can't you come up with something like that... It's like the advertising agency they hired to create the London 2012 Olympics Logo. They spent a quarter of a million pounds and all they managed to create looks like something a child would vomit up after playing with play-do.
I ask this for academic feedback, as I am an advertising major
Seriously, I was thinking of an ad with all these snooty apple store employees, or graphic designer types, saying "I don't think you need to do that." or "I think that's not important" or "I think you don't understand" and then cut back to a kid looking at the camera saying "I just want to play a game on a mac" or a mom saying "I just want to do x,y, or z"- whatever they can come up with that apple supposedly can't do.
Then, a tagline- "Vista Can" or "Forget the I-Way" or something like that, and some happy music, and the microsoft vista logo.
So obviously the people at Bud Lite and Miller Lite didn't major in Advertising
I don't follow their campaigns that closely but I don't recall Bud Light basing any campaigns on Miller Lite. Whereas Miller Lite is pretty famous for "Tastes Great, Less Filling." I also started my career working on Diet Pepsi and Pepsi. The same rule applied there. Pepsi's advertising was about Coke; Coke doesn't do ads about Pepsi.
Did I not also say in my post that CPB is an agency that could go against the "rules"? They're the folks behind the "Truth" campaign for anti-smoking. I think it's probably the most interesting and effective anti-smoking campaign that could be done.
No idiot, I graduated. But hey- good anonymous comment.
Word of advice. Try less of the idiot stuff. And what do you mean by anonymous?
I asked an honest question that I thought might lead to a dialogue that possibly could help you in any future career choice. Mistakenly I was too late. I am sorry.
PS. "Microsoft, better than Apple ..... honestly" (Happy music. Cut to logo)
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...=-1&oq=truenuf
The thing I find ironic though is if they do a anti-Apple advertising campaign, it's actually just another thing they've copied Apple at.
If M$ did anti-Apple ads it'd be like they're acknowledging Apple as a threat to their core business. M$ in its infinite arrogance will never admit that.
There are a number of things PCs are better at like software compatibility, driver support, games, upgrades (cost and choice), repair centers, performance due to not having limiting designs. 3rd parties have already done ads about these on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...=-1&oq=truenuf
The thing I find ironic though is if they do a anti-Apple advertising campaign, it's actually just another thing they've copied Apple at.
Repair centres?
Yeah, you can take your PC into almost any local PC store for repair. Obviously inside of warranty you'd return it to where you bought it but for any kind of upgrade or fix, there are way more PC shops than Apple certified repair shops and the PC shops charge much less for their engineers to fix stuff.
Driver support?
I don't know of a single device that doesn't have a Windows driver but I've come across quite a few devices such as old laser printers, multi-function inkjets, webcams, voice recorders, keyboards, USB modems, GPS devices etc that don't have Mac drivers.
Even performance (every day use) all questionable, particularly the first two.
Performance can vary from machine to machine and a lot of cheap PCs I've used typically don't run that well but right now, you can get double the hardware performance for the same price on some models or the same performance for close to half the price. The hardware usually isn't that bad performance-wise on the Mac but they also lack options (BTO and models to choose from).
Software performance I find better on Windows. Applications launch quicker and everything just seems more optimized. I know that it depends on the apps and it's not always Apple's fault for this but it's annoying to go into VMWare, click on Microsoft Word and it's launched and ready to type almost before I release the mouse button and I wish that OS X apps did the same. Hardly any OS X apps pop up immediately. Launch Textedit and boom it's there. That's what a lot of apps do on Windows.
I wouldn't trade the Mac experience for a Windows one in a million years but there is definitely material that Microsoft could use in advertising against Apple.
This one about Mac gaming is a bit old but it's still really funny:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiAgrrwL_mk
The bit where he whispers Photoshop is awesome.
It's true that you can do gaming on a Mac:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qacYf...eature=related
but only really using Windows. The Mac OS still lacks developer support. They might have to attack it from two angles because if they say things like Macs don't run games, they define 'Mac' to mean Mac hardware + Mac OS X.
If M$ did anti-Apple ads it'd be like they're acknowledging Apple as a threat to their core business. M$ in its infinite arrogance will never admit that.
I think you're right but isn't Ballmer in charge now?
The message will be, with a PC you can upgrade the part you need, but with a Mac, you have to buy a new Mac to get the "latest and greatest", and that is if you can even get the latest and greatest.