| OS X vs. Windows: The Advertising Competition |
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Page 2 of 2 Courtesy of OSWeekly.com Continued... Since these messages are the work of Apple, you can expect them to try and expose some of the frustrations that you'll face while using Windows. Justin is a young guy, and he perfectly represents what the Mac and your typical Mac user is portrayed as - hip, laid back, and a little snarky. On the other side of the fence, John looks and acts like a geeky and uncoordinated college professor who just walked out of his Environmental Science class. To further enhance the ads, a cheery musical number plays in the background while the two personalities go back and forth in a casual technological battle of wits and features. Apple takes the opportunity to emphasize the advantages that they have in terms of lack of viruses, stability, networking, media creation, and initial appeal right out of the box. Some people might say that these ads are too harsh on Windows, but they're not getting the point. The approach that they take is all in good fun and prevents the spots from feeling like attack ads, but beneath the cheerful surface, there is a lot being said here. Companies always try to point out the advantages that they have over the competition, but instead of going the traditional route, Apple used two distinct individuals to portray the differences between Windows and OS X. Since computers can't necessarily speak for themselves, it's better to have people speak for them. There's no doubt that this ad campaign is interesting due to its simplicity and approach. Of course, you can't just expect Microsoft to sit still and let these messages go in one ear and out the other. In an effort to give Apple a taste of its own medicine, Microsoft recently signed a deal with the enormously talented comedian Demetri Martin to have him star in a marketing campaign for Windows Vista. It sounds like Microsoft is also trying to take a fresh approach to how they advertise their upcoming OS, and I'm hoping for some healthy competition from their side, as well. It's your move, Microsoft.
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