Mac Notebook TV Commercial

Is there anyone in our class who doesn't do some sort of business with the giant Apple corporation: ipods and itunes, sleek notebooks, iphones, modern desktop units, and any other accessories or upgrades imaginable?  Apple is everywhere. Based on Apple’s image and products, I would say they have traditionally been marketed to 18 (or younger) to 35-year-olds; they are also thought of as the choice of creative professionals like graphic designers and other artists.  The branding screams modern, sophisticated, and interesting.  In "Pizza Box," a television commercial I found at http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads, the traditional Mac vs. PC rivalry is continued.  I was drawn to this commercial because of the obvious target audience: college students. Based on the archive of commercials on the website, this campaign has been active since at least 2006. This specific commercial ran in 2008. 

            In extension 0f the consistent and effective Mac advertising image, the characters, MAC and PC, personify the differences between the products.  PC is the epitome of a computer nerd complete with glasses, a frumpy suit, and a bad hair-do. Overall, PC is unattractive and outdated.  In contrast, MAC is relaxed, confident, attractive, and his clothes and hair are fashionable.  MAC's position in this ad is physically higher and more dominant than his competition, which is reinforced by both of the characters’ attitudes and body language.

The dialogue between the two characters allows for the primary message and the secondary message to be delivered without the need of other traditional sales techniques, like catchy graphics and price or sales tactics. The main message of the ad is skillfully placed in the easy banter between the two main characters. The PC character specifically mentions a statistic that helps explain his presence in a pizza box: the Mac Notebook is the number one notebook on college campuses. The secondary message is the implied reason for PC to be hiding in a pizza box.  Stereotypically college students eat a lot of pizza; that implies that PC uses ploys, or other techniques, to lure potential buyers instead of relying on a trustworthy product. However, the Apple MacBooks don’t need tricks and rebates to be marketable because of all the built-in features. The dialogue allows PC to begrudgingly catalogue, or list, all of the standard features of the Mac that distinguish it from the competition.

            I think the overwhelming success of Apple’s image is grounded in consistency. From retail stores to product packaging, Apple’s image never falters: white backgrounds, clean lines, ample white space, and the always-present Apple logo. This commercial demonstrates all of these elements. The white space gives the commercial an open, fresh feeling. Although the commercial is clearly selling notebooks, the only product shown is the desktop flat screen monitor with the logo on it at the very end of the ad. Other than the words on the pizza box, there is no other written copy. Even the light instrumental music helps to reinforce the same image as the characters and setting.  Overall, it is a strong ad that plays on a longstanding rivalry and continues to enforce the strong Apple image.