“In its ad blitz announcing the first ever Intel-based Macs, Apple skewers PCs — which happen to be Intel’s biggest customers,” Amanda Cantrell writes for CNNMoney. “While Apple is known for controversial ads, the newest spot puts Intel in a potentially uncomfortable spot. Clearly, Intel is happy that its newest customer — one that’s especially rich on cultural cachet at the moment — wants to celebrate the partnership, and gets some free advertising to boot. But the commercial also takes a swing at Intel-based PCs, which some analysts believe could alienate Intel’s other customers.”
“In the spot, an announcer intones that for years, Intel chips have been ‘trapped’ inside ‘dull little boxes, dutifully performing dull little tasks,’ and concludes with the announcement that Intel chips have finally been ‘set free, and get to live life inside a Mac,'” Cantrell writes. “But those ‘dull little boxes’ — PCs — are still Intel’s bread and butter. Intel’s number-one customer is Dell, which exclusively uses Intel chips and it does big business with other computer makers including Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Acer. As ‘The Critic,’ Jon Lovitz’s cranky and neurotic animated character, might have said – ‘How awkward!'”
“For its part, Dell shrugged off the ad,” Cantrell writes. “‘As far as their marketing goes, that’s marketing,’ said Dell spokesman Jess Blackburn. ‘We continue to have a very solid relationship with Intel and nothing has changed in that respect. We probably are their largest customer; we shipped 10 million systems in the fourth quarter. I don’t think any supplier is going to ignore a customer that is building that many systems and using that many of their parts in them.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: 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 should show snippets of Mac OS X (a couple of seconds of Exposé here, a Dock ripple there, a Fast User Switching cube effect, a quick iWeb shot, etc.) to the world via their TV ads while they have a chance, before Microsoft covers the world with Windows Vista advertising. Instead, the only thing Apple does is tell people they made a stupid choice and show a blank Mac. Hopefully, the ad will drive people to their nearest Apple Retail Store, so that they can finally see Mac OS X, iLife ’06, etc.
Again, why iPods (and iTunes downloads) don’t come preloaded with THIS is beyond us. Such an omission is criminal. It’d be easily deleted, unobtrusive, and Windows-only users would be able to quickly see what they’re missing.
Advertisements:
• MacBook Pro. The first Mac notebook built upon Intel Core Duo with iLife ’06, Front Row and built-in iSight. Starting at $1999. Free shipping.
• iMac. Twice as amazing — Intel Core Duo, iLife ’06, Front Row media experience, Apple Remote, built-in iSight. Starting at $1299. Free shipping.
• iMac and MacBook Pro owners: Apple USB Modem. Easily connect to the Internet using dial-up service. Only $49.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Corporate IT buyers fuming that Apple has Intel Core Duo Macs shipping while Dell and HP wait – January 12, 2006
Report: Intel didn’t know about Apple’s Intel ad calling PCs ‘dull’ until just before Jobs’ keynote – January 11, 2006
Yeah Dells advertising sucka anyw…oh wait a tic, Dell has the most successful advertising campaign in the computer industry? Oh shit.
People give credit where credit is due. If you compared the success of Dells computer adverts to Apple’s computer adverts, it’s really no competition – Dell TROUNCES Apple.
Now Apple changed its fundemental strategies with the iPod adverts, and guess what? It worked. They dropped their bullshit “holier than thou” attitude in favor of just having fun and promoting the lifestyle. Now if they would do the same damn thing with their computers they might actually get more people “switching”.
Or you could do hipper versions with teen-to-teen chat, or teen-to-teen photos. Or teen music making.
Of course, these would only appear on teen-watched shows or on teen channels, as they’d be upsetting to parents…
unless they added something about teens doing this and still no viruses!!
G Spank:
Dude, You’re gettin some Hell.
The dell ads look like grocery store ads. “Look what is on special this week.” Clip your coupons and save even more.
People do have this perception that Dell’s are so much cheaper even though if you look at everyone else they are pretty much so the same price.
Some rebuttals:
1. Most Dell sales are via contracts to businesses, who don’t care about TV ads.
2. The only successful Dell TV ads to consumers are the ones touting the really low prices. And that’s not Apple.
Do you have any evidence that Dell’s non-sale-price TV ads have any impact whatsoever on Dell sales? The Dell DJ/ditty ads did absolutely nothing.
I don’t have any problem with the way Apple is advertizing, either. I think the ad is funny. As many have said before in this thread, no one ever sees the iPod interface in the commercials. They just see how cool the product is, and how users are having tons of fun with them.
I take issue with the slant of the original article at CNNMoney (http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/03/technology/apple_intel/), however. So far as we know, Apple paid for their own ads without any input, supplemental funding, or right of approval from Intel. Why on earth would any other purchasers of Intel hardware hold Intel responsible for ads from a competitor? The whole line of reasoning is bullshit. Dell or HP or Gateway or Lenovo or anyone else competes with Apple as hardware manufacturers. What does Intel have to do with any of this?
Maybe Ford Motor Company should be pissed of at Clarion Stereos because Dodge Ram makes commercials making fun of Ford? You can make your own anaology, but the whole issue is bullshit. It’s a commercial to sell product.
Apple will not promote OSX until they have all their ducks in a row. TV commercials only allow a brief message to get across. This ad does it – MAC’s now use INTEL chips. In the Windows world this is a good thing and will create a good impression of the MAC and create some interest. A lot of my friends who use Windows (A few are die-hard users) and everyone likes the MAC commercial. No one I’ve spoken to are offended. They agree their computers do look dull and boring.
For the most part I agree with MDN – Apple’s ads have looked great but have been completely ineffective.
I don’t think the answer is to show 30 seconds of OS X, but rather a series of ads showing off iLife. There are many ways to show off what you can do with a Mac that would be very effective on TV.
Apple has focused on selling the Apple brand for most of their existence, but the problem is, that doesn’t work with every product. With iPods, it works. An iPod is a simple, relatively inexpensive product. Half the reason people buy one is that it’s cool to be seen with it. Computers are more complicated and more expensive. Along with the cost of the hardware, you have the cost of software, and if you already have an investment in software, switching can be a scary thing. On top of that, most people haven’t even become comfortable with Windows, they don’t want to have to learn something else. Therefore, people need a compelling reason to switch. Telling people that Macs now have Intel chips and that PCs are dull isn’t compelling. Most regular people didn’t know Macs weren’t using Intel to begin with, so the announcement means nothing to them. And why are PCs dull? Show them what makes a Mac so great. Apple’s computer ads have been abysmal over the last 10 years. They’ve put most of the focus on what the computer looks like, but no one buys a computer based on the looks. The real benefit of the Mac is, and has always been, the OS, now more than ever with OS X. That’s where their focus should be.
There are still a lot of misconceptions about the Mac out there. There are people who don’t know that the Mac can run Word, and even some who think that Macs can’t access the internet! These need to be addressed if they are to make any serious ground.
For those who think that they’re on the right path with selling the brand, let me point out that while they were heavily advertising Mac hardware (roughly 1998 to 2003) their marketshare consistently dropped. Their marketshare started to rise in a period where they weren’t running any Mac hardware spots. The rise is strictly due to the iPod halo effect.
I agree that the ads don’t “show” a Mac doing what a Mac can do…
funny that Chiat can churn out iPod stuff that shows what you do with an iPod but not with the Mac.
That said, the adds don’t kick Dull Computers so much as Microsoft… that Dell is feeling the heat is becuse they just make gray boxes and MS makes the OS but apple does both very well… the trick is to sell the OS and the packaging as a whole… a la iPod
Remember Apple did do some of this sort of thing with iMovie (remember the South Pacific wedding etc) but it seems Apple has forgotten to sell the activities and the look and feel… Heck AOL spends millions telling the world they can protect a dumb dumb OS from its own weaknesses, yet Apple can’t…. imagine an AOL ad that gets cut off… then a voice over “why pay AOL at all” take the risk out of computing by buying a Mac… no viruses just the best software written for any computer… then show a kick butt feature
None of you have any idea what you are talking about.
Goddamnit go take a seltzer MDN. Apple has been doing its bashing like this for years … its Apple.
Grow the fsck up.
A Man wrote:
“I think that this was part of the deal with Intel. Instead of putting the Intel stickers on the machines, Apple agreed to have their first wave of advertising to let everyone know that there is an intel inside.”
It’s an Intel ad, folks, not an Apple ad. And obviously Intel signed off on the content. I think it’s more of an apology and explanation why Intel hasn’t yet released a 64 bit consumer level CPU, and other innovations that IBM has released. They’re saying right out loud that they’ve been tied to a boat anchor all these years, but now they have a reason for innovation.
I disagree with MDN’s take. Showing 1/2 second clips of eye candy will not get people excited. They won’t have any idea what they are looking at, and they will just assume it’s being prettied up with special effects to make it look so snazzy. Linux has those kinds of special effects, and Windows Vista will have them too. Those kinds of special effects are not what truly makes a Mac a Mac. They are part of the equation, but Apple has to be careful not to give people the impression that that’s all the Mac is about.
Right now is not the time to put out a huge ad blitz touting the benefits of Mac OS X. The next 9 months are going to be a little bumpy as Apple transitions to Intel, and Apple has to set the expectations. The current ad accomplishes 2 things:
1. Apple is not using Intel processors. It’s piggy backing off of the popularity of Intel in the Windows world to attract interest.
2. Apple Macintosh computers are exciting, and you can accomplish exciting things with them.
Apple cannot sell the benefits of Mac OS X in 15 and 30 second spots. Apple’s strategy has been to keep interest in the Apple and Macintosh brands up with ads and publicity (mostly publicity) and put their advertising money into their retail store effort in major locations where there is the highest traffic. People see the ads or hear abour Macs through word of mouth and media publicity (positive articles and reviews) and then they see the Apple store and they go in out of curiosity. Then they get hit by the best damn retail experience, where knowledgable staff enthusiastically answer any question you have without being pushy, you can play with absolutely everything they sell for as long as you want. If you give people too much info in the TV ad, they might make a conclusion prematurely based on what they perceive the differences are from what is presented in the ad, and they may decide they don’t need to go to an Apple store because they know everything they need to make a decision already.
Apple doesn’t want to advertise Mac OS X, because that would make it a Windows vs. Mac OS X sell. They want people to think of it as a PC vs. Macintosh sell, because they have more advantages. It’s the combination of great hardware and software that is the advantage. That combination is not called Mac + Mac OS X, it’s just called Macintosh and it’s worth more than the sum of it’s parts.
As for the new ads offending people, I think most consumers can see past that and won’t take offense at all. Car companies do it all the time in their advertising. Telling you their car is the only one that can bring you driving nirvana, or is built for drivers. OMG! I don’t have a Pontiac, so that means my car wasn’t built for drivers? Man, how dare they offend my choice in cars!
Gimme a break. Why don’t you sue Apple for offending you. Everyone else is. Then we can all shake our heads and think you’re an idiot.
I completely disagree. It doesnt insult the people using the system, it insults the capabilites and ease of use of such systems. You guys are making WAY more out of this than needs to be made, which is nothing.
The bottom line of the ad is, that with a Mac you can do a whole lot more. I’ve got the experience to know, I’ve seen it and heard it from literally hundreds of people, when they get a Mac, they find they are able to do things they never thought they’d be able to do.
It doesn’t insult people, it says, hey come over here and do a lot more.
I can understand apple not going all out on the advertising – they have enough troubles meeting demand as it is sometimes. Growth is good – at a rate you can sustain, no point spending money on advertising you can’t capitalise on. However if they are gonna do adverts like this they can at least highlight the fact that what people currently buy is crap but that they have the choice of a mac. If they still buy windows then they are stupid.
Here’s two almost ads for OS X, but I would suggest getting a different person to do the voiceover….
http://smartdelivery.watchmactv.com/mactv/mp4/102-TheRealVista1_Fixed.mov
http://smartdelivery.watchmactv.com/mactv/mp4/103-TheRealVista2.mov
These are good videos to show to anyone who uses a PC and has seen your Mac.
To ndelc you should inform those people who don’t know that the mac can access that the World Wide Web was developed by Tim Berners-Lee on a NeXTSTEP computer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee
Then inform them that On February 4, 1997 Apple Computer acquired NeXT. NeXT (which is in based off of BSD Unix) is that basis for OSX. So, Macs are a little more apt to do things on the web than windows will ever be.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXTSTEP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS/OS_X
You can also inform them that programs such as word (1985, windows 1989) and excel (1985, Windows 1987)were available on the Mac long before they were ever available for windows.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Excel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_word
Just for fun. The blue screen of death actually has it’s own entry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_screen_of_death
Anyway, just some information you can pass along to people who doubt the mac’s technological advantages.
As usual the MDN take shows why they aren’t making millions in advertising. Screenshots of OSX in action do not make interesting adverts. Mac aims for “cool”, going on about OSX’s interface will just be seen as geeky, which is the opposite of cool.
war, don’t think that I don’t! When I come across someone with these misconceptions I always set them straight, but that’s not good enough. Most of us will never come into contact with most of them. That’s why Apple needs to advertise.
Well said Andy!
I think it’s funny that so many regular Joe’s think they know how to market better than Apple.. And all I’ve heard is infomercial type ideas…
The “process” approach commercial does not work unless you are a commodity seller, and Apple is NOT a commodity seller.. They are a premium technology/computer company and they need to present themselves as such..
You can not sell functionality of a computer in a 30 second clip, but you can evoke a feeling and a way of life.. That’s what Apple does and they do it extremely well…
Apple’s website and retail stores are where people learn about the processes…
Anyone remember the original colored iMac commercials?
You know, the colored iMacs moving around in circles with a white backdrop..
That iMac campaign was extremely successful for Apple and was the start of the company turnaround…
ANYONE KNOWS what Steve Jobs email is?
stevejobs@apple.com
Damn these ‘slow news days’®
“Again, why iPods (and iTunes downloads) don’t come preloaded with THIS is beyond us. Such an omission is criminal. It’d be easily deleted, unobtrusive, and Windows-only users would be able to quickly see what they’re missing.”
Sorry to disagree with the MDN take, but this would be crass, and not very effective.
I think people would be annoyed and confused by a Mac promo on their new iPods. It’s all about the experience, and this would detract from it by intruding on the recent-purchaser’s warm fuzzies after dropping a few hundred $$$.
I suppose they could include a booklet or CD or something in the box (a demo live DVD that would let them try out Tiger on their Dell without installing? crazy idea).
A common theme in the MDN take is Apple’s lack of advertising of OS X.
While I agree in spirit, I have a hard time imagining anything along those lines that would fit in with Apple’s advertising/branding approach.
Apple advertises and promotes PRODUCTS that you would actually buy, and when they’re not selling a product they are simply reinforcing the coolness of their BRAND, in a more abstract way (Think Different).
No one buys OS X. Well, sure, WE do when we upgrade, but that’s not the switcher MDN hopes to get from all this OS X advertising.
I think this is just one of those areas I must admit Steve is much smarter than me.
But on the subject of the Intel chip ad, I do find it offensive. To Intel that is. And Intel’s partners. And I suspect that’s the idea.
This may be bordering on paranoid, but this seems like the proverbial “Bad Steve” to me. He deliberately kisses up and simultaneously stabs the backs of his partners. Like with the iPhone/nano roll-out, basically screwing Motorola. It’s weird. Yet it kind of works. I guess if Intel and it’s huge reserves loses a few key Wintel customers, then that puts Intel at a disadvantage in negotiations with Apple. Instant kharma might get you.
Maybe Steve just has no illusions of how cut-throat business really is.
Or he’s an asshole.