Huawei hires 'I'm a Mac' pitchman to take on Apple in US ad blitz

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 72
    I think the AD is great. Why do a lot of Apple fans on here feel the ned to constantly bash everything that isn't Apple??? No not a troll - use a ton of Apple stuff and still able to have an open mind about other brands. Think the AD is innovative and good luck to them :-)
  • Reply 22 of 72
    ireland said:
    The ad itself is worse than what I could make myself having never have made an ad.

    "Fireworks, is that supposed to be...". Yes, it is probably stolen directly from Messages full screen animation.
    I can believe you have never made an AD from your comments. Make an AD then for $80 budget and lets compare your AD to the Huawei :-) No? Don't want to? Thought that might be the case :-D
    edited February 2017
  • Reply 23 of 72
    avon b7 said:
    I wouldn't touch a Huawei phone with your hands, even if it ran iOS.
    When you factor in bang for buck, Huawei make some superb phones. They are now creeping into the high end market.  They were first with force touch on a phone, had dual lens before Apple and innovating with gestures on the fingerprint scanners (which have been consistently faster than Apple's and extremely accurate to boot). Their Android personalisation layer is different to other classic Android approaches but not too far from iOS at first glance.

    Design wise they have put a lot of effort into turning heads. Hold a Mate S in your hand and you understand with people call the latest Apple offerings 'boring'.

    Much more importantly, and this is key, smartphones have already reached the 'good enough' zone. There are millions of people willing to come down from the top tier to something that is more than capable but not bleeding edge. When you enter that group, design is still important and that is where you find Huawei waiting for you (or the Honor sub brand). Aggressive pricing doesn't give you the same margins as Apple but that isn't the point. If you are taking people from the top tier, albeit with reduced margins, you are doing more damage to the manufacturers in that band by making them lose the sale. Obviously Huawei is digging it's teeth into the Android high end market after having taken the middle ground by storm but it is getting ever closer to Apple users too. However, the US has been off limits so far. It has done spectacularly well in Europe and China but they have their sights on the US you can be sure.

    Maybe in China but not in the States dude.
    We are iPhone country in the States because we love Apple's services.

    Huawei is not know here so most people on a budget would likely buy a Google phone over Huawei.
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 24 of 72
    As an ad it misses the mark, but that isn't surprising for a WPP agency.
    How does it miss the mark? Am sure it is the first in a series of AD's. Certainly I am interested to see more and where they go with it :-)
  • Reply 25 of 72
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member
    From the top of the world to the bottom of the heap!
  • Reply 26 of 72
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,851member
    Come on Apple just for laughs get John Hodgman to do a 'I learned my lesson' ad. ;)
    SpamSandwichretrogustopalomineStrangeDayswatto_cobratallest skil
  • Reply 27 of 72
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 8,024member
    sog35 said:
    avon b7 said:
    I wouldn't touch a Huawei phone with your hands, even if it ran iOS.
    When you factor in bang for buck, Huawei make some superb phones. They are now creeping into the high end market.  They were first with force touch on a phone, had dual lens before Apple and innovating with gestures on the fingerprint scanners (which have been consistently faster than Apple's and extremely accurate to boot). Their Android personalisation layer is different to other classic Android approaches but not too far from iOS at first glance.

    Design wise they have put a lot of effort into turning heads. Hold a Mate S in your hand and you understand with people call the latest Apple offerings 'boring'.

    Much more importantly, and this is key, smartphones have already reached the 'good enough' zone. There are millions of people willing to come down from the top tier to something that is more than capable but not bleeding edge. When you enter that group, design is still important and that is where you find Huawei waiting for you (or the Honor sub brand). Aggressive pricing doesn't give you the same margins as Apple but that isn't the point. If you are taking people from the top tier, albeit with reduced margins, you are doing more damage to the manufacturers in that band by making them lose the sale. Obviously Huawei is digging it's teeth into the Android high end market after having taken the middle ground by storm but it is getting ever closer to Apple users too. However, the US has been off limits so far. It has done spectacularly well in Europe and China but they have their sights on the US you can be sure.
    This is absolutely 100% FALSE.

    Show me a single line of proof that shows former iPhone users are willing to buy a Huawei phone because its 'good enough'. Total and UTTER BULLSHIT.  New Huawei customers are former Samsung customers or feature phone users. iPhone has a retention rate in the 90%+ and Cook just announced they had the most Android switchers to iPhone in company history.

    Huawei, like all the other fake iPhone killers is capturing the low market. Samsung. Xiaomi, Now Huawei. All fake contenders who eventually get exposed for being copycats of Apple and nothing more.
    Re-read what I wrote. Pause for thought before replying. 

    I clearly stated that Huawei was digging its teeth into the high end Android market. I clearly stated that the US was currently hard to crack due to political reasons.

    Huawei will tempt iPhone users. That is the aim for the future. As for switchers, you are replying to one. As for the phones they produce, you clearly have never used one of their recent models. There is a clear reason for that.

    You call them 'fake iPhone killers' and ask for 'proof'. Well this 'iPhone killer' beat Apple to force touch on a phone, has better, more flexible fingerprint scanners, also designs its own processors and had dual lens before Apple etc.

    Processors aren't in the Apple class but that is exactly the point. This year was 'good enough' year. Huawei is pressing hard in Europe and I think it's overtaken Apple in some markets. 

    The huge drawback with regards the US and Huawei's is network infrastructure. Typically it will get carriers to install its infrastructure for delivery and then discount it's phones to the carriers as a reward. Carriers then push Huawei phones to users offering discount that undercut rivals. That situation will not last forever.

    Getting people to switch is obviously part of the plan when it eventually comes to competing with Apple but, as I said, switchingis involved and is less and less painful as we move into the cloud.
    edited February 2017
  • Reply 28 of 72
    MacPro said:
    Come on Apple just for laughs get John Hodgman to do a 'I learned my lesson' ad. ;)
    Or portray Hodgman as a down on his luck hobo, aimlessly riding the rails while being chased by train yard bulls.
    badmonkwatto_cobra
  • Reply 29 of 72
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    avon b7 said:
    I wouldn't touch a Huawei phone with your hands, even if it ran iOS.
    When you factor in bang for buck, Huawei make some superb phones. They are now creeping into the high end market.  They were first with force touch on a phone, had dual lens before Apple and innovating with gestures on the fingerprint scanners (which have been consistently faster than Apple's and extremely accurate to boot). Their Android personalisation layer is different to other classic Android approaches but not too far from iOS at first glance.

    Design wise they have put a lot of effort into turning heads. Hold a Mate S in your hand and you understand with people call the latest Apple offerings 'boring'.

    Much more importantly, and this is key, smartphones have already reached the 'good enough' zone. There are millions of people willing to come down from the top tier to something that is more than capable but not bleeding edge. When you enter that group, design is still important and that is where you find Huawei waiting for you (or the Honor sub brand). Aggressive pricing doesn't give you the same margins as Apple but that isn't the point. If you are taking people from the top tier, albeit with reduced margins, you are doing more damage to the manufacturers in that band by making them lose the sale. Obviously Huawei is digging it's teeth into the Android high end market after having taken the middle ground by storm but it is getting ever closer to Apple users too. However, the US has been off limits so far. It has done spectacularly well in Europe and China but they have their sights on the US you can be sure.
    Yup, and Apple will be so scared they'll start making phones that are six inches thick and come with a parallel port as standard. 
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 30 of 72
    The story referred to the "Get a Mac" ad campaign.  Wasn't it "I'm a Mac"?
    SpamSandwichwatto_cobra
  • Reply 31 of 72
    henrybay said:
    Sorry to be pedantic, but if Justin Long really did serve as Apple's face in the 'mid-to-late 2000s' he would not be born yet. 

    The mid 2000s would be around 2050, in the same way the mid 1900's would be around 1950.



    (I'm being serious) How would you have said it?  Those pesky '00-'09 years are always challenging to reference.  Likewise '10-'19 for that matter.  Bring on the new "20's."

    In context, I'm sure not a single reader was confused about when the ads ran.  Frankly, they were so long ago, younger demographics won't associate him with Apple at all.

  • Reply 32 of 72
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    avon b7 said:
    I wouldn't touch a Huawei phone with your hands, even if it ran iOS.


    Design wise they have put a lot of effort into turning heads. Hold a Mate S in your hand and you understand with people call the latest Apple offerings 'boring'.

    Yes, as they say, there's no accounting for bad taste.
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 33 of 72
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    john.b said:
    From the top of the world to the bottom of the heap!
    Yeah, but it is an odd choice for Huawei, is it not. It seems clever to people like us but the 'I'm a Mac' campaign was a very long time ago and I am not sure how many of the target audience actually remember. I guess Huawei will get a fair amount of editorial space...  
    For me it is all very uncomfortable :(
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 34 of 72
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,851member
    MacPro said:
    Come on Apple just for laughs get John Hodgman to do a 'I learned my lesson' ad. ;)
    Or portray Hodgman as a down on his luck hobo, aimlessly riding the rails while being chased by train yard bulls.
    That'd work too :)
    SpamSandwich
  • Reply 35 of 72
    yellolion said:
    I think the AD is great. Why do a lot of Apple fans on here feel the ned to constantly bash everything that isn't Apple??? No not a troll - use a ton of Apple stuff and still able to have an open mind about other brands. Think the AD is innovative and good luck to them :-)
    "I use a ton of Apple stuff, I even use the Apple Microwave Oven!"

    I don't care what you claim to use or who you claim to be. If you like the ad, good for you. Question is: so what if others don't like the ad? Why does that bother you?

    (Hint: Apple's autocorrect will change typo 'ned' to Ned. Oops.)
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 36 of 72
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    I liked the line about "fireworks are great, unless you are standing too close to them."  That seemed like a shot at Samsung incinerating phones.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 37 of 72
    That ad features (spends much more time on) Justin Long, not the phone. Great for his career but not sure how this helps the phone stand out. Even then, hasn't every single potential customer moved beyond buying a phone because of looks? It does throw in the Alexa integration at the end, but again, that's not about the phone. It's about something that's not the phone.

    Edit: grammar
    edited February 2017 mtefre
  • Reply 38 of 72
    Time for Apple to re-hire Mister "I'm a PC" John Houseman! heh heh heh
  • Reply 39 of 72
    davendaven Posts: 731member
    Even though the iPhone is made in China, I'm not sure how people will take to a 100% Chinese phone considering the current wave of nationalism. This is especially true if Apple were to start moving some assembly to the USA.
    edited February 2017 watto_cobra
  • Reply 40 of 72
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,650member
    avon b7 said:
    I wouldn't touch a Huawei phone with your hands, even if it ran iOS.
    When you factor in bang for buck, Huawei make some superb phones. They are now creeping into the high end market.  They were first with force touch on a phone, had dual lens before Apple and innovating with gestures on the fingerprint scanners (which have been consistently faster than Apple's and extremely accurate to boot). Their Android personalisation layer is different to other classic Android approaches but not too far from iOS at first glance.

    Design wise they have put a lot of effort into turning heads. Hold a Mate S in your hand and you understand with people call the latest Apple offerings 'boring'.

    Much more importantly, and this is key, smartphones have already reached the 'good enough' zone. There are millions of people willing to come down from the top tier to something that is more than capable but not bleeding edge. When you enter that group, design is still important and that is where you find Huawei waiting for you (or the Honor sub brand). Aggressive pricing doesn't give you the same margins as Apple but that isn't the point. If you are taking people from the top tier, albeit with reduced margins, you are doing more damage to the manufacturers in that band by making them lose the sale. Obviously Huawei is digging it's teeth into the Android high end market after having taken the middle ground by storm but it is getting ever closer to Apple users too. However, the US has been off limits so far. It has done spectacularly well in Europe and China but they have their sights on the US you can be sure.

    Maybe in China but not in the States dude.
    We are iPhone country in the States because we love Apple's services.

    Huawei is not know here so most people on a budget would likely buy a Google phone over Huawei.
    If they're on a budget they won't be buying a Google phone. The prices are right up there with iPhones. They won't be the Huawei phone (Mate 9) the ad is showing either. It's $600.
    watto_cobra
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