“Apple UK doesn’t believe PCs are as naff as its Stateside parent company does. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at the company’s TV adverts for Intel-based Macs. In the original, US-oriented ad, Apple takes a dig at ‘dull’ PCs, but in the version cleared for UK audiences the d-word is peculiarly absent,” Tony Smith reports for The Register. “Compare and contrast. First, the US advert, premiered by CEO Steve Jobs at Macworld Expo in January this year: The Intel chip. For years it’s been trapped inside PCs, inside dull little boxes, dutifully performing dull little tasks, when it could have been doing so much more. Stating today, the Intel chip will be set free and get to live life inside a Mac. Here’s the UK voice-over: The Intel chip. For years it’s only been inside PCs, dutifully doing all the things PCs were built to do. Stating today, the Intel chip will be set free and also get to do all the things Macs were built to do.“

Full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Robert D." for the heads up.]

MacDailyNews Take: Good. Now change the US version to match the UK and you’;ll be cooking with gas, Apple. Maybe someone in Apple’s marketing department has been reading our own SteveJack’s opinion articles? As we’ve stated on this site previously, the problem with Apple’s ad isn’t that it insults the likes of Dell, it’s that it insults the very people to whom Apple wants to sell Macs. Apple’s US version of the ad is another very refined, very well shot, immaculately produced advertisement that’s designed to make Apple Mac users feel superior, but imagine a Windows-only user’s reaction. The ad tells them that their computer, the one for which they spent a good chunk of change, is “dull.” It tells them that their processor is being wasted “trapped inside their [Windows] PC, when it could have been doing so much more.” Boy, you’re just so stupid, the new Apple Intel ads tells the US consumer. You should’ve bought a Mac because, drum roll please, now the Intel chip will get to live inside a Mac. Then they show an iMac with a blank blue desktop and the Apple logo with the word “Mac.” That’s it, not even a Dock. Huh, the Windows-only using American asks? Why should I buy a Mac, again? Pretty cases? “Imagine the possibilities,” the ad smugly concludes. Fade to black. Thud. Give us a @#%&! break!

Apple needs to continue what they’re doing in almost very other area, but if they’re going to run TV ads for the Mac, they need to hire someone who can explain WHY the Mac is better, not just churn out ads designed to make Mac users (and Steve Jobs?) feel superior. Otherwise, just forget the ads and concentrate on building Apple Stores. We Mac users already know we have the superior personal computing platform, Mr. Jobs. The rest of the world is left with no clue as to why, as usual. You and Apple should them try telling them someday.

Related articles:
Apple ad disses Dell, others – and Intel claims it’s okay – February 03, 2006
Report: Intel didn’t know about Apple’s Intel ad calling PCs ‘dull’ until just before Jobs’ keynote – January 11, 2006