Apple ramps up MacBook campaign; RIM passes on anti-Apple ad
MacBook campaign heats up
In recent days, readers report seeing more of Apple's "greenest family of notebooks" ads during prime time television on FOX and other networks. The spots tout the premium-priced MacBooks and MacBook Pros at a time when rival PC vendors are instead surrendering to the economy and pushing margin-diluting, budget machines such as netbooks.
Visitors to the websites of Ars Technica, CNN, the New York Times, and others were similarly greeted this week with a web ad of considerable stature, in some cases consuming as much as 25 percent of the above-the-fold real estate on those websites when viewed on a notebook-sized screen.
The latest ad spotlights the new $2800 17-inch MacBook Pro, with its "revolutionary new battery that has a lifespan of up to five years, three times longer than batteries in most notebooks." Apple explains in the spot that this will translate to "fewer batteries in landfills."
The Mac maker's green notebook campaign comes after years of criticism from activists over the company's environmental track record.
Back in May of 2007, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs authored an open letter outlining the company's green goals and noted the progress it had already made in comparison with its competitors.
Ad agency's BlackBerry bullet opens fire on Apple
In the ad industry, creative firms sometimes produce "spec" spots to demonstrate their talent and catch the eye of companies' marketing departments. New York-based Guava, with its concept for Research In Motion's BlackBerry Storm, has gained plenty of attention with an anti-Apple message that's now unlikely to go much further than internet circles.
The ad depicts a blackberry bullet making a mockery of an apple in slow motion. The bullet continues through the fruit with the tagline, "The world's first touch-screen BlackBerry. Nothing can touch it."
After some consideration, RIM reportedly decided against picking up the ad for its BlackBerry Storm (reviews) campaign. Its main target, the iPhone, outsold RIM's entry into the touch-screen game to the tune of four to one last quarter.
92 Comments
They should pull the ad and fire the ad agency. What a weak ad by Blackberry. It tells absolutely no reason why to buy the blackberry- there is no advantage or compelling reason given.
Cool ad but terrible product!! To bad!
They should pull the ad and fire the ad agency. What a weak ad by Blackberry. It tells absolutely no reason why to buy the blackberry- there is no advantage or compelling reason given.
You're taking it too literally. Stop being a techie and put yourself in the shoes of the majority of the market.
RIM's ad presents a powerful image, artfully done. It's pretty slick, actually. It gets people to ask questions. There doesn't need to be any reason given for an ad to get its message across. It's all about suggestion. There doesn't need to be any voiceovers, or even anything concrete. It's all about imagery. There are plenty of ads that use this approach, and quite effectively, too. The problem here isn't about the ad's effectiveness, but rather, its timing and the realities of their product.
Unfortunately for RIM, most people are already aware that RIM's touch-based devices are quite behind Apple's. RIM's BB Storm flop has already permeated into consumer consciousness. Too little, too late.
That ad is fantastic... Better than most of Apple's ads even. And making it a viral video will probably get them better exposure than they would have received from putting it on TV.
'...nothing can touch it' ?
Not exactly the phrase I'd use for a 'touch' device.
Cute add otherwise.... ineffective, but cute.