Get a Mac

Apple's current ad campaign Get a Mac pits their trendy computing products against their PC (more specifically, Windows) counterpart. The U.S. version of the familiar television spots (Apple has several international versions) stars actors Justin Long and John Hodgman. All of the ads begin with Long introducing himself as Mac ("Hello, I'm a Mac.") and Hodgman introducing himself as PC ("And I'm a PC.") The two then act out a brief vignette that compares the capabilities of Apple products and those of a typical PC computer. Of course, Mac always comes out victorious in the comparison, remaining cool and collected as the troubled PC struggles to keep up.



It's very interesting the way in which Apple chooses to compare these two. Apple uses actors to portray the stereotypical characteristics of the two platforms. This "humanizing" of these products is very powerful. The witty ads creatively find a way to instantly differentiate Apple's computers from PCs—through the clothes they wear. By giving Mac a more casual fashion sensibility and dressing PC in boring, frumpy business attire, Apple makes two statements about

1. their products (Apple products are trendy and cool) and, more importantly,


2. the kind of people who buy their products (Apple customers are trendy and cool).

Not only is Apple commenting on its own products in these ads, they're also making a statement about PCs and their users (PCs are nerdy and boring and so are the people who use them).

This ad campaign relates to our discussion of the presence of signs and myths in advertising. The sign of Mac's trendiness (signified) is conveyed through Justin Long's stylish clothing and cool attitude (signifier) while the sign of PC's nerdiness (signified) is conveyed through John Hodgman's boring suit, coke bottle glasses, and uptight demeanor (signifier). These ads also perpetuate the myth of who owns Macs and who owns PCs. If you buy a Mac, you'll be just as cool as Justin Long. But if you own a PC, you're lame and nerdy like John Hodgman. In using this myth to their advantage, Apple makes a compelling case for why you should get a Mac.