October 30th, 2008
Does anyone expect Apple's ads to be truthful?
I’ll be honest with you, I find most of Apple’s ads to be funny. However, I don’t expect them to be truthful.
For example, take Bean Counter, one of Apple’s latest 30 second TV/web ads which pokes fun at Microsoft’s ad spending (kinda ironic, don’t you think, bringing out an ad to criticize another company’s ad spending).
Loading ...It turns out that the premise of this ad (that Microsoft spends more money on ads than it does on R&D) is totally bogus. In fact, it’s a lie. The truth is that Apple spends far less on R&D than Microsoft does, and for the 2007 financial year Apple was only spending 0.7 cents less on advertising that Microsoft was:
For each $1 of sales Apple spends:
- 1.9 cents on Advertising
- 3.3 cents on R&DFor each $1 of sales Microsoft spends:
- 2.6 cents on Advertising
- 13.9 cents on R&D
Apple ads are an example of what Apple does best - create a reality distortion field that relies on twisting the facts to fit in with what the Mac crowd (and now the anti-Vista crowd) want to hear. The latest ads prove this by not featuring or even mentioning any Apple products throughout the course of the ad.
Loading ...Apple ads are successful because they manage to get people to drop their guard. It’s just like going on a tour of a haunted house because you’re willing to suspend belief and let all the garbage and drivel wash over you just for a little entertainment.
Compare Apple’s negative spin ads to Microsoft’s ads, which are vague and overall unfunny, and chooses to push “Windows” and “I’m a PC” rather than the Vista brand. Maybe Microsoft could spice up its ads with a few lies …
Thoughts?
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
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