Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Cult of Mac, Apple
Dude, where's my UK 'Get a Mac' ads?
Have you seen this commercial? If you are in the US, probably not as it's a "Get a Mac" commercial from the UK. Chances are, you probably won't be seeing any more of them, either. On the UK Apple website, the Get a Mac ads have been taken down to reveal just a web page displaying reasons to switch.
It's no secret that the Apple's UK ads have been under fire, and the ads haven't been showing as frequently on TV in the UK. What do you think, should Apple rethink their marketing plans in other countries? Be sure to sound off in the comments!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Shane Lloyd said 10:10PM on 1-28-2008
Wow, the Mac in these ads just seems like a real a-hole.
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Steve said 10:23PM on 1-28-2008
the UK ones are just as good as the American ones, I like that they have an Office ad too. The Mac guy is the centralist in the writing of these ads, the PC guy is the copycat making him a bit more entertaining
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Kilian said 3:31AM on 1-29-2008
I didn't like the UK TV ads from Apple very much, so no loss there, but I think the TV ads from Apple _Japan_ are about the most embarrassing and abhorrent piece of crap I've ever seen. That's about the best way to totally destroy their "hip" branding and image over there.
"Dasai" is the only word that comes to mind. Compared to that the UK ads are masterpieces.
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Simon Arch said 10:29PM on 1-28-2008
The person who wrote that Guardian article is an idiot who's obviously never been near a Mac in his life.
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Kuy said 10:39PM on 1-28-2008
I actually read the article and contemplated burning my British passport from the shame of being associated with that drivel. Until I looked up and saw it was from the Guardian, that is.
Nik said 5:30AM on 1-29-2008
Think Simon Arch has fallen for a deliberate wind-up. It's the Guardian guy's style for everything.
Stuart said 7:15AM on 1-29-2008
Charlie Brooke is normally quite funny. His Screenwipe series is at least, but it's a series poking fun at how TV works. However; because he's very much part of that system, you can imagine he comes into contact with a lot of Mac users, and ones from "TV" who probably give Mac users a bad name. It's important not to confuse who uses Macs with the computer itself.
As for his mouse button thing, he clearly was using a notebook Mac and confused trackpad with mouse, no excuse for that.
Simon Arch said 12:07PM on 1-29-2008
@Nik: "It's the Guardian guy's style for everything."
Could be. Wouldn't be the first time.
Shan said 10:32PM on 1-28-2008
I seriously don't see why MAC users feel they are the best and have to gloat about it. Both systems have their strong points and weak points. You never see PC people constantly going on about how rubbish MACs are, yet MAC people always feel the need to bash PCs. When people like Erica Sadun make crappy applications for the iPhone such as "Vista" which just displays a blue screen, it goes to show how much hatred the MAC people have. Erica would be better off spending her time making decent applications rather than mocking PCs, when MACs aren't perfect either. As a PC user I have nothing against MACs, but you MAC people really need to calm down. Bash away!
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Simon Arch said 10:37PM on 1-28-2008
Windows users NEVER bash Macs? Where have YOU been hiding out? Go read that Guardian article for a start. Maybe you're new to computing, but from 1984 to 2008 all it's been from PC people is non-stop carping about how horrible Macs are.
Kuy said 10:41PM on 1-28-2008
+1, Simon.
And can we find an automated way of suppressing comments from people who spell Mac in all captials? Thanks!
ZeroCorpse said 10:53PM on 1-28-2008
How odd, then, that you-- a PC user who doesn't even know enough about Macs to know that "MAC" is a cosmetics company and "Mac" is a computer-- would come to "The Unofficial Apple Weblog" which is a blog dedicated to Macs and Mac users, and proceed to flame its readers.
By the way, the whole "let's pick on Erica Sadun because she's a girl on a tech blog" thing is getting really old, really fast. It shows that you're not only a troll and a Apple-hater, but quite possibly a misogynist that is threatened by a woman making a pretty good geek joke and being in a position that you very obviously envy.
Good day, sir.
Shan said 11:22PM on 1-28-2008
Surprise surprise, the MAC.. sorry Mac community is picking on the PC guy. Well at least you all proved my point. I however will take the high road and not bash Macs. As I said I believe they have their good points, just like PCs do. We all use what we use due to personal preferences or work related matters.
@ZeroCorpse
My point with regards to Erica has nothing to do with her gender. The point I was trying to make was that if someone would go to that length to create something that serves no useful purpose than to mock PCs, then clearly they must have some hatred towards PCs. If you're wondering what I am doing on the TUAW blog, well I own an iPhone so please don't mouth off like you know me when you clearly don't. The majority here are probably one sided. My ownership of the iPhone at least shows I don't hate Apple. If Apple create something that I like and needed, then i'll be happy to purchase it. While I don't own a Mac, I wont be bashing Mac users for their choice. You my good sir, should learn to calm down!
fireball87 said 3:08AM on 1-29-2008
Actually, you came to an apple blog saying how apple users were smug jerks and how the PC community is better then that and would never make unfair conparasons (which is obviously not true). Hipocracy proves no points.
I myself am a pc tech person who uses macs and linux on the side to develop my support skills (plus I prefer macs for standard web due much in part to adium x). Sure the apple commercials go a bit overboard sometimes, but they're just jokes. You don't have to be a smug hating jerk to make a joke. The joke you're complaing about was atleast once made by microsoft itself! (well sysinternals before microsoft obtained them, but microsoft is still classy enough to put the joke on their website).
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/miscellaneous/bluescreen.mspx
I deal with fanboys on every techblog I subscribe to, Its not just mac users, or pc users, its just idiots... watch yourself before you become the things you hate.
Jeff Brown said 9:39AM on 1-29-2008
Don't hate us because we are right!
badtzmaru said 10:49PM on 1-28-2008
I love these guys, they're from Peep Show.
I'm glad they cast both of them -- the problem is both characters are pretty much losers on the show! So PC and Mac are roommates who have screwed up lives.
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Luke said 11:32PM on 1-28-2008
Hey, the Get a Mac ads disappeared from Japan website also, weeks ago. So, what's going on from a company with 45% (growing) of the revenue coming from International markets?
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JGO said 10:45PM on 1-28-2008
All I have to say is: wow, that commercial sucked ass. Seriously, maybe it's just me and the fact that I don't really understand British humor, but that bit really f*ing sucked. "Naughty step"...???? wtf?!?!?
No wonder the commercials are being pulled!!
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Darren said 11:03PM on 1-28-2008
People who hate Apple will always hate Apple. Their reasoning isn't rational and ads aren't going to change people's minds one way or the other.
Which is why some bozo columnist ranting against an Apple ad campaign is just completely irrelevant.
On the contrary, most of the public feel no particular allegiance to the company that makes their computer. In fact, most people hate their computers, so to suggest that these ads would offend anyone who doesn't already hate Apple is a very naive notion.
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Rich Anderson said 12:07AM on 1-29-2008
Now, that's not true... I was a Mac hater for years, and I switched! To be fair, I was hating Macs in the System 7 days, and using them in academic settings where they weren't taken care of, but really now, Systems 7-9 sucked.