Apple’s Black Hole TV Ads Will Backfire On The Mac.

One Mac360 writer thought Apple’s new TV commercials poking at PCs was great. Another thought they were infantile, pointless, and would cause the Mac more harm than good. What do you think?

Apple introduced a series of new TV commercials for the Mac on May 1. In typically simple Apple fashion, a white screen background is shown with two people; one is a casually clad guy who represents the Mac.

The other is a more mature looking, middle-aged business man, who represents the PCs.

In each TV commercial, the PC guy is made to look mildly uninformed and foolish, while the Mac guy is made to look casual, pleasant, informed and together.

Mac360’s Bambi Hamb and Jack D. Miller have wildly differing views about the new Mac commercials and their impact for Apple, Mac OS X, and Mac users.

Bambi: These are the best TV commercials Apple has developed in a decade or two or three. In fact, I can’t remember a better set of commercials.

Jack: You’ve gotta be kidding? Apple just entered a Black Hole era from which they won’t escape. Not only are the TV commercials corny, they’re inviting every virus writer in the world to take a shot at the Mac.

Bambi: Jack, you haven’t been away from Windows long enough to remove that cynical attitude about people. Each of the six commercials carries the same theme; Macs are better to use than PCs. They don’t even mention Windows.

Jack: Who’s the target with such bonehead commercials? Not Mac users. Apple is preaching to the choir.

PC users are bound to be offended, but will gloat when the first 10 viruses show up to wreak havoc on the Mac.

Bambi: Think about it. In 30 seconds Apple manages to tout the basic Mac message; it just works, PCs don’t. That’s what it’s all about.

Jack: No, no, no. One of those commercials literally invites virus writers to take a stab at producing a Mac virus. That can’t be good for Apple.

Bambi: It was subtle and pleasant, not a dare. Apple pointed out the obvious. Macs don’t get viruses. PCs do. Macs don’t freeze. PCs do. Macs don’t crash. PCs do. In less than 30 seconds.

Jack: And in the process, they just ticked off tens of millions of PC users because the Mac guy was so smug, and know-it-all. If PC users didn’t switch after Ellen Feiss, they won’t switch after Mac guy.

Bambi: Most people won’t pay attention to what they two guys are wearing. It’s the message, stupid. The message is simple and on target; amusing and informative, and does a good job of perpetuating what PC users think they know already.

Jack: Mac users are already considered zealots and misfits. How does Mac guy change that? He doesn’t. He looks like a zealot misfit; a poor dresser who doesn’t know how to shave.

Bambi: It’s not a personal thing, Jack. Each character is representative of the user, both Mac and PC. Not all PC users are stuffed shirts; some actually come to their senses and switch.

Jack: I see a black hole here. All the good will that Apple built up by switching the Mac to Intel chips gets sucked away by insulting PC users.

Bambi: No one gets insulted. Even PC users know about the viruses and crashes and freezes. Apple put that message across with grace and class and simplicity.

Jack: Just watch happens and mark my words. May 1, 2006 will be the day Apple started a slide in the wrong direction.

The only good thing they did was leave Microsoft out of the equation. At least it’s just PCs, otherwise it’s merely a disaster instead of catastrophe.

Bambi: All those years of banging your head against your monitor during a BSOD have caused permanent damage and left you gun shy. It’s the PC that comes across as the bad guy, not Microsoft.

Jack: I don’t even get the entertainment value. I cringe and close my eyes when the commercials come on. They make Mac users look so high and mighty, and PC users look so drab and out of touch.

Bambi: What’s your point?

Carol: The six new TV commercials for the Mac are sure to raise more than a few eyebrows, as it’s Apple at its’ best, poking away at PCs. This time the pokes are less than gentle, hence the argument brewing around the net.

If you haven’t seen the new Mac TV commercials, they’re available in QuickTime format on the Apple site. Click Here to view all six. What do you think? Are these the TV commercials that will make Windows users get the point and begin switching?

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