Apple’s Email Advertising Inconsistencies

Posted in Apple, Cornell University, Design, Education, Errors, Mac by Elliott Back on June 23rd, 2008.

I got the following advertisement in my inbox just now for an Apple mac. It’s part of their student campaign, so I receive the emails to my old Cornell address. At first glance, it seems innocuous, but think carefully about the contradiction inherent in the panels:

A free iPod touch. Another reason to get a Mac for school.

Reminder: A free iPod isn’t the only reason a Mac makes sense.

1. Runs Office, Vista, and XP.
2. Has built-in WiFi.
3. Doesn’t get those PC viruses.
4. Comes ready to video chat.
5. Does so much more with photos and movies.
6. Delivers course materials and more via iTunes U.

Let’s put this together. According to Apple, the number one selling point for marketing their Macbook computers to students is that existing Microsoft software–Office, Windows Visa, and Windows XP can all be run on the Macbook. Don’t tell me that somehow magically, when Windows is running on Apple’s hardware, that all the malware, viruses, worms, and spyware written for Windows will suddenly stop working or infecting your PC. Yet their #3 point is that the Macbook “won’t get those PC viruses.”

Sorry Apple, the Macbook will definitely get PC viruses if it’s running Windows–which you suggest it should be.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 23rd, 2008 at 7:53 pm and is tagged with cornell address, email advertising, pc viruses, student campaign, first glance, ipod touch, office windows, apple mac, microsoft software, itunes, software office, inconsistencies, course materials, contradiction, malware, video chat, inbox, wifi, worms, reminder. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback.

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Gardner 5 months ago 1 point
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I like Mac stuff fine, even though I'm a PC user and find their cute little PC vs. Apple commercials annoying and condescending. But what really puzzles me is why more people don't call Apple on the many contradictions in their marketing, in their ethos of hip and smart, etc. etc. I hope Apple lives long and prospers. But it's marketing like this that makes clear just how not unlike the Windows world they can be.... Thanks for the post.

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