Apple removes 'Get a Mac' ads from site, finalizing end of campaign
Actor Justin Long first revealed in April that the ads, which began with his trademark "Hello, I'm a Mac" tagline, were finished. Long's "Mac" character was the straight man in the routine, flanked by comedian John Hodgman's portrayal of the bumbling "PC" character.
"It was so much fun to go do that job, because there's not a lot to it for me," Long told The Onion's A.V. Club last month. "A lot of it is just keeping myself entertained between takes, and there's no one I'd rather do it with than John (Hodgman)."
On Friday, MacRumors first discovered that Apple had removed the "Get a Mac" commercials from its website. The last three ads were released in October 2009 to counteract Microsoft's release of Windows 7.
Apple replaced the ads with a new campaign, with the theme "Why you'll love a Mac," featured at apple.com/why-mac/. The site touts buying a Mac as making the "ultimate upgrade."
The successful "Get a Mac" campaign, which began with six commercials in May 2006, portrayed Windows PCs as machines that are prone to issues that frustrate consumers, and lack the simplicity and ease of use of the Mac. Many of the commercials attacked Windows for being susceptible to viruses and system crashes.
The commercials proved to be extremely successful, and aired during a period of tremendous growth for the Mac platform. Last year, Adweek named the "Get a Mac" campaign the best ad campaign of the decade.
Last year, Microsoft stepped up its own advertising campaign and made an effort to reclaim the "I'm a PC" tagline from Apple. Television spots for Windows 7 have featured customers taking credit for the improvements in the new operating system, with the slogan "I'm a PC, and Windows 7 was my idea."
157 Comments
I enjoyed this campaign. Apple got good mileage out of it.
Farewell Justin and John...
I don't see the need to take the ads down... disk space is cheap.
It was these ads that made me consider getting an Apple computer. I had no friends with Apple computers or even any type of computer eight years ago. My first computer was a Gateway because they had a store I could go to and learn about computers. It ran Windows XP. It was fine until the hard drive got full and then the modem died. It was all downhill after that. Eventually it started driving me crazy.
It was the ads explaining how Apple computers were easy to use that got me to start researching them on the web. I regularly went back to the Apple site to watch the latest ads because they were so funny. Once I had experience with Windows I really understood the jokes better.
I took the plunge and ordered my first Apple computer. I really found my Mac Book to be nearly trouble free in the software department. The top case on the Mac Book has failed and I'm very disappointed in that from a one and a half year old product that was almost always used with a remote keyboard and mouse, thus the keyboard and trackpad had no real wear.
If Apple continues to make Macs then they should continue to make these ads. They're too funny and informative to discontinue.
Those were the best Ads I have ever seen, I actually looked forward to the new ones to be released
Funny how they end a little after Windows 7 is released. I guess they had nothing negative to really complain about since it's a solid OS and isn't crushed in reviews like Vista was. I know I'll get flack for that last comment, but who cares. I recommend it to anyone who doesn't want a Mac.