And yes, the grammar in the headline is intentional (as in Apple's "Think Different" campaign).
We couldn't help but notice the new Apple ads featuring a guy in a suit (the PC) and the guy in the hoodie sweatshirt (the Mac). How far we've come from the famous 1984 ad.
Both ads, in our opinion, are great. But a deeper look reveals how consumers want to be engaged in 2006 vs. 1984. The earlier ad -- with the play on the famous novel, the artistic production, etc. -- is pure brand imagery. All you know at the end of that ad is that Apple has a different kind of computer you might want to check out. No specifics, just a hope that you'll want to be the girl with the hammer and not seated in the seemingly endless rows of drones.
In the new ads, Apple speaks to the consumer on a fairly intellectual level. The ad is stark, and production is minimal, but the characters engage in a discussion about real, tangible differences between Macs and PCs.
It shows that the era of advertising as pure creative is coming to a close. Clever is great, and ads should be interesting and entertaining. But consumers are now also looking for substance. They want some real discussion, not just puppies and cute kids running through fields on a sunny day over a lush music soundtrack.
And we say, it's about time.
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