Upsetting the Apple Cart?
By Todd Brashear

As part of its clever, new campaign for Mac computers, Apple is rolling the dice.

In the new campaign, author and actor John Hodgman (currently of The Daily Show) plays a conservatively attired, uptight PC. His counterpart, the Mac, is portrayed by the laid-back, casually dressed actor Justin Long. From a branding perspective, the campaign is outstanding. It's a model of consistency, creativity and tone that's ideal for the Apple brand. The characters are the perfect personifications of the two machines.

Each TV spot opens the same way: a stark white set, lighthearted music, the two "computers" chatting amiably:

Long: Hello, I'm a Mac.

Hodgman: And I'm a PC...

The campaign soars as it touts the Mac's reliability, ability to network with other devices, its unique suite of convenience applications and the Mac's overall performance. One commercial even cross-promotes iPod and iTunes. Pretty inspired stuff really. And by and large, it's failsafe.

Until the "Viruses" spot.

The "Viruses" ad is bold. Really bold. Risky in fact. In a matter of 30 seconds, Apple implies that Macs are immune to viruses while PCs are highly susceptible. In this single ad, Apple has put a lot on the line. If the company can live up to the claim and protect Mac users, the gamble could pay off huge, expanding its lifelong niche customer base into the mainstream. On the other hand, now that Apple has thrown down the gauntlet, virus writers surely must be chomping at the bit to test Mac's security and prove the ad wrong.

The risk/reward scenario is twofold. The "Viruses" spot alone could cause a lot of virus-weary PC users to run out and buy a Mac. Obviously, that's great marketing. However, if Apple can't live up to its claim, and a virus takes out all those new Macs, those new customers will feel cheated, misled, robbed. And that would be terrible for the Apple brand, probably alienating those customers for good.

As a Mac user myself, both at work and at home, I'm a little nervous about the whole thing, too. I always had liked flying under the radar of viruses, not having to concern myself with virus protection software or the perils of unknown e-mail attachments. Those days are gone. I feel a little betrayed by Apple. Like they've put my digital security at risk. And based on comments written by other Mac users in online forums, I'm not the only one.

If Apple ultimately lives up to its claim, the company will have reinforced my brand loyalty and increased its customer base. A pretty shrewd hypothetical move, to be sure. For their sake - and mine - let's hope they've gotten it right.

Apple is recognized by most advertising professionals for having created the best-ever television commercial, "1984," which the company used to launch its revolutionary line of computers and an entirely new way to think about computing.

In time, the "Viruses" spot may be equally remembered. Either as the catalyst for Mac's mainstream coming-out party or for starting a problem of epidemic proportions.

As both an ad guy and a Mac guy, I've got my fingers crossed.

E-mail the author: Todd Brashear

Click here to e-mail this article to a friend.

Archived Articles