In Search of Gold, Apple's New Mac Ads are Olympic Fails

It doesn't matter if you're a Mac fanatic or if you're anti-Apple to the core, there's no denying the Cupertino company knows how to market and sell a product to the masses. Steve Jobs, if nothing else, created a consumer culture where iDevices are in such high demand, people will line up for blocks to purchase the newest iPhone or iPad tablet. If you're old enough to remember the Tickle Me Elmo craze, it's like, times ten, and it happens every time Cupertino launches a new handheld gadget.

Apple's success is due, in part, to the company's ability to creatively market and advertise its products. The "Get a Mac" commercials featuring John Hodgman (as a PC) and Justin Long (as a Mac) were at times hilarious, and it didn't matter that they exaggerated topics to the point of inaccuracy. In fact, if you're a Windows PC user, you remember them because they grossly overstated the so-called facts, not in spite of them.

It's more than a little surprising, then, that Apple released not one, but three consecutive duds that aired during the 2012 London Olympics.

These new ads aren't just bad, they're horrendously awful, and presented to the public on one of the biggest stages, no less. At the time of this writing, the three 30-second ads have amassed 2,593 dislikes and 189 likes on YouTube. On average, 93.3 percent of online viewers have given the videos a thumbs down.

Can they really be that bad? Well, the first one ("Mayday") features an Apple Genius advising a Mac user who forgot his anniversary on how to make a video for his wife before his plane lands. The point of the ad is to show that Apple software is incredibly easy to use and efficient, but it's portrayed in a way that makes your average Mac user come off like a complete tool.

The second ad ("Basically") attempts to discredit Intel's Ultrabook form factor, though the ad doesn't come right out and say as much. Instead, it focuses on a customer who was bamboozled into purchasing a non-Mac laptop from a shady looking seller who pitched himself as "basically" an Apple genius. The customer is thrilled that his PC "basically looks like a Mac" but quickly learns that it's nothing like one. Why? Uh, because it's not "loaded with all the great apps, like iPhone, iMovie, [and] Garageband."

Apple's third ad ("Labor Day") shows a man who's wife is going into labor knocking on the door of an Apple Genius seeking help making a photo card to announce the birth of his child. The point? We're not sure.

All three ads star the same Apple Genius, and we can't help but remember the "Dude, you're getting a Dell" commercials. That's not exactly a flattering comparison for Apple, but it's one that's earned. The general reaction around the Web is that these are "embarrassing" and only succeed in portraying Mac users are "inept."

We've embedded all three ads above for your viewing [dis]pleasure. What do you think?

Tags:  Apple, Mac, Ads, Videos
Via:  Apple
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