I’m a PC: We don’t say the “V” word any more
Hardware 2.0 — October 20th, 2008 I’m a PC: We don’t say the “V” word any more Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 5:17 am Categories: Apple , Microsoft , Marketing , Ad industry Tags: Advertisement , PC , Apple Inc. , Apple Mac OS , Operating Systems , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. New Apple ads are out, and rather than telling us anything about Apple or Mac OS they poke fun at Microsoft’s latest ad campaign. Here, take a look: Bean Counter - This ad takes a poke at Microsoft’s $300 million ad campaign. I ...

New Apple Ads Target Microsoft's $350M Pro 'PC' Ad Campaign
Today @ PC World — Apple bites back with new 'Get a Mac' ads that poke fun at Microsoft's huge $350M 'Windows Not Walls' ad campaign.

New Apple Ads Target Microsoft's $350M Pro 'PC' Ad Campaign
PC World Latest Technology News — Apple bites back with new 'Get a Mac' ads that poke fun at Microsoft's huge $350M 'Windows Not Walls' ad campaign.

Linkpost | 10.20.2008
TechBlog — Linkpost | 10.19.2008 | Main October 20, 2008 Linkpost | 10.20.2008 • Spending on Gadgets Is Projected to Grow at a Slower Rate - The Consumer Electronics Association says sales will grow, but not at past rates. • Blu-ray has case of the economic blues - Blu-ray beat HD-DVD, but consumers are reluctant to upgrade to it, particularly as the economy tightens. • Is Microsoft Recession Proof?-- What a hiring freeze might to do to Microsoft internally. • Report: Yahoo plans cost-cutting moves, layoffs - As many as 1,000 more job cuts coming. • How to catch hackers on your wireless network • ...

Apple's new ads: Where's the Mac?
TechBlog — Apple's shiny MacBooks: The lure of a new machine | Main October 20, 2008 Apple's new ads: Where's the Mac? Over the weekend, Apple released two more ads in its now-classic "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" series. Both are interesting because they are clearly responses to Microsoft's own ads defending itself against the Apple series. Or, as Harry McCracken cleverly put it on his Technologizer blog: Apple Ads About Microsoft Ads About Apple Ads About Microsoft One of the new ones, titled "Bean Counter", is quite funny. John Hodgman, as the PC character, counts money to be used either for fixing Windows Vista or running TV ads. The second ...

Apple Shoots Spitballs Back at Microsoft in New Ads
Wired: Epicenter — Apple is taking a few more potshots at Microsoft in two new "Mac vs. Pc" ads that went live yesterday. "Bean Counter" (above) takes Microsoft to task for spending $300 million to advertise a highly criticized product (Vista) instead of fixing its flaws. Then there's “The V Word,” which tweaks Microsoft for trying to sell a product (Vista) without mentioning it by name. With both Apple and Microsoft directly referencing each other in their ads, this volley is getting to be a bit of insider baseball. Apple has long been ...

Apple Fires Back at Microsoft "I'm a PC" Ads
Gearlog — Weren't things personal enough already? Apple has responded directly to the recent spate of Microsoft ads, which were in turn a direct response to Apple's "Get a Mac" ads. Confusing, no? Cupertino today came out with a couple of new ads aimed at Redmond's $300 million ad push. The first, revolves around a visored John Hodgman divvying up a rather disproportionate amount of funds between advertising and fixing Vista. The second, seemingly a shot at the campaign's failure to mention the OS by name, has Hodgman buzzing ...

New Mac ads respond to Windows ads responding to Mac ads
Boy Genius Report — First is was hilarious. The Mac, Justin Long, all cool and hip with his witty retorts and his, umm, jeans. The PC, John Hodgman, all dorky with his thick glasses and his ties. Oh lordy that PC, how silly he was with all of his dumb ideas and his inferior OS. After a while, Microsoft decided to respond to the commercials with a run of its own. “I’m a PC”, responding to “I’m a Mac”, highlighted the tremendous reach of the Windows OS and the millions of people in all walks of life who use Windows. Ok, super. Can we move on now? Oh no - now a fresh crop of two ...

TECH BEEF 2008: Apple gets nasty in new TV ads
Tech Digest — A couple more Apple ads have surfaced, poking fun at the Microsoft ads that poked fun about Apple ads that poked fun at Microsoft and Vista. Here's a potted history: Apple release the "I'm a PC, and I'm a Mac" ads, Microsoft respond with "I'm a PC, and I've been made into a stereotype" ...

Apple Goes McCain On Microsoft With Mocking Attack Ads
TechCrunch — The advertising war between Apple and Microsoft continues. Apple’s latest TV spots mock Microsoft’s $350 million ad campaign for Windows Vista, suggesting that some of that money would be better spent fixing Vista. The ad is funny (see above), but it does seem petty and elitist. After all, the new Microsoft ads got much better once they dumped Jerry Seinfeld as a spokesperson and went with the everyman “I’m a PC” rallying cry (which itself was a response to Apple’s long-running campaign mocking PCs). It is also hypocritical. ...

New Mac Ads Get Seinfeldian On Microsoft
The Inquisitr » Technology — In a fitting twist, Apple’s latest ads bring a Seinfeldian element of self-awareness to the campaign against Microsoft. The new spots, released today, strike me as being quite akin to the “Seinfeld” show’s season four plot line in which Jerry and George create a show about nothing for NBC. In Apple’s case, the company has created a commercial about a commercial that was about their commercials. Still with me? Maybe it’d be easier just to watch. The first spot directly takes on the cash spent in Microsoft’s Seinfeld-started $300 million campaign: ...

New Apple ads mock Microsoft ad campaign
The Microsoft Blog — Two new Apple ads out today take scathing shots at Microsoft's $300 million ad campaign. In the first, the 'PC guy' sorts cash between two piles -- a towering one for advertising and a tiny one for 'fixing Vista': The second -- titled the 'V Word' -- notes that Microsoft has decided to emphasize the word 'Windows' rather than the 'V Word,' 'Vista':

Who is cheap and expensive at the same time?? Apple!
Redmond Pie — The latest ‘Get a Mac’ ads from Apple are really misleading and pathetic to say the least. The first ad, titled ‘Bean Counter’, makes fun of the $300 million “I’m a PC” marketing campaign, while the second ad, ‘V Word’, makes fun of Microsoft for not using the word ‘Vista’, but just ‘Windows’ in their advertising campaigns. In reply to the first ad, a few things I want to point out: Apple has as big an advertising budget as any other company you know. And most of it is used to mock Microsoft and Vista, instead of marketing OS X features in the ‘Get a Mac’ ads. Apple have yet to fix many iPhone and Leopard issues. The ...

Apple to Microsoft: You Can’t Put Frosting on Manure
Digital Daily — In the end, Apple (AAPL) just couldn’t help itself. Microsoft’s (MSFT) new “I’m a PC … and I’ve been made into a stereotype” ad campaign was just too wide and deserving a target. Apple could no more ignore it, than Steve Jobs could hold back his pitching arm upon finding Steve Ballmer sitting above the dunk tank at the Santa Clara County Fair. So it was inevitable, really, that we’d see Apple take a few potshots at Microsoft’s “transformative” new “made on a Mac” marketing campaign in two new “Mac vs. Pc” ads that debuted over the weekend. The first, ...

Poll: What Do You Think of Apple’s New Attack Ads?
SitePoint — The increasingly hostile climate around the US presidential election seems to have seeped into the blossoming Apple vs. Microsoft ad war. The latest salvo comes from Apple, with a pair of new ads in their successful “Get a Mac” campaign that casts the Daily Show’s John Hodgman as the nerdy, out of touch PC and actor Justin Long as the hip, young Mac. The problem with the new ads is that rather than pointing out problems with Windows or talking up what’s great about OS X, they instead take aim at Microsoft’s new $300 million advertising campaign — and not on merit, but on, er, price tag? ...

Apple's rebuttal chides Microsoft for not saying the 'V' word
Betanews — Apple's rebuttal chides Microsoft for not saying the 'V' word By Tim Conneally , BetaNews October 20, 2008, 3:28 PM Thanks to the depth of coverage given to Microsoft's "Windows, Not Walls" advertising campaign, Apple has come forward with its own ads addressing the palaver. Humorous and to the point, Apple's advertisements echo comments frequently heard throughout the blogosphere regarding Microsoft's $300 million "Life Without Walls" campaign: "That money could have been used on fixing Vista," and "Why don't the ads address Vista directly?" As with the whole series of "Mac vs. PC" ads, it is a direct attack on Microsoft, and in ...

Apple Mocks Vista in New “I’m a Mac” Commercials
Mobilewhack.com — Apple didn’t fail to respond to Microsoft latest commercials by bringing in their own “I’m a Mac” campaign. Entitled “Bean Counter” (above) and “V Word” (below) the new videos are way funnier than what Gates and Seinfeld tried to pull off. Apple takes aim at Microsoft 300 million add campaign suggesting that that money could have been invested in fixing Vista. During last Tuesday’s keynote, Apple’s officials counted the failure of Vista as one of the elements that helped them increase MacBooks sales. What do you think about the new commercials? Tags: Apple , Commercial , microsoft , ...

We Don't Say the "V" Word Around Here.
Mac|Life all RSS Feed — ad Apple has finally responded to Microsoft’s $300 million image makeover campaign with two new ads tackling the “V” word, and Microsoft’s interesting marketing strategies (Churros with Seinfeld, anyone?). The ads target Microsoft’s apparent hesitation to refer to Windows Vista by its full name because of its issues. “Not saying the word Vista is not the same as fixing Vista’s problems,” preaches Justin Long. Both commercials poke fun at Microsoft’s attempt to redefine itself in this cruel world of Mac vs. PC. Truth is, there are so many negative impressions of Vista that not even $300 million could turn back time. Check out the ads below: ...

New Apple Ads poke fun at Microsoft ads “I’m a PC: we don’t say the “V” word any more”
D' Technology Weblog — New Apple ads are out, and rather than telling us anything about Apple or Mac OS they poke fun at Microsoft’s latest ad campaign. It doesn’t matter whether you like Vista or hate Vista, the fact that the name is tarnished is now inescapable. If Microsoft’s Mojave Experiment proved anything, it was how toxic the “V” word had become. And Microsoft knows this, hence the focus on the word “Windows” in the latest series of ads, and the decision to name the next version of the OS Windows 7. Here, take a look: ...

Mac vs. PC Smackdown
Fast Company - Technology — 4:54 pm | 3 recommendations | 2 comments Mac vs. PC Smackdown | posted by Danielle Sacks Apple and its ad agency TBWA/Chiat Day are finally bringing the John Hodgman-Alex Bogusky smackdown full circle. As I chronicled in Fast Company 's June cover story "Can Alex Bogusky Help Microsoft Beat Apple?" , for nearly three years Microsoft was on the receiving end of an unprecedented brand assault--rebranded by its smaller competitor "'as a kind of self-conscious and self-absorbed nerd that is out of touch with the normal lives and needs of its users.'" ("Nobody messes with anyone in the tech industry the way Apple has messed with ...

Does anyone expect Apple’s ads to be truthful?
Hardware 2.0 — October 30th, 2008 Does anyone expect Apple’s ads to be truthful? Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 9:36 am Categories: Apple , Microsoft , Marketing , Ad industry Tags: Advertisement , Apple Inc. , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes , Microsoft Corp. I’ll be honest with you, I find most of Apple’s ads to be funny. However, I don’t expect them to be truthful. For example, take Bean Counter , one of Apple’s latest 30 second TV/web ads which pokes fun at Microsoft’s ad spending (kinda ironic, don’t you think, bringing out an ad to criticize another company’s ad spending). It turns out ...

Is Apple a bunch of liars or damn liars?
CrunchGear — The ever-sassy Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is pointing out that Apple is essentially lying like Satan lied to man about the cancer-causing potency of high-fructose corn syrup. In “Bean Counter,” for example, Apple suggests that Microsoft spends more on advertising than on ...

Yup, Apple’s Advertising Budget Is Bigger Than Microsoft Vista’s
TechCrunch — When Apple started running the anti-Vista commercial (above) mocking Microsoft for spending $300 million on Vista’s own ad campaign instead of on fixing its problems, I called it hypocritical: Apple’s advertising budget is also pretty massive. I mean, I see more Apple commercials on TV than ads for Barack Obama. Apple is on track to spend more than $3.5 billion on SG&A (selling, general, and administrative expenses) for its fiscal year that ended September 30. How much of that was spent on advertising? I don’t know, but 10 percent doesn’t seem ...

Apple Spends on Advertising More the Microsoft?
Mobilewhack.com — Lots of people, including Apple, made fun of Microsoft’s $300 million advertising budget for Vista. Little do we know that Apple actually spends a whole lot more than Microsoft on advertising and product promotion. But unlike Microsoft, Apple’s ideas actually work and they get plenty of visibility. It looks like Apple’s advertising budget for the 2008 fiscal year that ended in September was no less than $486 million. A year ago Apple spent $467 and in 2006 it spent $338. Microsoft spent $1.2 billion, $1.3 billion, and $1.2 billion for the same period but these sums covered advertising costs for all of Microsoft’s business which includes Windows, ...

Forrester: Apple Mac kills Windows PC field in customer experience
MacDailyNews — Forrester: Apple Mac kills Windows PC field in customer experience Friday, April 17, 2009 - 12:57 PM EDT Forrester asked nearly 4,600 consumers about their interactions with a variety of companies, gauging the usefulness, usability, and enjoyability of those experiences. Based on these consumer responses, the firm calculated the Customer Experience Index (CxPi) for 113 firms in 12 different industries. In "Customer Experience Index 2008 Snapshot: PC Manufacturers," Forrester examined the five large PC manufacturers in the CxPi: Apple, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, and Hewlett-Packard. The bottom line: Apple leads and Dell lags. Brad Stone reports for The New York ...