Microsoft is Clawing at Apple
Posted by Andrew | Filed under Bad Ads
Today in “Bad Ads,” I explain why the latest Microsoft ad campaign against Apple is completely pointless and not going to help them at all.
Microsoft is losing to Apple, let’s face it. They will never be have an Operating System as functional as OS X, they will never have a music player as cool as the iPod, and yes, they will never be as cool as Apple. Apple has all the elements of a cool company, they have a cool logo, cool stores, and cool products. Microsoft is basically a utility at this point, like the phone company or the post office. When was the last time the post office was cool?
So, Microsoft is now attacking Apple on the only advantage they think they have, price. They introduced a new ad campaign where “real people” tell them what they are looking for in a computer and their budget, and if they can find said computer within that budget, Microsoft will buy it for them. The first ad features “Lauren,” who wants a 17 inch laptop for under $1000. She found what she was looking for, an HP for $699, which according to Consumer Reports ranked well below the 17 inch MacBook Pro. I would think that someone with such a successful acting career could afford the lighter, thinner, and more powerful MacBook Pro.
My favorite part of the ad is when she’s in her car, which happens to be a Volkswagen Beetle as evidenced by the dashboard, and she says “I’m just not cool enough to be a Mac person.” Yeah, anyone who wears a scarf in what appears to be perfect southern California weather, isn’t cool enough to be a Mac person. Now, there’s a second ad starring “Giampaolo,” who clearly is cool enough for a Mac with a name like that.
He wants a powerful laptop with plenty of RAM and hard drive space for under $1500. Once again, he takes a look at the Macs and says “they are so sexy,” but then goes onto to say “Macs are more about aesthetics than they are about power.” What? Are you serious? I seem to recall when PC World admitted that the fastest Windows Vista laptop available was a MacBook Pro (via Laughing Squid). And they have only gotten better in every major category, faster processors, faster RAM, better battery life.
Yes, I will admit that you do pay a premium when you go with a Mac, like you pay a premium when you go with a Porsche. When it boils down to it, Microsoft isn’t going to pick up any new customers with ads like this. People who buy a Mac want a Mac, period. But, some people are always going to think “Why do I need a Porsche when a Corolla is all that I need?”
