1
2007 Grand Effie Winner – “Get a Mac” Apple Inc.
1 Comment · Posted by Lewis Wright in Marketing News
Anyone who has a television and a mouth has not only seen one of the “Get a Mac” ads but talked about them. Water cooler chat doesn’t always equate to success but the Effie Awards has decided it certainly did this time, awarding TBWA the Grand Effie for 2007 to this series of “Mac vs. PC” commercials.
The simplistic and humorous banter between the “Mac” (played by Justin Long) and “PC” (played by John Hodgman) point out the differences between the two types of computers in a way that obviously plays to the strengths of a Mac. There has been a little controversy as to the accuracy of the ads but for the most part Mac’s look like the simpler, more inclusive computer that don’t involve as many hassles as a PC. Although titled “Get a Mac” it might be more properly referred to as “Mac vs. PC”.
The Effie’s claim a 42% increase in market share growth as a result of this campaign. The success didn’t stop there, however, with the 2007 third quarter results continuing to boast about sales and success. Gross margin was up over 30% from a year ago and Apple shipped over 1.7 million computers, a 33% growth YOY. The popularity can’t ignore the rising sales in iPods either, with nearly 10 million more being shipped in this quarter alone. These impressive stats equate to the most profitable, highest sales and biggest revenue numbers in the history of Mac.
TWBA was awarded the 2006 “Global Agency of the Year” by ADWEEK, the second time it has received this title in three years. With awards like the Effie piling up like bricks in the Great Wall of China they might repeat again in 2007.
Love them or hate them you should probably take a look at all the ads again.
No tags
Rik · August 1, 2007 at 9:33 am
Congratulations, TBWA! Effie awards are truly the real deal in advertising effectiveness. I think this is a really cool campaign, regardless of whether you are “pro Mac” or “pro PC.”
Be sure to check out TBWA’s website via the above link. They continue to be one of the hottest agencies around. In fact, their new philosophy term is “disruption.”
Check this out:
“TBWA = Disruption.
Disruption is a tool for change and an agent of growth: a working methodology and a life view philosophy.
The word is difficult, uncomfortable but “Disruption” is not destructive. It is creation. Disruption is a means of creating something dynamic to replace something that has become static.
Disruption is the art of asking better questions, challenging conventional wisdom and overturning assumptions and prejudices that get in the way of imagining new possibilities and visionary ideas.
Disruption is a system for people who hate systems. Similar to the concept of open-source software development, Disruption has evolved and matured as communities around the network use, adapt and reinvent Disruption tools for specific market or client needs.
The methodology and process can be employed universally to answer just about any challenge that a brand or company may have. Disruption is not limited to marketing and communications but can be applied to deeper levels of an organization including products and services or the core business offering.
Conventions are the limiting definitions (either real or perceived) that organizations often unknowingly adhere to: aspects of communications, consumers, the marketplace and the company itself, that have always “been done that way.” By identifying existing conventions and asking “why” things are the way they are, we are able to overturn conventional thinking to the benefit of the company. Insights or hidden truths can subsequently be leveraged to help our clients define a fundamentally different vision of the future, one in which they have not only a greater share, but unlimited potential.
The vision becomes the guiding premise that opens an organization’s horizons, both in communication and action. In many cases, our clients have visions that are strong and future forward, but they haven’t been articulated in a way that translates to employees or consumers. A well-articulated vision inspires the people behind the brand, changing the way a company thinks and acts. It provides a rallying cry that propels the brand into the future. As Lee Clow says, “A brand is the sum of all its actions. Who it is, what it does, what the world expects of it… If the brand is passionate, honest and committed, innovative and, at the same time inspirational, if the brand is true to its history, its passion and true to itself, the world will love that brand.”
Disruption seeks to retire old, low-yielding ideas and launch new, highly profitable ones. A disruptive idea is quite simply the best and fastest way to overturn conventions and achieve a vision.”
I think designers and writers at every agency should always keep their “disruption bit” turned on!