Apple has recently launched a large online marketing push. Advertising on large, influential tech sites such as Gizmodo.com and Engadget.com, Apple usually comes up with very creative ads while taking over large portions of the respective site’s homepage in a takeover campaign.
In the newest series of interactive online Apple ads, the now famous “PC guy” pleads with PC users for a second chance through a mock newspaper editorial. This could be Apple’s response to Microsoft’s recent television commercial featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates playing funny. Or, it could be Apple’s effort at hyping up what is sure to be an insightful and highly publicized event tomorrow (probably both). Either way, the PC guy owns up to Vista’s blatant shortcomings, and even delves into “Mac Superlatives”, pleading with users to stick together as we “overcome the problems facing us.”
In case you didn’t get a chance to read it, the newspaper article in the ad, says the following:
I think I speak for all PCs everywhere when I say, “What’s the deal, people?”
Have things really gotten so bad between us? You used to love my charming little flaws, right? What’s changed?
It’s Vista, isn’t it? You’ve gotten sick of all the problems and hassles of upgrading. You’re tired of the endless security prompts. You were hoping Vista’s bugs and glitches would be resolved by now. I understand. I’m a big computer, I’ll admit it– Vista hasn’t really lived up to expectations. But we’re only a few years into it. These things take lots of time and patience.
Or did you finally hear enough Mac superlatives? The simply and intuitive operating system, the hardware and software that’s designed to work together, the…you know what, I think we sad enough about Mac’s superlatives. Nobody cares.
Look, I believe that we can overcome these problems facing us. You need to get back to overlooking my shortcomings. After all, I’ve overlooked yours for years. I mean, do you really need to hit the space bar that hard? Yet I always keep my mouth shut. That’s what you do in relationships, you ignore all the bad stuff, and live with the pain.
So please, stop with the switching already. We’ll get through all these issues. Together.
Apple is very clever when it comes to advertising online. Using primarily streaming video, as apposed to rival ads that use flash animation, or rollover expansion, Apple engages the viewer to click on the ads and learn more information. In a world where we, as users are pretty much immune to online advertising, these Apple ads surely call for attention.
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2 Comments to “Apple’s Latest Online Advertising Campaign; The Fine Print”
Last time Apple did a takeover push like this, it was on Engadget for a while, and then they did Gizmodo. This one has both at the same time, pretty much speaking directly to the entire tech community.
They are definitely making a big push in response to Microsoft.
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Regardless of how horrible or confusing people think Microsoft’s new Seinfeld-infused ad campaign is, it is definitely attracting eyeballs. Pure business strategy, if nothing else, to respond to a campaign like that.
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