The Get a Mac campaign is a current (2006–present) television advertising campaign created for Apple Inc. by TBWA\Media Arts Lab, the company's advertising agency. Shown in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Japan, the ads in the campaign have become easily recognizable because each ad follows a standard simple template: against a minimalist all-white background, a man dressed in casual clothes introduces himself as a Mac ("Hello, I'm a Mac."), while a man in a more formal suit-and-tie combination introduces himself as a Windows personal computer ("And I'm a PC."). The two then act out a brief vignette in which the capabilities and attributes of Mac and PC are compared, with PC—characterized as formal, stuffy and overly concerned with work—often being frustrated by the more laid-back Mac's abilities. Some recent ads have shifted focus away from comparing features of the computer systems to a more general comparison. The most recent ones, however, are mainly concerning Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows Vista.
The original American ads star actor Justin Long as the Mac and author and humorist John Hodgman as the non-Mac PC, and are directed by Phil Morrison. The American ads also air on Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand television,[citation needed] and at least 24 of them were dubbed into Spanish, French, German, and Italian. The British campaign stars comedic duo Robert Webb as Mac and David Mitchell as PC while the Japanese campaign features the comedic duo Rahmens. Although several of the British and Japanese ads originated in the American campaign, they are generally slightly altered to suit local sensibilities. Both the British and Japanese campaigns also feature several original ads not seen in the American campaign.
The Get a Mac campaign is the successor to the Switch ads that were first broadcast in 2002. Arguably, the two are most similar in that actors in both campaigns were filmed against a plain white background. Apple CEOSteve Jobs introduced the campaign during a shareholders meeting the week before the campaign started. The campaign also coincided with a change of signage and employee apparel at Apple retail stores detailing reasons to switch to Macs.
The Get a Mac campaign received the Grand Effie Award in 2007.[1]
MACS ARE PCS! PC = Personal Computer! this should be Macintosh VS Windows.....
Ads
The following is a brief summary of the different ads that appear in the various campaigns to date. All of the ads play on perceived weaknesses of standard non-Mac personal computers, especially those running Microsoft Windows, of which PC is clearly intended to be a parody, and corresponding strengths possessed by the Mac OS (such as immunity to circulating viruses and spyware). Each of the ads is about 30 seconds in length and is accompanied by a song called "Having Trouble Sneezing," which was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh. The advertisements are presented below in alphabetical order, not chronological order.
North American campaign
The following is an alphabetical list of the ads that appeared in the campaign shown in the United States and Canada. These ads can be viewed online at Apple's Get a Mac Web site and the Canadian equivalent.
Accident—A wheelchair-bound PC, who is wearing casts on his arms, explains that he fell off his desk when someone tripped over his power cord, thus prompting Mac to point out that the MacBook's and MacBook Pro's magnetic power cord prevents such an occurrence. The Macbook at the end of the ad gets its cord pulled out of it, magnetically.
Angel/Devil—Mac gives PC an iPhoto book to view. Suddenly, angel and devil versions of PC appear behind him. The angel encourages PC to compliment Mac, while the devil prods PC to destroy the book. In the end, PC says the book is good, and then turns around, feeling the air where the angel and devil versions of PC were.
Bake Sale—PC is seen having a bake sale. When Mac questions PC regarding the occasion, PC replies that he is trying to raise money by himself in order to fix Vista's problems. Mac decides to contribute by buying a cupcake and as soon as he takes a bite, PC wants Mac to pay ten million dollars for it.
Bean Counter—PC is doing a little budgeting and admits that Vista's problems are frustrating PC users and that it's time to take drastic action: spending almost all of the money on advertising. When Mac asks PC if he thinks the small amount of money left will fix Vista, PC reallocates all of it to advertising. This ad coincided with the introduction of Microsoft's "I'm a PC" campaign.
Better—Mac praises PC’s ability with spreadsheets, but explains that he is better with life stuff, such as music, pictures, and movies. PC defensively asks what Mac means by "better," only to sheepishly claim a different definition when Mac tells him.
Better Results—PC and Mac discuss making home movies, and show each other their efforts. Supermodel Gisele Bündchen enters, representing Mac's movie, while PC's movie is represented by a man with a hairy chest and a blonde wig wearing a dress similar to Bündchen's. PC states that there's some work in progress with his movie.
Biohazard Suit—PC first appears wearing a biohazard suit to protect himself from PC viruses and malware, of which PC says there are 20,000 discovered every day. Mac asks PC if he is going to live the suit for the rest of his life, and PC cannot hear him because he is too protected by his virus-proof mask, and takes it off. PC then shrieks and struggles to place it on again.
Boxer—PC is introduced as if he was in a Boxing match, stating that he's not going down without a fight. Mac says back that it's not a competition but, rather, people switching to a computer that's simpler and more intuitive. The ring announcer admits his brother-in-law got a Mac and loves it.
Breakthrough—Mac and PC's therapist (played by Corinne Bohrer, see "Counselor" below) suggest that PC's problems are simply a result of software and hardware coming from various places, whereas Mac gets all his hardware and software from one place. "It's not my fault!" PC keeps repeating with support of Mac and the therapist. Then PC concludes, "It's Mac's fault! It's Mac's fault!" with Mac and the therapist disappointed in PCs conclusion. Mac ends with the comment "What a Breakthrough!"
Calming Teas—PC announces calming teas and bath salts to make Vista's annoyances easier to live with, such as 'Crashy-time Camomile', 'Missing-Driver Mint', 'Pomegranate Patience', and 'Raspberry Restart'. He doesn't get time to talk about his Bath Salts.
Choose a Vista—Confused about which of the six versions of Windows Vista to get, PC spins a big game wheel. PC lands on Lose a Turn, and Mac questions why PC put that space on the wheel.
Computer Cart—PC and three other men in suits are on a computer cart. When Mac asks why, PC says that he gets an error with a Windows Media PlayerDynamic-link library file (WMP.DLL), and that the others suffer from similar errors (The man in the beige suit represents error 692, the man in the grey suit represents a Syntax error, and the man in the bottom of the cart represents Fatal error in which PC whispers, "He's a goner," after the commercial). Mac explains that Macs don't get cryptic error messages.
Counselor—PC and Mac visit a psychotherapist (played by Corinne Bohrer) to resolve their differences. However, while Mac finds it easy to compliment PC ("You are a wizard with numbers and you dress like a gentleman"), PC's resentment is too deep for him to reciprocate ("I guess you are better at creating stuff, even though it's completely juvenile and a waste of time."). The counselor suggests that they come twice a week.
Customer Care—Mac is seen again with an Apple Genius, a real-life person who can help you with your Mac problems. PC then has a short montage of endless automated customer-support messages, never reaching a real person, which is not to PC's liking, and he then says that his source of help is 'the same' as Mac Genius.
Elimination—PC attempts to find Megan, a new laptop hunter, the perfect PC. Unfortunately, no PCs are immune to viruses, which is Megan's #1 concern, so PC leaves her with Mac.
Flashback—Mac asks PC if he would like to see the Web site and home movie that he made. This prompts PC to remember a time when both he and Mac were children: when the younger Mac asks the younger PC if he would like to see some artwork he did, the younger PC takes out a calculator and calculates the time they have just wasted. (This may be a reference to the time when PC's were text-based, while Macs were slower but had GUIs) Returning from the flashback, PC does the same thing.
Genius—Mac introduces PC to one of the Apple Geniuses from the Apple Retail Store's Genius Bar. PC tests the Genius, starting with math questions, which culminates in asking her, on a scale of one to ten, how much does he loathe Mac, to which she answers "Eleven," and PC says "She's good. Very good."
Gift Exchange—Mac and PC exchange gifts for Christmas; PC, who is hoping for a C++GUI programming guide, is disappointed to receive a photo album of previous Get a Mac ads made on iPhoto, and Mac receives from PC a C++GUI programming guide.
Goodwill—Mac and PC agree to put aside their differences because of the Christmas season. Although PC momentarily slips and states that Mac wastes his time with frivolous pursuits like home movies and blogs, the two agree to, as Mac says, "Pull it into hug harbor," and the each wish each other a good holiday.
Group—PC is at a help group for PCs living with Vista. The other PCs there tell him to take it one day at a time and that he is facing the biggest fact of all—that Vista isn't working as it should. They all wish the Vista problems will go away sooner and a lot easier. One of them says pleasingly that he has been error-free for a week and starts to repeat himself uncontrollably and the others get discouraged.
iLife—PC is listening to an iPod and praises iTunes. Mac replies that the rest of iLife works just as well and comes on every Mac. PC defensively responds by listing the cool apps that he comes with—but can only identify Calculator and Clock.
I Can Do Anything—An animated Get a Mac commercial designed for the holidays. PC asks Mac why he loves the holidays so much. Mac says it is the season for peace on Earth. PC says that they get to be animated and can do anything. PC demonstrates by floating in the air, building a snowman in fast motion, and talking to animals. PC asks a bunny hopping by where he is going. The bunny replies by saying he's going to the Apple Store for some last-minute gifts. PC then purposely tips the snowman's head off making it fall on the bunny and, sarcastically apologizes to him, calling himself clumsy. The animation is like the Get a Mac Santa Claus ad in a style similar to the Rankin-Bass animation style.
Legal Copy—Every time PC says something positive about himself, the legal copy that appears on the screen increases. He finally states that PCs are now 100% trouble-free, and the legal copy covers the whole screen.
Meant for Work—PC, looking haggard and covered in stickers, complains about the kids who use him and their activities, such as making movies and blogging, which are wearing him out, saying that he cries himself to sleep mode every night. He complains that, unlike Mac, he is meant more for office work. PC then trudges off because his user wants to listen to some emo, and, with a loud groan, trudges off to show an Anarchy sticker on his back.
Misprint—PC is on the phone with PCWorld, attempting to report a misprint. He explains how they said, "The fastest Windows Vista notebook we tested this year is a Mac." PC goes on to argue how impossible it is for a Mac to run Vista faster than a PC while Mac tries to explain that it is true. While arguing with PCWorld over the phone, PC says that he'll put Mac on the line to set things straight. However, he instead lowers his voice and talks cool in an attempt to impersonate Mac, who says that PCs are faster.
Network—Mac and PC, holding hands to demonstrate their ability to network with each other, are joined by a Japanese woman representing a new digital camera, who enters and takes the Mac character's hand. While Mac and the camera are perfectly compatible and speak to each other fluently, PC—who cannot speak Japanese—is utterly confused and unable to communicate, representing that Windows PCs need a driver installation with virtually all new hardware.
Now What—PC begins by showing off his new, long book, I Want to Buy a Computer — Now What? to help customers deal with all the difficult computer-buying decisions, with no one out there to help. Mac then replies that buying a computer is in fact really easy, explaining that at Apple Stores there are personal shoppers to help you find the perfect Mac. Mac goes on to say that there are even workshops there to teach people about using the computers. Upon hearing this, PC says that he also thought of this and brings out the companion volume, I Just Bought a Computer — Now What?
Office Stress—Mac's new Microsoft Office 2008 has just been released. In the box that PC gives Mac is a stress toy for him to use when he gets overwhelmed from doing lots more work, which PC begins using as he complains that Microsoft Office is also compatible with Mac and that he wants to switch his files over and he is getting less work than Mac, eventually breaking the toy.
Off the Air—Mac and PC show up with a Mac Genius who says that it is now easier than ever to switch to a Mac and that a Mac Genius can switch over a PCs files to a new Mac for free. PC then says that it is fear that keeps people from switching and that people don't need to hear about the Mac Genius. In protest he pulls a cover over the camera which has a test card drawn on it and declares that they are off the air.
Out of the Box—Mac (in a white box) and PC (in a brown box doing some exercises) are discussing what they will do when they are unpacked. Mac says that he can get started right away, but PC is held up by the numerous activities that he must complete before being useful. Mac eventually leaves to get right to work, but PC is forced to wait for parts that are still in other boxes.
PC Choice Chat—PC has his own radio talk show called PC Choice Chat, and people begin to call in asking for advice on which computer to get. All the callers ask for advice on a computer that would qualify as a Mac but not a PC, as one caller asks for a computer that is for people who hate getting viruses. One other caller asks for PC help like Mac genius, and another wants to switch to Mac. PC ignores these calls.
PC Innovations-PC, who has wrapped another PC in Bubble Wrap, is saying that the Bubble Wrap is actually a security shield. Mac tries to speak, but PC cuts him off, showing another PC who apparently has cupholders on his shoulders. The cupholders are full of foam coffee cups, and PC takes a full coffee cup, pretending to toast the cup and saying, "Here's a toast to innovation".
Pep Rally—PC is introduced by a cheerleading squad. When asked to explain, PC explains that Mac's number-one status on college campuses with his built-in iSight camera, his Stable operating system, and being able to run Microsoft Office so well, so he is trying to win students back with a pep rally. The cheerleaders cheer, "Mac's Number One!" and upon PC's complaint, they cheer, "PC's Number Two!"
Party is Over—PC unhappily throws a party celebrating the release of Windows Vista. He complains to Mac that he had to upgrade his hardware and now can't use some of his old software and peripherals. He then talks with one of the party members about throwing another in five years, which turns into five years and a day, and so on.
Pizza Box—PC tries to attract college students by posing as a free box of pizza. This ad was aired during Apple's 2008 back-to-school promotion.
Podium—PC, in the style of a political candidate, is standing at a podium making declarations about Windows Vista, urging those who are having compatibility problems with existing hardware to simply replace them and to ignore the new features of Mac OS X Leopard However, he privately admits to Mac that he himself has downgraded to Windows XP three weeks ago. His key slogan is It's not about what Vista can do for you, it's what you can buy for Vista.
PR Woman—Mac and PC are joined by a public relations representative (played by Mary Chris Wall), who has been hired by PC to place a positive spin on the reaction to Windows Vista and claims that many people are even downgrading back to Windows XP, but her response to claims that more people are switching to Mac instead is a sheepish "No comment."
Referee—A referee is present, according to PC, to make sure that Mac doesn't go on saying that Leopard is better and faster than Vista. When Mac defends himself saying that it was The Wall Street Journal that compared the two, PC complains, and the referee sides with Mac. Upon insulting the referee, PC gets ejected, but PC rebuts, saying that he has nowhere to go (in the ad's area).
Restarting—Mac and PC explain how they both have a lot in common, but their discussion is hampered by PC's unfortunate habit of freezing and restarting.
Sabotage—PC is present, but a different actor appears in Mac's place, obviously reciting poorly memorized lines to flatter PC. The real Mac arrives soon after, and while PC sheepishly denies anything is happening, Impostor Mac tells Real Mac that he's a big fan.
Sad Song—PC sings a short country-and-Western-style song because Vista has gotten him feeling down. The song is about people leaving him for Mac and that Vista's got issues. A hound-dog then howls, and Mac claims the song is touching. A longer version ends with PC asking Mac if the dog is his, which it isn't.
Sales Pitch—Although Mac introduces himself as usual, PC says, "And buy a PC." He explains that Mac's increasing popularity is forcing him to be more forward in his self-promotion, and is reduced to holding up red signs with various pitches on them.
Self Pity—Mac, for once, is wearing a suit, and explains that he does work stuff too, and has been running Microsoft Office for years. Upon hearing this, PC becomes despondent and collapses on the floor, begging to be left alone to depreciate.
Stuffed—PC enters slowly with a ballooned torso, explaining that all the trial software is slowing him down. Mac replies that Macs only come with the software you want (namely, the iLife package). As PC finally gets on his mark, Mac begins his intro again, but PC realizes that he's forgotten something and begins to slowly leave.
Stacks—PC is searching through all of his pictures, trying to find a photograph of his friend. He searches one picture at a time, but Mac states that iPhoto has a feature called Faces, in which you tag the face of a person and iPhoto finds other pictures of the same person, putting them all into the same folder and saving search time. PC responds to the facial-recognition technology as expensive and tells Mac to sort the pictures instead because he has the technology to make it easier.
Surgery—PC appears in the garb of a patient awaiting surgery, and explains that he is upgrading to Windows Vista but requires surgery to upgrade (specifically, upgrading such items as graphics cards, processors, memory, etc). In reference to perceived difficulties in upgrading, PC admits that he is worried about going through it and bequeaths his peripherals to Mac should he not survive. Mac ask PC if, like him, his upgrade is just straightforward.
Surprise—Mac appears alongside a customer, with PC notably absent. The customer says she's looking to buy a great computer. Mac tries to convince her that she should get a PC, telling her that they're much better and more stable. The customer seems skeptical, tells Mac she'll "think about it", and leaves. A frustrated Mac pulls off a mask and his clothes, revealing himself to be PC in disguise. The real Mac then appears, sees PC's discarded mask and clothes, and says "I don't even wanna ask"
Tech Support—A technician is present to install a Web cam on PC (using masking tape to attach it to his head). PC is extremely pleased by his new upgrade, but upon hearing from the technician that Mac has a built-in Web cam, he storms off without waiting for the camera to be fully installed.
Throne—PC appears in a king's robe and throne saying that even though switching computers can be difficult, his subjects won't leave him and that he's still king. Mac then begins talking about how PC's subjects can just bring their PC into an Apple Store where they'll transfer all the files over to a new Mac, at which PC declares Mac banished.
Time Machine—In the typical introduction of Mac and PC, instead of there being one Mac, there is a line of 10. PC is shocked, so the various Macs explain that it is simply Time Machine, a feature in Leopard that makes regular backups of a user's hard drive. PC is forced to admit that such a feature is pretty awesome followed by thanks from the various Macs.
Time Traveler—PC uses a time machine to travel to the year 2150 to see if any major issues (such as freezing and crashing) have been removed from the PC and to see if PCs are as hassle-free as Macs. Promptly after PC arrives at 2150, future PC literally freezes, which answers the question.
Top of the Line—PC and Mac appear with a customer who's looking for a new computer. PC introduces her to the "top of the line" PC (Patrick Warburton), a handsome and overly slick PC in a suit. She asks him about screen size and speed, to which Top of the Line says he's the best, but he then balks when she says she doesn't want to deal with any viruses or hassle. She decides to go with Mac, so Top of the Line hands her his business card and tells her to give him a call "when she's ready to compromise."
Touché—Right after PC introduces himself, the Mac character replies, "And I'm a PC, too." Mac explains to the confused PC that he can run both Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows, calling himself the only computer you'll ever need. PC mutters, "Oh...touché." The Mac character, referring to the rules of fencing, explains that one only says touché after he or she makes a point and someone else makes a counterpoint, but the PC character continues to misuse the word. A similar conversation occurred in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, a film in which Justin Long (Mac) appeared.
Trainer-The commercial starts off traditionally, but PC is doing sit-ups with a trainer in a striped shirt (Robert Loggia), saying fierce things to make PC improved. Mac asks PC something about the trainer. Then the trainer compliments Mac and PC, still doing sit-ups, is a little angry and shocked.
Tree Trimming—Another animated Get a Mac commercial for the holiday season. Mac and PC set aside their disagreements and decide to trim a Christmas tree by hanging ornaments and stringing lights. Mac tells PC that they are good friends, while PC gets nervous. When they are finished, PC does not want to light the lights on the tree, but Mac persuades him to do so. PC plugs in the tree's lights, and they light up and say "PC RULES." He apologizes to Mac and says that it just sort of happened. The animation is like the Get a Mac Santa Claus ad in the Rankin-Bass animation style.
V Word—PC declares that they're going to stop referring to his operating system (Vista) by name. He says using the word "doesn't sit well with frustrated PC users. From now on, we're going to use a word with a lot less baggage: 'Windows.'" He is holding a black box with a large red button that sounds a buzzer when pressed. PC presses the button whenever Mac says Vista. After pointing out that not using the word isn't the same as fixing the operating system's problems, Mac ends the ad by saying Vista several times in rapid succession, thwarting PC's attempts to sound the buzzer.
Viruses—PC has caught a new virus (represented as a cold) and warns Mac to stay away from him, citing the 114,000 known viruses for PCs. Mac states that the viruses that affect PCs don't affect him, and PC announces that he's going to crash before collapsing onto the floor in a faint.
Work vs. Home—Mac describes how he enjoys doing fun stuff such as podcasts and movies, which leads PC to claim that he also does fun stuff such as timesheets, spreadsheets, and pie charts. After Mac responds that it is difficult to capture a family vacation using a pie chart, PC rebuts by showing a pie chart representing hanging-out time and just kicking it with different shades of gray. Mac replies, "I feel like I was there."
Wall Street Journal—Mac is reading a favorable review of himself by Walt Mossberg in the Wall Street Journal. Jealous, PC then claims that he also received a great review, but is caught off-guard when Mac asks for specific details. This ad is currently not available on the Apple Web site but can be found on YouTube.
Yoga—Mac is watching PC have a yoga session in which the yoga instructor (Judy Greer) is coaching PC in expelling bad Vista energy and forgetting Vista's problems, but when the yoga instructor goes on to complain that Vista screwed up the yoga billing and then storms off, PC considers switching to pilates.
Web-exclusive campaign
Several advertisements have been shown exclusively in Flash ad campaigns running on numerous Web sites.[2] Unlike the ads shown on television, these advertisements have not been posted as high-quality QuickTime videos on Apple's Web site. These ads run for approximately 20 seconds each and reference specific online advertising features (such as banner ads), making it unlikely they will ever appear on television.
The titles are taken from the Flash-video file names.
Banging—PC expresses his regret for upgrading to Windows Vista because it is causing him various problems. Mac tries to comfort him, but PC continues to bang his head on the side of the banner advertisement.
Easy as 1–23—In a Web banner, PC shows Mac his new slogan. Mac assumes it means "PC. Easy as 1-2-3," but PC corrects him by stating it means "Easy as 1 through 23". He then pulls out 23 steps for using a PC.
Hiding—PC peeks in from the left side of the screen. When Mac asks what PC is doing, PC explains that he is hiding from viruses and spyware. PC then leaves, saying that he has to run a scan. There are two versions of this ad: a 300x250 square ad and a 160x600 vertical banner ad. PC is identical in both versions, but Mac's performance features a different take in each.
Knocking—PC panics about needing to search for new drivers for his hardware now that he's upgraded to Windows Vista. He tries to force his way off the left side of the screen so he can leave to find the new drivers but repeatedly runs into a wall. When he finally succeeds in breaking through the left side of the screen, he finds himself jumping back in from the right side of the screen.
PC Turf (PCMag.com and PCWorld.com exclusive)—PC welcomes Web surfers to his turf, PCWorld.com, and remarks that Mac must feel out of place there. Mac points out that they said some great things about Macs, so PC asks security to remove Mac because he's going to be a problem. The PCMag version is identical, except PC's voice is re-dubbed to say "PCMag.com."
Sign—In a skyscraper ad, Mac asks PC about an unlit sign in a separate banner ad that reads, "DON'T GIVE UP ON VISTA." PC replies that it will stop the problem of frustrated Windows Vista users downgrading to XP or switching to Macs. He presses a button, lighting up only the GIVE UP part of the sign. He presses it again, lighting up ON VISTA. Frustrated, PC presses the button repeatedly, causing GIVE UP and ON VISTA to light up alternately.
Not—A banner ad on the top of the page reads, "Leopard is better and faster than Vista." —Wall Street Journal. On the side, Mac introduces himself while PC climbs a ladder. Mac asks what PC is doing and he says that he is fixing an embarrassing typo. He then climbs all the way to the top and staples a piece of paper that says NOT at the end of the quotation. He then tells Mac that they have the whole Internet to correct and asks Mac to grab the ladder.
Emergency Refresh—A banner ad on the top of the page reads, "Vista...one of the biggest blunders in technology?" —CNET.com. Off to the side, PC sees the banner and realizes its another bad review of Vista and decides to do an emergency refresh. He walks over and opens a compartment door that says, "Emergency Banner Refresh." PC flips the switch, and the banner is replaced by another banner that reads, "It's time for a Vista do-over" —PC Magazine. PC, frustrated about this review, flips the switch again. The banner is replaced by another that reads, "Mac OS X Leopard: A Perfect 10" —InfoWorld. PC sees this positive review and is relieved until he realizes it's about Leopard. PC angrily flips the switch again to end the ad.
PC Newswire—PC, jealous of Mac's good press, gets his own newswire ticker above the ad. Unfortunately, the newswire displays unflattering headlines such as "Vista Users Upset Over Glitches" and "Users Downgrade to XP." PC says he hates his stupid newswire and then the next headline on the newswire is "PC Hates His Stupid Newswire."
For the British market, the ads were recast with the popular British comedy double act Mitchell and Webb in the lead roles; David Mitchell as PC and Robert Webb as Mac. As well as original ads, several ads from the American campaign were reshot with new dialogue and slightly altered scenes. These ads are about 40 seconds long, which is slightly longer than the US advertisements. All of the ads used to be viewable at Apple's UK Web site. In one episode of their BBC show That Mitchell and Webb Look, David Mitchell can be seen using a MacBook Pro in between sketches.
The following ads are exclusive to the UK:
Art Language—In an effort to relate to the creative arty-farty types whom he assumes own Macs, PC, dressed in a stereotypically bohemian fashion, begins speaking to Mac using unnecessarily pretentious language. Despite Mac's insistence that he enables anyone to be creative, PC continues using big words, eventually confusing even himself.
Court—PC, dressed in a barrister's outfit, questions Mac on how long it takes to make a iPhoto photo book that Mac claims to have made in a few minutes. Doubting Mac's claim, PC eventually resorts to cutting off Mac whenever he tries to speak.
Magic—Exchanging an average 50k Word document in a file to Mac, PC makes out that the process is much harder than it actually is through the use of a drum roll and a magician's assistant, and shouting "Amazing!" at the end of the transfer. Bemused, Mac points out that he is compatible with PC and passes him back a photo with no fuss at all, at the end of which PC shouts "Amazing!"
Naughty Step—PC unveils his naughty step: the ultimate deterrent to an unruly errant child (similar to the technique used by Jo Frost in the UK and US series Supernanny). He goes on to explain that children should not be making pictures, movies and Web sites on a proper, grown-up PC. Mac points out that this is the fun stuff children like to do, resulting in his own banishment to the naughty step.
Office at Home—PC is proud of his role in both the office and the home, but Mac retaliates by stating that homes are not run like offices, and thus shouldn't have office computers. PC eagerly begins to describe the ways in which homes can be run like offices, with his increasing authoritarianism prompting Mac to sarcastically comment that PC's home sounds like a fun place.
Office Posse—PC wonders why Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Entourage) are standing with Mac and is surprised when Mac says that he runs Office also. PC attempts to order and then entice the Office members to join him, but they refuse, resulting in what Mac calls an awkward moment.
Tentacle—PC praises Britain's work ethic, chastising Mac's insistence on the need for fun in life. In attempting to persuade Mac of his point of view, PC employs the use of several animal metaphors, but becomes sidetracked through his increasingly eager musing about the practical applications of octopus tentacles in an office.
Several American ads were modified for the UK market. In some of these ads, the events that occur in the narrative differ significantly from the original American campaign. Others follow the original ads more closely, with only minor differences (many based on the differences in characterization from the actors involved or language differences between American English and British English). These ads are also performed by Mitchell and Webb.
The adapted ads are
Accident—The ad follows the same narrative, with a different ending: PC, clearly heavily drugged, requests to be pushed over to the window so he can look at the pigeons, only for Mac to point out that there are no pigeons nor a window. PC responds with a dreamy "You're funny...."
Network—The ad follows the same narrative, but in the British version Mac connects with a Japanese printer instead of a digital camera. PC is also more involved in the dialogue, attempting to communicate in Japanese with the printer, only to mangle his words, first declaring that he is a rice cake before asking, "Where is the train station?" This larger involvement of PC, when compared to PC in the American ad, is also shown by the appearance of subtitles whenever PC, Mac, or the printer speak in Japanese; in the American ad, there are no subtitles translating Mac and the camera's dialogue, further evidencing that PC is lost in the conversation.
Out of the Box—The ad is almost exactly the same as the American version. However, Mac doesn't mention his built-in camera. Also, at the end, PC pulls out an extremely thick user manual and starts reading it.
Pie Chart—The ad is based on the American Work vs. Home. The light-grey area of PC's family holiday pie chart now represents shennanigans and tomfoolery and the dark-grey area represents hijinks. Also, PC further divides hijinks into capers, monkey business, and just larking about.
Restarting—The ad follows much the same narrative as the American ad, with the only major difference being that after Mac has left to get someone from IT, PC awakens and wonders where everyone has gone.
Stuffed—This ad contains no significant changes from the American version.
Trust Mac—The ad follows the same narrative as the American version, but at the end, PC yells out that there is nobody present but two Macs having fun.
Virus—Based on the American ad Viruses, it contains the dialogue "This one's a humdinger" instead of "a doozy" but otherwise contains no significant changes.
Japan campaign
On December 12, 2006, Apple began to release ads in Japan that were similar in style to the US Get a Mac ads. The Mac and PC are played by the Rahmens, a Japanese comedy duo. The ads used to be viewable at Apple's Japan Web site.
The following ads are exclusive to Japan:
Nengajo—Mac shows PC the New Year's Card he made using iPhoto. PC then looks at it, remarking about the picture of the wild boar on the card.
Nicknames—PC is confused as to why Mac is not called a PC. Mac then explains that more people use him at home, and PC counters that he is more business-oriented. PC then asks for a nickname for himself; Mac then names him Wāku (work).
Practice Drawing—PC says he can create pictures, but they are all graphs. For example, what Mac thinks is Manhattan is a bar graph and what Mac thinks is a mountain view is a line graph. Mac catches on, correctly identifying a pie chart, but PC responds that it is a pizza, chiding Mac for having no artistic sense. This is similar to Art Language, in that PC is trying to connect with artsy people like Mac.
Steps—Mac tells PC that he has made his own Web page using iWeb. PC then asks for the steps to make his own. Mac gives them, finishing after step three. PC then pesters Mac for step four, which Mac finally explains is to have a cup of coffee.
Several American ads were modified for the Japanese market. In some of these ads, the events that occur in the narrative differ significantly from the original American campaign. Others follow the original ads more closely, with only minor differences (many based on the differences in characterization from the actors involved).
The adapted ads are
Bloated—This ad is similar to Stuffed, but in this ad, PC makes no reference to bloatware (limited or useless versions of programs loaded onto new PCs), instead complaining about how much space installing a new operating system takes. Mac expresses his hopes that PC didn't have to delete any data.
iLife—This ad is almost exactly the same as the American version.
iMovie—This ad with Miki Nakatani, is nearly identical to the American ad Better Results, except that PC actually thinks that his home movie is comparable to the Mac home movie.
Microsoft Office—Based on the UK ad Office Posse, the ad contains only minor differences. At the end of the ad, PC tries to entice Office by chanting, "Overtime! Overtime! All together now!"
Pie Chart—This ad is based on the American ad Work vs. Home. The narrative is largely the same, with the only significant differences being that Mac is blogging rather than working with movies, music, and podcasts, and the names of the divisions of the pie chart are different.
Restart—This ad is identical to the American ad Restarting.
Security—This ad is based on the American ad Trust Mac, but contains some significant changes. Rather than disguising himself to hide from viruses, PC dons protective gear to fight viruses. PC demands that any virus out there come and fight him. After Mac points out a virus, PC slowly moves behind Mac to protect himself.
Virus—The ad contains no significant changes from the American ad Viruses.
WWDC 2006—In an attempt to stall Mac development, PC claims to have a message from Steve Jobs that says that the developers should take the rest of the year off, and that Microsoft could use some help with Vista. He starts to go off-topic about his vacation with Jobs, but when Mac arrives he says he's just preparing for their next commercial and starts to sing the Meow Mix theme song off-key.
WWDC 2007—PC dresses up as Steve Jobs, and announces that he is quitting and shutting down Apple. He claims that Vista did so well, selling tens of dozens of copies, that there's no need for Leopard, and that he got his iPod-killer, a brown Zune. He tells the developers to just go home because they're no longer needed. Mac arrives and chides PC for trying to mislead the developers again like last year. He asks if PC really thinks the audience will believe he is Jobs. PC then claims he is Phil Schiller.
MacWorld Expo 2008—PC and Mac stand under a Happy New Year sign, and PC talks about what a terrible year 2007 has been for him, referring to Windows Vista as a failure while Apple Inc. experienced success with Mac OS X Leopard, iPod Touch, and iPhone. Despite this, PC says he is optimistic for the future, claiming it to be the Year of the PC. When asked what his plans are for 2008, PC states he is "just going to copy everything [Mac] did in 2007."
WWDC 2009—PC comes out and greets the crowd and says that he wants them to have a great conference with "incredible innovations that will keep Apple at the forefront..." He stops, then says, "I think I can do that better." Now it's take 2. He wishes them a "week with some innovation, but not a lot, please. Yeah, I like that." Then he says some stuff about the 1 Billion App Countdown. He asks for apps and ideas. He says, "I hope you're thinking of some great ideas because I'm thinking of some great ideas too!" Eventually, PC gives up and Mac tells everyone to have a great conference.
Release dates (U.S. campaign)
The different spots were released gradually:
The original set of Viruses, Restarting, Better, iLife, Network, WSJ, were launched on May 2, 2006.
Work vs. Home, Touché, and Out of the Box were released on June 12, 2006.
Accident, Angel/Devil and Trust Mac, were released for the campaign on August 27, 2006, during the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards.
In September, three new commercials made their debut on Canadian television, one (Better Results) features Gisele Bündchen alongside Hodgman and Long in an advertisement that had been sighted at certain Apple Stores. They were published on Apple's Web site on October 9, 2006.
In October 2006, 3 new ads, Better Results, Counselor, and Self Pity, were sighted on U.S. network TV.
In late November 2006, 3 new ads were released, Gift Exchange, Sales Pitch, and Meant for Work.
On December 19, 2006, the ad Goodwill was released on apple.com. Wall Street Journal disappeared from the See All the Ads section afterward (but is still on the site).
With the introduction of the iPhone, Surgery was added, and Network was removed from the menu as of October 12, 2007.
On January 16, 2007, Sabotage and Tech Support were added, and the 2006 holiday ads (Gift Exchange and Goodwill) and Better were removed. Network was added once again.
On February 6, 2007, Security was added.
On February 7, 2007, Gift Exchange, Goodwill, and Better were re-added, meaning that all of the U.S. campaign ads except for Wall Street Journal could be seen at apple.com/getamac/ads.
On April 11, 2007, Computer Cart and Flashback were added.
On April 14, 2007, The Stuffed ad was added.
On May 7, 2007, Choose a Vista, Genius, and Party Is Over were added.
On November 11, 2007, PR Woman, Boxer, and Podium were added. Network, iLife, and Restarting were no longer on the menu.[3]
In November 2007, an internet-only ad, Sign, was sighted.
On December 4, 2007, Misprint was added.
On December 6, 2007, Now What? was added.
On December 13, 2007, a fully claymationSanta Claus ad was added.
On January 6, 2008, Referee was added in conjunction with the beginning of the NFL playoffs.
On January 13, 2008, Time Machine was added.
As of January 25, 2008, the Web-exclusive ad Not was sighted on the Yahoo! News opening page. It also appeared at the New York Times site and elsewhere.
On April 1, 2008, Breakthrough and Yoga were added.
On April 9, 2008, Office Stress was added.
On May 12, 2008, Group and Pep Rally were added.
On May 13, 2008, Sad Song was added.
On August 18, 2008, Calming Teas, Throne, Pizza Box, and Off the Air were added.
On October 19, 2008, Bean Counter, and V Word were added
On October 20, 2008, Bake Sale was added.
On December 16, 2008, Tree Trimming, and I Can Do Anything were added.
On April 20, 2009, Time Traveler, Stacks, Legal Copy, and Biohazard Suit were added.
On May 12, 2009, Elimination, PC Choice Chat, and Customer Care were added.
On August 25, 2009, Surprise and Top of the Line were added
On August 29, 2009, Trainer was added
Criticism
In an article for Slate magazine, Seth Stevenson criticized the campaign as being too "mean spirited", suggesting, "isn't smug superiority (no matter how affable and casually dressed) a bit off-putting as a brand strategy?".[4]
In an article in The Guardian, Charlie Brooker points out that the use of the comedians Mitchell and Webb in the UK campaign is curious. They both star in the sitcom Peep Show in which, to quote the article's author, "Mitchell plays a repressed, neurotic underdog, and Webb plays a selfish, self-regarding poseur." He goes on to say, "So when you see the ads, you think, 'PCs are a bit rubbish yet ultimately lovable, whereas Macs are just smug, preening tossers.'"[5]
Differentiating between a Mac and a PC
Many computer experts have argued over the definition of PC, or personal computer, which can raise questions about the actual differentiation between a Mac and a PC. Editor in Chief of PC Magazine, Lance Ulanoff states in a 2008 column in PC Magazine:
"Of course, the ads would then be far less effective, because consumers might realize that the differences Apple is trying to tout aren't quite as huge as Apple would like you to believe."
Microsoft responded to the Get a Mac advertising campaign in late 2008 by releasing the I'm a PC campaign, featuring Microsoft employee Sean Siler as a John Hodgman look-alike. While Apple's ads show personifications of both Mac and PC systems, the Microsoft ads show PC users instead defining themselves PCs.
Parodies
Videos parodying the Get a Mac campaign have been published online by Novell, to promote Linux[7]. An amateur video series has been posted on YouTube, consisting of superhero action figures discussing their differences in "I'm a Marvel...and I'm a DC". [8]
On an episode of Royal Canadian Air Farce, aired around the time of the Canadian federal election, had a sketch where one of the comedians was introduced as a Liberal, and the other as a PC (Progressive Conservative). The sketch was split into separate parts during the episode.
