Mac Attack

Apple’s Mac computer ads are one of the more refreshing campaigns out there right now, but what makes this campaign so effective? First let’s consider the spokes people. Mac is represented by a young spokesman who is dressed in a current and casual style. He’s relaxed, confident, and handles the back and forth conversation with ease. PC’s spokesman is slightly older, out of shape, and dressed in very drab, unstylish, usually shades of cat puke brown coloured work attire. His glasses are very outdated, as well as he looks like he stole his hair cut from Jim Carrey in “Dumb and Dumber”. Before the message is even delivered you would already prefer to identify with Mac. The message throughout the campaign is consistent, emphasising the creative applications that Mac comes with like music, movies, podcast, and web pages, while PC’s rebuttal is always something to do with number crunching.  The other message that is constantly sent is how vulnerable PC is to viruses. Whether it’s the swine flu, H1N1, or a Trojan, people are on high alert for viruses, and taking every measure to avoid them.  

What really makes the message stick is how simple each commercial is, and how the information is presented. Instead of having a typical smear campaign, Mac makes PC appear to admit its own faults. If you are a PC user it causes you to doubt your current system, rather than trying to force you to accept Mac as the superior computer. Each commercial reveals a little more doubt causing a little more independent thought. If you are on the fence of which system to side with the commercials convey some of the fundamental things a new user is look for, or looking to avoid. The passive aggressive dialogue lets the consumer make their own decision, but at the same time feel stupid if they decide on a PC. Also, if you side with the PC, you’ve doomed yourself to becoming the person as a teenager you said you’d never be- your out of touch parents!