Whether or not you like Apple products, it’s hard to dispute the power of the company’s iconic ad campaigns. From the famous “1984” ad for Macintosh, 1997’s “Think Different,” the 2006 John Hodgman / Justin Long “Get a Mac” series through to today’s iPhone ads, the work of TBWA/Chiat/Day has been consistently simple and clever, positioning Apple products as perfectly crafted moments of zen-like calm that make your life easier.
Apple’s new Mac ads are embarrassing
Apple’s ad campaign during the 2012 London Olympics is embarrassing.
Apple’s ad campaign during the 2012 London Olympics is embarrassing.
is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.
Apple's latest series of three commercials, broadcast during the 2012 London Olympics, are nothing like that.
They all star a single actor who portrays an Apple Genius Bar employee, and stupidity appears to be the other unifying theme. It's the young genius' job to explain to two seemingly inept Mac users how to use their computers, and to let a would-be Mac buyer know that he's been deceived. They feel intellectually cheap. We have no idea how these got greenlit, much less how the company decided they were worth paying for a fraction of the $1 billion NBCUniversal made in Olympics-class airtime this year. Perhaps you'll feel differently, though. You can watch them below and decide for yourself.
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