Archive for January, 2009

As we all know, Macs are vastly superior to PCs. Seems like Microsoft knows it too. It has been discovered that the recent ‘I’m a PC’ TV ads were actually created on a Mac! Apparently, a Flickr user called LuisDS made the ironic discovery after looking at some of the metadata embedded in the video file. It was made on a Mac using Adobe CS3 software. Microsoft kind of defended itself by saying:

“As is common in almost all campaign workflow, agencies and production houses use a wide variety of software and hardware to create, edit, and distribute content, including both Macs and PCs.”

OK, they fobbed it off onto the Ad Agency, which as we all know use Macs. That’s not the end of Microsoft’s tale of deception though…

A new ad for a Windows only piece of software called ‘SongSmith’ has just been released. This lets the user start singing and the software creates a tune on the fly. Sounds fun, wish they had it for the Mac…

Going off the TV ad it would appear the software IS available for Mac users as it is shown running on a MacBook Pro!

They’ve attempted to cover the Apple logo with stickers but it’s still easilly identifyable as a MacBook. 20 seconds later it’s shown running on a real PC laptop that looks about 6 inches thick.

Here’s the ad. I’m sure the general cheesyness of the ad must be intentional, although why I can’t imagine. There’s a really funny part where one guy says “Microsoft huh? so it must be really easy to use”

Hmmm, pull the other one Microsoft, they’re probably running it on a Mac because it’s more stable at running Windows than regular PCs are.

It has been suggested that the placement of the MacBook is intentional so as to cause a storm and be a viral hit on youtube. Perhaps, but if that was the case you’d make damn sure you did a good job on the ad, make it on a Mac even.

What next? Use less bags and it will cost you fewer money! Pah.

Now I’m no grammar snob and my punctuation often leaves a lot to be desired, but, having seen this sign in Asda I felt compelled to take a snap. After I explained to the Store Manager why I was taking the photo, (who looked at me as though I’d just questioned whether their value range of chicken nuggets were free range) she told me I couldn’t take pictures without asking permission first – especially of grammatical errors on signs intended to save the planet.

With a background in design I’ve always much preferred pretty pictures, but I still appreciate that there’s a right and a wrong way to write advertising copy. Usually the right way (should that be correct way?) is by using a copywriter who that knows what they’re doing. I don’t feel quite as strongly as Vince Hamilton does, but it does grate on me the more I look at it. It’s not just Asda that use “please use the new self checkouts that don’t work properly and deprive somebody of a job if you have 15 items or less” – they’re all at it. Apparently, Tesco is rewording to “up to 10 items” in order to correct their mistake whilst avoiding the use of ‘fewer’.

But, does it even matter that major retailers can let something so obviously incorrect be used on their POS (P.O.S. if we’re being pedantic)? Maybe it’s intentional? Has the Asda marketing department, or their Ad agency, made a conscious decision to use something that’s easier on the ear?

This post has got nothing to do with the fact that I got a copy of “Eats, shoots and leaves” for Christmas.