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January 29, 2008

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Got a Mac: international ads say sayonara

Posted Jan. 29, ’08, 9:20 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Advertising

Get a MacRest in peace, International Mac and International PC. Apple’s axed the international versions of its acclaimed Get a Mac ads. Justin Long and John Hodgman’s UK and Japanese equivalents appear to be out of a job: going to the UK and Japan pages now simply yields a list of reasons why the Mac is rockin’, with no traces of any of the lovable duos.

Could this be a sign that the Get a Mac campaign is coming to the end? It has been running for a year and a half now, and with over thirty spots, perhaps it’s getting a bit staid. According to our overseas cousins at Macworld UK, however, the actual culprit may be the fact that, as in the US, the ads backfired by making the PC character more sympathetic than the “smug” Mac.

What say you, readers? Time for Apple’s advertising to move on? The most recent financial results suggest that 50% of customers who walk out of Apple Stores with a Mac are converts for Windows, so it seems like targeting that segment of the market is certainly working. Perhaps it’s time for a new approach however. I’m thinking something with explosions. Or perhaps adorable puppies. And explosions. I’ve got a million of these; call me, Apple.


2 Comments

Scissor Author Profile Page said:

It is time for the adverts to move on and away from the likable PC rep. vs. the irritatingly smug Mac rep.

The iPhone ads were attractive for a short time until their endless repetition of the fingers seeking sushi hit a saturation point & caused folks to avert their eyes or hit the mute.

More variety, polished simplicity, and emphasis on ease-of-use. What the Mac can do. Only mention "Windows" as, 'if you must run a win. program. We do that too'

January 29, 2008 10:19 AM
Ken Papp Author Profile Page said:

I wonder how much more successful the ad campaign would have been had PC and Mac been hot females. PC, of course, would have been slightly less hot.

January 29, 2008 6:38 PM

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