New Apple ads go for Vista jugular

By Davey Winder
Monday, 20 October 2008 15:46

Strategy

With Microsoft looking to push Windows 7 for all it is worth right now, and making no mention of Vista itself in the latest advertising campaigns, it should come as no surprise to see Apple picking up on this.

Which is where the second of the new adverts steps up to the plate. The 'V Word' as it has been called has the familiar figures of Mr PC and Mr Mac. But there is a twist.

Mr PC is holding a big red button which he presses every time that Mr Mac tries to say Vista. This causes a loud buzzer to sound, thus obliterating the word Vista from the conversation. "We don't say the V word any more, it frustrated PC users" the PC man admits.

Of course, the backlash has already started with some commentators saying they are looking forward to the Mr Mac buzzer sounding whenever Mr PC says Firewire. A dig at Steve Jobs who is reported to have intimated that Firewire is as good dead.

But anyway, while Microsoft attempts to imitate Apple and build a friendly, lifestyle image for the Windows brand, Apple gets straight to the point and demolishes Vista. The message is clear: fix Vista problems instead of employing distraction tactics.

All in all, Apple would appear to have poured water onto the whole Microsoft campaign, extinguishing any hope of lifting the Windows image that was the whole point of the expensive advertising exercise.

No amount of Steve Ballmer going off on one and screaming "I am a PC" is going to change that...

The new Apple adverts can be viewed here.