4 ms·

for those that didn't get it: the ad shows a normal conversation between two people. it wants to show that pcs are for normal people. this is achieved because

by volida 18y ago

for those that didn't get it: the ad shows a normal conversation between two people. it wants to show that pcs are for normal people. this is achieved because it makes you think: hey look here are two famous people discussing something normal... that's the thought that runs in your subconsious and thats what microsoft wants, where instead the message of Apple ads is hey "we use mac, we are better than you" bullshit...which apple's message is annoyingly imprinted in their users mind, reproduced in an annoying way by most of them.

chaostheory 18y ago
"the ad shows a normal conversation between two people." maybe if those 2 people lived in the world of seinfeld it'd be normal... but I didn't feel it was very normal; it was weird like the sitcom hmmm to me the message of the Apple ads isn't 'we are better than you', it's more like 'why put up with this crap anymore? life can be easier if you try something new'
swombat 18y ago
That was most definitely not a normal conversation.
ars 18y ago
The only thing I was thinking while watching it is: What in the world is bill gates doing in a shoe store? (Everyone knows he's a billionare.) And: Why was seinfeld acting like his servant and/or worshiping him.
mixmax 18y ago
If you have to explain an ad then it has failed.
- fauigerzigerk 18y ago
  An ad that people talk about cannot have failed. Whether that talking is explaining or not doesn't matter.
  - raganwald 18y ago
    David Ogilvy, in his seminal "Ogilvy on Advertising," describes the paradox of the "Gorilla in a Jock Strap." He explains that if what you want is buzz and recall, you simply show something outrageous, and people remember the ad. Put the company's logo on the jock strap, and people remember the brand. But do people buy the product? Does the ad reposition the brand or company?? It is certainly possible that this advertisement does either or both of these things, but simply generating buzz in and of itself is not a valuable use of an advertising budget. Now that I think about it, compare and contrast this to the famous 1984 ad. I love it, it's great theatre. It made everybody talk about Macintosh--because it mentioned the brand. It positioned the brand as being against IBM and corporate computing. This ad is empty calories, buzz without direction. Think about this: if all they wanted was this level of buzz, they could have put out a press release indicating they were buying Yahoo. Same buzz, doesn't cost M$300.
    - fauigerzigerk 18y ago
      The yahoo announcement did cost Microsoft shareholders deer ;-) But to the point, I agree with the principle you cite, but I don't think this ad is just empty buzz. I think making two people who are so outrageously successful look normal and a little stupid is supposed to make it easier for other normal folks to stand by their Microsoft PC buying choice in spite of Apple's coolness.
      - raganwald 18y ago
        I accept that the ad may do more than just generate buzz. I hope so! As much as I dislike MSFT's current policies, I'd rather see them change than die.
- dejb 18y ago
  You obviously don't buy into the whole idea of the subconscious. If you have to explain it FOR it to work then yes it has most likely failed. But whether or not you have to (or even can) explain WHY it works is a whole different thing. BTW I'm not sticking up for the ad. I doesn't do anything for me.
Kilimanjaro 18y ago
Normal conversation is what people outside the window are having.
dotcoma 18y ago
do normal people want pcs for "normal people"? Like, didn't it use to be that teens wanted to be or at least look older, married men wanted to look single, 30 years old women wanted to play lolitas once again etc? But now, "normal" people just want a brown box with a stupid OS just like everybody else. Really? Are you sure?

by volida 18y ago

chaostheory 18y ago

"the ad shows a normal conversation between two people." maybe if those 2 people lived in the world of seinfeld it'd be normal... but I didn't feel it was very normal; it was weird like the sitcom hmmm to me the message of the Apple ads isn't 'we are better than you', it's more like 'why put up with this crap anymore? life can be easier if you try something new'

swombat 18y ago

That was most definitely not a normal conversation.

ars 18y ago

The only thing I was thinking while watching it is: What in the world is bill gates doing in a shoe store? (Everyone knows he's a billionare.) And: Why was seinfeld acting like his servant and/or worshiping him.

mixmax 18y ago

If you have to explain an ad then it has failed.

fauigerzigerk 18y ago
An ad that people talk about cannot have failed. Whether that talking is explaining or not doesn't matter.
- raganwald 18y ago
  David Ogilvy, in his seminal "Ogilvy on Advertising," describes the paradox of the "Gorilla in a Jock Strap." He explains that if what you want is buzz and recall, you simply show something outrageous, and people remember the ad. Put the company's logo on the jock strap, and people remember the brand. But do people buy the product? Does the ad reposition the brand or company?? It is certainly possible that this advertisement does either or both of these things, but simply generating buzz in and of itself is not a valuable use of an advertising budget. Now that I think about it, compare and contrast this to the famous 1984 ad. I love it, it's great theatre. It made everybody talk about Macintosh--because it mentioned the brand. It positioned the brand as being against IBM and corporate computing. This ad is empty calories, buzz without direction. Think about this: if all they wanted was this level of buzz, they could have put out a press release indicating they were buying Yahoo. Same buzz, doesn't cost M$300.
  - fauigerzigerk 18y ago
    The yahoo announcement did cost Microsoft shareholders deer ;-) But to the point, I agree with the principle you cite, but I don't think this ad is just empty buzz. I think making two people who are so outrageously successful look normal and a little stupid is supposed to make it easier for other normal folks to stand by their Microsoft PC buying choice in spite of Apple's coolness.
    - raganwald 18y ago
      I accept that the ad may do more than just generate buzz. I hope so! As much as I dislike MSFT's current policies, I'd rather see them change than die.
dejb 18y ago
You obviously don't buy into the whole idea of the subconscious. If you have to explain it FOR it to work then yes it has most likely failed. But whether or not you have to (or even can) explain WHY it works is a whole different thing. BTW I'm not sticking up for the ad. I doesn't do anything for me.

Kilimanjaro 18y ago

Normal conversation is what people outside the window are having.

dotcoma 18y ago

do normal people want pcs for "normal people"? Like, didn't it use to be that teens wanted to be or at least look older, married men wanted to look single, 30 years old women wanted to play lolitas once again etc? But now, "normal" people just want a brown box with a stupid OS just like everybody else. Really? Are you sure?