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August 22, 2007

humor

Power is the real story behind iMac tagline change

Posted Aug. 22, ’07, 8:53 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Humor

iMac TagAdvertising can be a sensitive game. You’re trying hard to construct a message that is at once subtle and effective, so it’s little surprise that sometimes slip-ups occur. When Apple rolled out its brand new iMacs a couple weeks ago, the tagline on its site read: “You can’t be too thin. Or too powerful.” Some found the ad’s suggestion to be insensitive to a plight that affects many Americans.

“Megalomania is a serious problem,” said Dr. George Claw, a spokesperson for the Megalomaniacs Association of Development. “I’m sure Apple didn’t mean to drive a whole generation of computer buyers into a frenzy for world domination by describing their iMacs as ‘too powerful,’ but they’ve got to realize that some people are always going to take the wrong idea from these sorts of things.”

One scientist who has made an in-depth study of the symptoms of megalomania agreed. “At low levels it can be hard to detect,” said Dr. Victor von Doom from his home in Latveria. “There may be a fixation on making extremely complicated plans or inappropriate, cackling laughter. At more advanced stages, it may involve withdrawal from society and the purchase of outlandish property, such as remote, isolated castles or space stations.”

Apple has apparently since thought better of the tagline, and has changed it to the more diplomatic “The all new, all-in-one iMac.” A company rep would not confirm or deny that the alteration was made as the result of external pressures, though one unnamed source hinted that influence from megalomania sufferers inside the tech industry had some effect: “Let’s just say there was an unhappy call from Redmond.”


13 Comments

Jon H said:

My first thought was not megalomania but anorexia. Apple clearly slipped up on this one; that strapline should never have made it out of the door.

August 22, 2007 9:12 AM
Dave-O said:

Too funny, but you forgot about outlandish volcanic lairs :-)

August 22, 2007 9:56 AM
Michael Long said:

Wow. I'd have thought they'd have been in trouble over the "You can’t be too thin" portion, with unhappy calls from the megalomaniacs at McDonalds and Pizza Hut...

But I'm sorry they backed down. Apparently anything anyone can say can be taken the wrong way by some person or group, with the end result that we're all destined to end up living in a bland vanilla pudding-like society. And all just so no one's feelings are hurt.

(My apologies to all of the bland vanilla pudding lovers out there.)

August 22, 2007 10:09 AM
Donn said:

Nice twist, Dan.

Though I dispute your assertion that subtlety is the name of the game in advertising. I'm sure the shock factor was part of the idea behind this one. I raised an eyebrow, but it's a technology ad; I think it's a stretch to say the message (clearly a joke) is harmful to people.

August 22, 2007 10:37 AM
Sidekick said:

Megalomaniacs clearly need:
(1) a private island that isn't on any map
(2) doors that go "whoosh"
(3) a communications jamming system
(4) some missiles
(5) some traps
(6) self-activating lasers
(7) an indoor lagoon full of piranha (or koi that haven't been fed in days)
(8) a secret underground grotto with a speed boat for escape purposes

and last, but not least,

(9) gigantic Spinning Tops of Doom!

August 22, 2007 12:57 PM
mdmunoz said:

"My first thought was not megalomania but anorexia. Apple clearly slipped up on this one; that strapline should never have made it out of the door."

Are you missing the joke or being sarcastic? I can't really tell.

August 22, 2007 12:59 PM
Lewis said:

Uh, to you guys who think the message this ad sent was no big deal, have you ever heard of the word "cumulative"? Such little imagination. It's not the one crap message but the piling on of crap messages that causes the real problem.

Eating disorders are out there in big numbers and, duh, what brings them on is the cumulative effect of a 1000 little messages like this ridiculously short-sided iMac ad. It's not one ad or two or twenty. It's not one comment/insult/expectation or twenty. It's the cumulative effect of 1000s of messages (and if you're a guy don't for second think you're getting any where near the messages as the women).

So yeah, eating disorders wont go away by Apple dumping that iMac ad, but jesus, it was dumb and insensitive to *become part* of the problem.

And for those that want to go about business as usual and just care about yourselves (you selfish pricks) don't think that someone in your family, circle of friends, women who you've dated or are going to date (provided you actually do like women) hasn't felt the effects of these "you can't be too thin" messages. A big percentage of the significant women in your lives have been tweaked in the head from the "you can't be too thin" messages (I know, I know, given the obesity in America the messages aren't "working", but that's besides the point that they do psychological damage). And don't think that some of the significant women in your lives haven't spent a fair amount of time hating themselves and done some forced vomiting. Feel good about yourselves now for being so cool joking about or knocking the negative reaction to this ad?

By the way, Macs rock and Apple should fire, demote or dock the pay of everyone who signed off on that stupid ad--it added to the BS stereotype that Macs users care more about the superficial than substance or function (to along with the rest of the PR blunder).

August 22, 2007 1:07 PM
Jon H said:

"Are you missing the joke or being sarcastic? I can't really tell."

Actually, neither. The joke was pretty obvious - but I still think the line left Apple open to criticism that it was insensitive, whether that criticism was justified or not.

August 22, 2007 2:50 PM
Jon H said:

@ mdmunoz:

Boy was I slow... I only just got the joke, the whole point of the post. Sigh... [rolls over and goes back to sleep] :)

August 22, 2007 3:01 PM
Rip Ragged said:

Well, now that just seals it. The point of the whole ad campaign was to make fun of Vladimir Putin – who has to get by on a 486 machine running Windows 95.

Come on. Read between the lines people.

August 22, 2007 8:30 PM
Kalessin Author Profile Page said:

@Lewis: you've just proved that everyone with a chip on their shoulder can find something to take offense at, in any text. Use some common sense and try and see things as they were intended, rather than reading the worst into it and then having a pointless rant.

How dare you be so arrogant as to assume you know what goes through the minds of most women?

How dare you be so arrogant as to assume it's only women who suffer from eating disorders?

How dare you be so arrogant to judge the rest of us?

There is obviously a great deal you don't know about eating disorders, but this is a Mac blog; take your pointless posturing elsewhere.

August 23, 2007 2:19 AM
Neil Anderson said:

Oh, man, even with Intel inside, people are going to be saying Apple isn't PC.

August 23, 2007 4:44 AM
Orson Welles said:

Sure you can complain about the ad, but what are YOU doing about it. Me, I just date huge fat women. It's my way of trying to turn this whole "thin" thing around. If guys stopped dating really hot hot women who exercise, and eat right, and only dated extremely obese women that don't take care of themselves, wouldn't the world be a better place? And then if fat becomes the new thin, then I would be considered to be hot too! This would be great! Then there would be all these really lonely thin muscular in shape women who would think I was hot! They would all want me, they would do whatever I told them to do, think of the POWER I WOULD HAVE!!!!!! (evil powerful laugh) BECAUSE YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO FAT AND POWERFUL!!!!!

August 23, 2007 7:48 AM

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