Elimination_Ad__Mac_Ads

In 2006 Apple Incorporated launched a series of television commercials collectively known as the Get a Mac campaign. The commercials are characterized by minimalistic white background in front of which two men, one being an older stodgy fellow wearing a suit and tie and the other a young relaxed man in jeans and sweatshirt. They proceed to converse over the capabilities and differences of Macintosh Computers and Personal Computers (Mac vs. PC). This ad campaign has been very successful; however Apple currently only has 9.4% of the US market share (IDG, 2008). Apple, the lesser known brand, is comparing itself to the PC (Microsoft), the more well known brand, as is often the case in comparative advertising (Shi, Kardes, & Cronley, (2002, p. 303). I will analyze one ad in the Get a Mac campaign in particular, titled Elimination, released in 2009. In my opinion this ad falsely portrays Apple as offering computers which suit every individual and are not affected by common problems such as viruses, crashes, and headaches. The Get a Mac ads are part of the comparative advertising genre. Comparative advertising can be defined as an advertisement, which either directly or indirectly compares attributes of two or more brands or products. Generally a lesser-known brand compares itself to a well known brand, as is the case in this campaign, in order to avoid being seen as the “bully” (Shi, Kardes, & Cronley, 2002, p. 303). Comparative advertising allows a brand to indirectly compare itself to competitors by appealing to consumers Pathos, which Apple has done in the Elimination ad. The Elimination ad opens like all of the Get a Mac ads with the words “Hi, I’m a Mac” spoken by actor Justin Long who appears as the “Mac”. Mac is portrayed as a friendly, confident, and young man with a very casual demeanor. This image reinforces the mantra that Macs are for non-business types and squarely aimed at younger less conservative consumers. In contrast the “PC” (Personal Computer), played by John Hodgman, is portrayed as a pudgy, stuffy, and older man with an arrogant demeanor. This stereotype is a result of the fact that PCs dominate the workplace and professional settings. This stereotypical comparison is at the root of the entire Get a Mac campaign. The Elimination ad however differs from other Get a Mac ads in the campaign because there are other actors as well. Behind John Hodgman is a lineup of other actors, representing PCs, which John says he brought along to help a young woman, standing between John and Justin, choose a new PC. Justin does not have anyone standing behind him as he is apparently representing a single Mac computer model. The ad continues on with John (PC) asking the young lady what features she wants in a computer. She says “small screen and fast processor” and a large portion of the PC models step off the stage. Finally only John is left and the woman says, “I just need something that works without crashing, or viruses, or headaches” to which John turns and walks of the stage while saying “Ugh, she’s all yours Mac”. The young lady then turns to Justin (Mac) and they introduce themselves as “a Mac” and “a Meghan.” This storyline has been carefully crafted by Apple to appeal to individual buyers who might be intimidated by the choices in the PC market. This ad is trying to insinuate that despite the far superior variety of PCs in the market only Macs will not crash, get viruses, and cause headaches; this is a misleading statement. Since Apple only has 9.4% of the market share in the US and only 4% globally (IDG, 2008) it is considered a niche market. Viruses and adware specifically target Windows based systems because they are 96% of the computer systems. If Apple had a 96% market share it is certain the majority of viruses would be written to infect Macs. In fact, as Apple market share grows, security is becoming a much larger concern with new Mac viruses being discovered all the time (the Apple Blog, 2009). It is true that Apple computers tend to have higher quality, but that is a result of having a much smaller market segment. In virtually all manufacturing the more you produce the lower quality will be. As Apple moves to using Intel and generic PC parts in their manufacturing process reliability will become an issue as well. Another point the ad makes that is incorrect is the dismissal of variety and choice as a deciding factor in the sale of a PC. Apple produces both the Operating System (OS) and the hardware; this is a fundamental difference to PCs. Microsoft licenses its OS to third party manufacturers (Dell, HP, and Acer) who install the OS onto dozens of different models. This licensing creates an enormous variety of computers to choose from at a variety of price points. It creates scales of economy in manufacturing bringing PC costs below Macs. It means that if someone wants a computer with a large screen, fast processor, and affordable price there is a PC available. This variety of PCs makes it more difficult for Windows to work as smoothly as proprietary Macs however; Windows is being continually improved and gets more stable with every version despite being installed in millions of individually configured PCs. The Elimination ad was produced as a counter-ad to a Microsoft ad campaign known as Laptop Hunter (Microsoft, 2009). In the Microsoft ad a young woman is in search of a laptop under $1000 with a large screen and a nice keyboard. Naturally, she finds Apples selection stifling and ends up with a Hewlett Packard (HP) with the features she wants for $700. The Elimination ad responds by taking the focus away from choice and value and attacking Microsoft with stereotypical images and untruths. By using stereotypical characters in the ad Apple is appealing to the assumptions people have about personal computers in general. I believe the Elimination ad is not effective as a counter-ad to the Laptop Hunters ad nor does it provide direct comparison of features to help consumers to make a better decision. Apple relies on marketing the “coolness” and image of Macs and in the process categorizing 96% of computer users as stodgy geeks. In my opinion this strategy will eventually backfire on Apple as people inherently want choice and individuality as more and more people express themselves by the look of their personal computers. Macs are trying to be a one-fit product in a market that has thrived on variety and choice.