Apple's new adverts are far from genius
Apple's rolled out its latest ad campaign, and it patronises customers no end.
Apple has a rich heritage when it comes to advertising campaigns. Remember back to '1984' and 'Think Different', and you'll know what I mean.
But this is what makes its latest ads all the more baffling. Broadcast in the US during the opening of the London Olympics, they feature an Apple Genius Bar employee -- those tasked with helping solve any problems you might have with your Mac -- aiding flailing customers in their times of need. And I think the ads miss the mark by quite a way.
In the first one, a man wants to create a video for his wife on iMovie to make amends for forgetting their anniversary. The thing is, he's on a plane and only has a few minutes before they land, when presumably he'll be confronted with his wife. The Genius swoops in and saves the day.
The next features a man whose wife is about to give birth. But instead of worrying about getting her to hospital, he wants to make a photo card to announce the birth. The Genius helps him, while also calling an ambulance to help get his priorities in order.
And in the third, we see a man who thinks he's bought a Mac -- but it turns out he's been taken for a ride by a Del Boy of a shopkeeper and hasn't bought a Mac at all.
I think the problem is they portray Apple customers, or wannabe Apple customers in the case of the last one, as idiots. Is that really the image Apple wants to give off?
The ads also undermine one of the main selling points of a Mac -- that it's a complete doddle to use. The programs are supposed to be so simple you don't need someone, or a 700-page guide, to tell you how to use it. You just pick it up and get started.
What do you make of the ads? Is it just me that fins them patronising? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
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