Why do I LOVE the Mac PC campaign?

The Apple Mac campaign starring UK comedians Mitchell and Webb, is the best thing I've seen in 2007, if not the decade, if not ever. They must be up to the 20th or so execution by now, here's the brilliant one about  Mac's ability to run Microsoft Office:

Why do I love it? First, the campaign is the ultimate example of delivering sausage (product) and sizzle (emotion). Each mini masterpiece of a movie is based on a product truth about the Mac, delivered in an entertaining and memorable execution.

Some of these, like the one on Microsoft Office, address and overcome perceieved shortcomings of the Mac. What P&G call "benefit barriers". Others promote Mac strengths: e.g. works out of the box, less worries about security (check this one out):

Second, the campaign works fantastically in different media: on TV, but also on posters and in press.

Third, it makes me laugh that the ice-cool Apple have re-invented that much-hated executional device made famous by the kings of sausage, P&G: the side-by-side! 15 years ago as a brand manager I was flogging dandruff shampoo with the cringe-worthy (but effective) "We washed this side with Head & Shoulders, and this side with a regular dandruff shampoo". And now its being used by Apple.

Fourth, the campaign is beautifully simple. Apart from paying Mitchell and Webb, the ads are easy and, I guess, cheap to make. No set, no location, no computer animated shots of flying inside a PC. Just 2 blokes talking to camera.

Fifth, the campaign works, based on the extensive research done with my business partner, David Nichols. His wife saw one of the ads and went out the next day and bought a new Mac.

Finally, the UK Mac PC campaign shows the importance of execution and craft. The casting of Mitchell and Webb, the direction, the secondary characters... its a joy to watch. And for my money, the UK campaign is 10 times funnier and more memorable than the US one. Check out this execution on security and compare it with the Mitchell and Webb one from earlier in the post:

You can see all the UK ads here.

Comments

[robertc17]

To declare my position I'm a devoted Microsoft fan and, by trade, an IT professional. Personally I think the adverts are patronizing..but then again that is the Apple experience. Ironically despite Microsoft's constant battle with the "monopoly" word they actually create IT infastructures that are "open". The opposite of what Apple do with their world.

As for Apple sales, I've had comment from an Apple member of staff that sales of new PC's are dramtically up. However this comment was prior to the ad campaign and was attributed to the iPod effect - which again ironically is a great ignorant reason to buy in my opinion.

Lastly if Apple OS is so great why let Mac's run Windows XP...huh?

[David Taylor (brandgym)]

I still would like to know what the business results are...does anyone know? I must admit that the Mac ads got me to watch the Peep Show...so I didn't have the characters in my mind when I saw the ads.

[Amelia]

I have to say that as a Mac user I find that these ads make me feel dreadful, not "existing Mac users feel good" in any way at all. It could well be for me that the characters that they are used are so associated in my mind with their Peep Shows charcters in which Jez (Mac) is a twat and Mark (PC) is a prat, both dreadful comedic characters.
Most Mac users I have spoken to about the campaign don't like it, but then I guess that they are already hooked and the target audience are the PC users.
Interesting aside, they all run online as they were banned from TV
Have a look at some of the comments whenI posted about this same issue

http://ameliatorode.typepad.com/life_moves_pretty_fast/2007/02/im_a_mac_vs_im_.html

[David Taylor (brandgym)]

Asi, Interesting comment...is the smugness you refer to may be part of being a "Mac" person, rather than a PC person. After all, as less than 5% of people use a Mac, you are part of a little club...and these ads do 2 things. One, they make existing Mac users feel good, or smug. And they entice new users to, as my Mac-mad mate said to me, "come into the light, away from the dark side"!

What I'd like to know is, do they work? How are Mac sales doing as a result? And what the hell do Microsoft think about PCs and Vista being slagged off?!

[Asi]

Personally I cannot disagree with you more. I find it way too smug.

At the same time, the best thing about this campaign is indeed it's simpleness that (consciously or not?) begs for UGC spoofs and there are dozens of them on YouTube, some of them are way better than the originals.

A.