I’m a PC, and I really dig these new ads by Microsoft. The context is global, the diversity is refreshing, and we’re just skimming the surface of the breadth of Microsoft users from around the globe – small business owners, superstars, entrepreneurs, educators, students, inventors, researchers, designers, architects, grandmothers, fishermen, writers, etc. They really capture the spirit of the global Microsoft community: Positive, engaged, international, cool, independent.
Bonus: I expect people will start making their own “I’m a PC” ads soon, which could be pretty cool.
Great “stereotype” wink at the start of each one. The best part isn’t that the ads are good and that they work for all the reasons mentioned above (and they do). No, the best part is the way they effectively kill Apple’s Mac vs. PC ads: The diversity of PC users is so overwhelming compared to the kid from the Mac ads that once you’ve watched them and go back to Apple’s campaign, the only stereotype left is the Mac guy. There’s a much bigger world out there, Apple, and it belongs to us PCs.
All is fair in love, war… and advertising. It’s about time we finally had our story told.
Hat tip to Steve Clayton.
(I sense a comment from Spike any moment now. 3… 2… 1…)
;D
Cool ads, but PCs still suck.
the apple BRAND works on an aspirational level, people WANT to be part of that brand.
if we accept that brands are “a promise of an experience”, apple succeeds on that level not only in their products but their communications. soup to nuts, apple as a brand experience delivers from end to end because they have control of everything from hardware to software to every single bit of externally facing communication there is, down to the smallest 120×60 ad banner. i know for a fact that his jobness sees everything down to that level.
all these ads say is that windows is ubiquitous, and you are not special, in fact there is no differentiating factor between you and everybody else.
there is no promise of a better life, a better experience, just a gentle pat on the head telling you that “you are just fine with windows, you don’t need anything else”.
what is so great about that?
[...] a PC website I’m a PC: Microsoft unveils new ads from Brand Builder Blog I’m a PC from Steve Clayton’s blog [...]
Hi Olivier,
Yes, I also expect a participative “I’m a PC and…” meme.
CPB (the agency) did really great here.
Yep, I like the idea of co-opting the “I’m a PC” line a bunch. And if they could actually get the “I’m a PC” meme started I’d be impressed and happy.
I found this link http://imapc.lifewithoutwalls.com/#
But I think it’d be funnier to see the meme circulate on the blogs.
Bert, come on man.
“Creativity is not device-dependent.” (Bruce Mau) The day I need a machine or operating system to define me as a person, artist, designer, professional is the day I’ll need to start rethinking the path I’m on. I dig Mac. I dig Microsoft. Personally, I’m a PC for a variety of reasons, many of which are practical. (I need certain apps. that are patently PC.) It isn’t a life choice or a political statement. It just is what it is.
I’m not sure why Apple has found the need to stereotype PCs or attack us with their cool vs. uncool ads for the last year and a half. The ads were clever at first, but the campaign has run its course. Truth: PC users are extremely diverse, versatile, inspired and connected. To think that Mac users are somehow more creative, more independent, more passionate or more engaged with the world around them is as silly as saying that folks who drink Starbucks are smarter and cooler than those who prefer Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Co., or that folks who wear DKNY jeans are more insightful and smarter than those who wear Levis. You can’t possibly buy into that.
This is a passionate issue so I won’t try to change your mind, but at least consider the possibility that your computer doesn’t define you… or anyone else. I’m a PC. Isn’t that proof enough?
Thanks for commenting, man.
Thanks to everyone for commenting.
Much, MUCH better from Microsoft. I’m just glad they got rid of the Gates/Seinfeld ads and replaced them with these ones. At least these new ads tell you something about the brand rather than leave you confused.
Like you mentioned, the real genius in these ads is that every person can now become part of the MS brand by uploading their own story. From a branding perspective, it’s absolutely great when customers “own” the brand.
The only obstacle now is for MS’s products to match their ads. I know MS has pretty much fixed all the bugs with VISTA but have the average person’s computer advanced well enough to be able to run Vista flawlessly? If the answer is no, then that spells even more trouble for MS.
Yeah, the divide between the software (Microsoft) and the machines (HP, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, Gateway, etc.) may always be an issue for us PCs. Hardware manufacturers are doing much better than they used to, but there is still work to be done there. No question.
I dunno, to spend $300 million and only come up with a direct response to Mac’s “attack” ads vs. something original is kind of a cop out. This is after utter failure with their faked “Pepsi vs. Coke” test – more Microsoft duplicity.
Now you can’t buy XP anymore. You have to buy Vista and downgrade to XP but Microsoft records it as a Vista sale and is of course reporting a “surge” in Vista sales – more duplicity.
Windows is officially an average product that marginally functions. That the world runs on Windows is a fact that we should be finding a way to change.
I market a Windows-based business, we’re partners with Microsoft, we go to Redmond at least once a year – we have staff there now getting spoon fed the same garbage that we’ve been hearing for four years now.
The best example was last year when Microsoft announced their Silverlight campaign – which was completely produced using Flash because Silverlight was (and still is) not ready for prime time.
That’s why we make IIS server-based products that any web user can use and access, thus not limiting us to the Microsoft “ecosystem”. We have some developers on Macs in our office because they provide a more stable and flexible development environment and they start up instantly, among other things, making each developer more productive.
I doubt these commercials will have a significant impact on Apple marketshare which will continue to steadily grow while Microsoft marketshare declines. Apple spends 77% less on R&D and 66% less on marketing than Microsoft yet makes a bit more than 50% of Microsoft’s revenue. That’s good business.
Oh, and I’m a PC ….until I get my MacBook.
Yeah, the advertising industry isn’t getting any cheaper. I’ll let the market determine whether or not the ROI was there.
Ultimately, this seems like more of a PR move than a true advertising-to-sales strategy: Will the ads generate more sales of Microsoft products? Probably not. But from a brand statement perspective, I think it hits the mark. Microsoft is now focusing on a community-building strategy that I like. Until now, it was difficult to connect the dots unless you went to events like Worldwide Partner Conference, where that sense of community is overwhelming. So I applaud the fact that Microsoft has finally taken the time to give this element of their brand some visibility.
If anything, Microsoft and Apple are both strengthened by their own competitive natures in regards to each other. Apple will continue to focus on aggressively capturing market share, and Microsoft will hopefully continue to make their products more accessible and enjoyable for the average computer user. Neither of these things would happen if both companies didn’t have such an epic vs. relationship.
Microsoft needed to communicate that it stands for something – in the way that Apple does – and these new ads are an excellent start.
I’ve worked side by side with hard core Mac users (is there any other kind?) and you know, I dig Mac a lot… but we all really have to let go of the “Mac is better” mentality at some point. Sure, Macs are better suited for certain types of applications (most of them creative), but Microsoft wouldn’t be as successful as they are if their products weren’t pretty solid. There’s a lot more to Microsoft than its OS too. Office is pretty sweet. Its server products, from Exchange and SQL to WinServ 2008 are pretty clutch. their CRM solutions are excellent as well. Big picture. (Beyond the laptop and PC.)
I say, use whatever tools work best for you. If it’s a Mac, great. If it’s a Microsoft-powered PC, great. It’s all good to me. I’m just happy to see my choice finally be seen through a positive viewpoint through these ads.
And I’m also pretty psyched to see my old Buzznet friends posting here today. That’s a very good thing.
The Apple brand is cute and hip and a bit elitist and spendy. PCs are economical – I was able to buy 3 refurbished laptops + peripherals to start my small business whereas I could only have purchased one mac of comparable quality. Much of the software I use needs to be freeware or cheap and is simply not available in the MAC platform. I am a small woman owned business that is similar to many woman and minority owned businesses – lacking access to capital and resources. I have to operate extremely leanly and efficiently to leverage the funds I have and grow and to keep food on my table and my employees’ tables. PCs are affordable and ubiquitous and I’ve never found the Windows OS to be anything other than reliable! I don’t care that I don’t have pretty icons, ditherless shadows or widgets and doo-dads that talk to me. I have stuff to get done and I just want programs and computers that get me there.
I like the ads!
Thanks Tanya. Good point on the cost-effectiveness. I haven’t priced a Mac in many years, but yeah, they can’t be as affordable as some of the Microsoft-powered PCs and laptops I run into on a regular basis.
Good use of the word “ditherless.”
Rock on.
[...] blathered on, as I tend to do, over at The Brandbuilder, but Godin got it down in just a couple [...]
Olivier–
What, do you think, is the impact of having the PC so ubiquitously tied to Microsoft on an international level? Does Western Europe, or Australia see Microsoft as an American movement, tied to American interests? Is there a resistance, either passive or overt to Microsoft because the company originated in the United States?
I don’t think that the Microsoft movement can be seen as an American movement without the Apple movement also being seen as an American movement – so, I don’t think it’s an issue.
Besides, Microsoft’s “I’m a PC” ads are VERY international.
If there is any resistance to Microsoft overseas, I would attribute it to the size and influence of a company its size. (Large corporations often inspire a “big brother” like distrust, particularly in Europeans.)
Putting a human face on the Microsoft brand through the “I’m a PC” campaign should help soften and popularize the brand’s image.
Bonus: Unlike other large US imports (fast food, entertainment, financial institutions) Microsoft isn’t detrimental to anyone’s health, cultural experience or finances, so it probably gets a pass there as well.
While the ads are very nice, I am not certain that they are particularly effective. The “Get a Mac” campaign has been wildly successful, increasing Apple’s market share by 42% in one year and continuing to promote record sales, even in this economic downturn. Now, I know the “I’m a PC” campaign is a bit late entering the fray (not sure why they waited two years to begin to answer the Mac campaign) but I am not finding a single analysis of actual effectiveness. Any sources?
Sarah, you’re right:
1. Why did MS wait so long?
2. Why did the campaign stop?
Microsoft could have gained a lot of traction over time, but their campaign came too late and was way too short. Mac’s lasted over a year.
What’s sad is the ads were good. I liked the global, human, community themes. I loved the energy of the ads.
But then, sadly,*poof* they were gone.