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These ads will move product. Let me explain why; There is a large segment of the market that isn't tech savvy. Computers scare them, they know they're not very

These ads will move product. Let me explain why; There is a large segment of the market that isn't tech savvy. Computers scare them, they know they're not very good with machines, and they know they'll need help. Now imagine this consumer presented with two potential options; 1) A laptop with paid phone support. 2) A laptop with face to face human support. Apple is attempting to communicate the human support they offer with their products. These ads look bad to you and I because they're not marketed to you and I. We don't need a 'Genius', we don't need to be condescended, we know how a Macbook works. We will make purchase decisions completely outside of what these new ads communicate. There will be and are other marketing techniques used to appeal to our market.

fratis 14y ago
I understand where you're coming from, but I feel as though you might be evaluating the ad's concept and not its execution. The Apple Store is clearly an awesome value add (I even hesitate to reduce it to merely that), but I don't think these ads do a great job communicating that. They're simply not focused: the schtick muddles their message, and dropping the names of various pieces of Apple-specific software (Keynote, iMovie, Garageband) makes them even harder to follow for folks who don't use Macs already (and probably for some who do). Add in the (according to some people, though I don't see it myself) subtly condescending Genius, and I think you've lost both the audience you're looking to reach in addition to the one you already have.
tesseractive 14y ago
The most devastating critique I saw of these ads is that it seems like they could easily have been Best Buy ads for Geek Squad. You and I might be able to think of a hundred reasons why it might be more sensible to entrust your computer problems to an Apple Genius than to a member of the Geek Squad, but if the target is indeed people without any of this knowledge, how well do you think that Apple communicated that the value they provide is leagues beyond Best Buy?
- jopt 14y ago
  They probably didn't. I don't think that was their focus.

fratis 14y ago

I understand where you're coming from, but I feel as though you might be evaluating the ad's concept and not its execution. The Apple Store is clearly an awesome value add (I even hesitate to reduce it to merely that), but I don't think these ads do a great job communicating that. They're simply not focused: the schtick muddles their message, and dropping the names of various pieces of Apple-specific software (Keynote, iMovie, Garageband) makes them even harder to follow for folks who don't use Macs already (and probably for some who do). Add in the (according to some people, though I don't see it myself) subtly condescending Genius, and I think you've lost both the audience you're looking to reach in addition to the one you already have.

tesseractive 14y ago

The most devastating critique I saw of these ads is that it seems like they could easily have been Best Buy ads for Geek Squad. You and I might be able to think of a hundred reasons why it might be more sensible to entrust your computer problems to an Apple Genius than to a member of the Geek Squad, but if the target is indeed people without any of this knowledge, how well do you think that Apple communicated that the value they provide is leagues beyond Best Buy?

jopt 14y ago
They probably didn't. I don't think that was their focus.