“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
Not dull. Just a bit gormless.
The US version’s wording flows better, but the UK version, well…kind of makes more sense.its more convincing that makes are better, I mean.
Trouble is that here in the UK we are now getting ads that claim that MS cares and indeed ensures about a high level of seecurity in its operating systems. It seems that levels of accuracy can be less than objective.
However that said the free speech jibe is something I won’t lower myself to repond to except to say that it is generlly those who boast about being free who least understand the true concept or their position within it.
Since we seem to be casting votes here, I’ll weigh in in support of MDN’s take.
If Apple’s going to put down the competition, they should do it with facts, not smug-sounding invective that’s likely to put off the fence-sitters.
Better yet, Apple should sell the Mac’s many virtues. The most remarkable thing about Mac users is our exceptionally high level of satisfaction and happiness with the products. It’s time for Apple to use fact-based, feel-good messages to communicate to Windows sufferers exactly why we are so pleased with our purchases.
Snotty put-downs are exactly the wrong approach.
Honestly, I don’t think anybody takes their computer so seriously. If anybody gets upset that an ad called their computer dull, then they have more serious problems to work out than what their next computer should be.
r_y_a_n “The truth hurts.”
If what they say is actually true, then there’s no problem, they can advertise it. Apple’s problem came when they claimed things that they couldn’t fully justify.
Apple would not be able to get away with having a TV advert in the UK claiming that the new Intel Macs are 4x faster than the previous PPC Macs. The 4x figure is only there because Apple selected specially chosen test results. Most realistic tests show them to be better than 2x faster, which is obviously pretty good, but a claim of 4x faster would be regarded as untruthful and even the most loyal Mac supporter wouldn’t really expect to see a 4x speed improvement in normal use.
“I hate all these over sensitive people, all a bunch baby whiners.”
As every company is obliged to follow the same rules for honesty, it’s a much more civilised state of affairs. I might not like many of the adverts on TV, but at least I can be sure that nobody is telling downright lies and I can’t think of any reason why I would want an arrangement where blatant dishonesty were allowed.
Tera, what makes you say (other than the UK version of the ad) that those in the UK – or other Commonwealth countries (Canada, Australia) – don’t value free speech as much as the US? While we may not have a ‘right to free speech’ clause in a constitution, common law has been just as effective in guarding and regulating our rights to freedom of speech.
And you wonder why we (in Commonwealth countries) sometimes view US culture as brash, loud and not-that-cultured: the right to free speech does not also mean a right to insult whomever you want.
In fact, the advertising regulator could be Apple a favour: protecting them from libel cases, where in the UK, the burden of proof is on the defendant.
A note: I’m Australian, living in Australia, but have half my family in the UK.
The US AND UK versions of the ad are very wrong for Apple and it is a mistake for the company. In EVERY respect it’s a corporate. glossy ‘Windows’ ad, which negatively (and expensively) confirms to every software/hardware buyer in the world that they made the right decision to adhere to the status-quo.
MDN is very misguided too as it also advocates promoting Windows (only MDN don’t realise this).
We live in a strange world indeed – where Microsoft advertising is very good at promoting all the virtues of owning a Mac and Apple advertising defines and reinforces all the rational fantasising behind choosing a PC.
Perhaps the two companies should have an agreement to swop ads just before they go on-air.
Does anyone remember that Macintosh ad where that kid gets woken up by a video playing on his macintosh computer? The ad then goes on to show how he did it…that ad was super cool and highlighted how easy it was for even a little kid to use a macintosh and do cool and creative things.
Excerpt from the British Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Visitation Division, Advertisement Department, Legal Affairs Desk:
To wit, the following advert is deemed acceptable;
Come visit the U.K., I guess, really can’t imagine why. We’re really not better nor distinct nor different than France or Germany or Spain or any other European country. Why, you should really consider visiting another European country should you wish to visit Europe because we are all the same, really. Nothing special here, folks, please move along. Britain, big deal!
I actually like the “dull little PC” ad. I think it will make Windoze users wake up and see the light. Although I do whole-heartily agree that Apple needs to create a series of ads highlighting the benefits of OS X vs. Winblows.
Agree Cubert, totally disagree with MDN here. Apple has taken on the ‘hardline’ in marketing. Why was everybody cheering on the prints hanging around stating: ‘Redmond,…start your photocopiers!’ and now complaining about this one?!
Being blunt and to the point is a course that I personally like. Be agressive, don’t specify too much, raise questions with only a few words. This is not an add for shampoo, this is an add for the company that thinks different, outside that dull little box that seems to be MDN’s and many other’s brains…
Apple go on, you are on track…
Woah yanks. Take that Britain-shaped chip off your shoulders. You’ll do your backs in.
“dull, little tasks”
The phrase is a perfect description of how I see the paradigm in which PC users operate as it relates to a Mac user’s. The most entralled PC users are excited about clicking through their ten to fifteen XP buttons to come out with an outcome that matches what they were hoping for to happen, exactly. Have you any PC users who are excited when they DO something on their computer? They love each step – no matter how uninteresting (dull) it is – in a completely modernistic way.
However, Mac users have found user experience to trump over the tasks, long ago, perhaps. And user experience is the postmodern computing paradigm that will eventually win out. (because it’s, well, POSTmodern)
The ads work. They highlight the fact that PCs are the past, Macs and their OS are the present.
Hey, Dave, here’s another for ya:
Upon care review and thoughtful analysis, it has been decided that “Great” is no longer an appropriate adjective for Britain and, therefore, constitutes an infringement of truth in advertising. Henceforth, the nation, formerly know as Great Britain, shall be called “Semi-adequate Britain”.