Microsoft sets up ad kiosk outside U.K. Apple store

Microsoft's video-recording booth parked just outside a U.K. Apple store.

(Credit: AppleInsider)

Microsoft is taking its "I'm a PC" ad campaign directly to the people: the Mac people.

At least, that's the case in the U.K., where an AppleInsider reader spotted a Microsoft-branded video kiosk just outside a Birmingham Apple store. Microsoft employees were asking passersby to come in and record their very own "I'm a PC" video, presumably for use in a future ad.

It's not clear from AppleInsider's report whether this tactic was actually working, but it's certainly become clear this year that Microsoft is determined to hit back directly at Apple after years of taking punches delivered by the Mac vs. PC ad campaign.

For almost a year, Apple has reported that around half the people buying Macs in its retail stores are new to the Mac. Those are presumably the people Microsoft is trying to win back into its camp with these kiosks and the ad campaign.

[Zen-Masta]

This is awesome, haha.

[Mr. Dee]

For a measly 20 million users? I would spend some of that money on getting existing users on Windows XP to upgrade to Vista and encourage them to stay on the platform. With over a billion Windows users, I don't think Microsoft has anything to worry about. The person on the KIOSK by the way is too techy looking, they should have chosen someone more simple and ordinary.

[manualfunky]

mr dee , do you mean Depak Chopra? the writer?

[defender6]

Microsoft's ads demonstrate a SHOCKING NAIVETE as to what the Apple ads are all about. They don't "get it."<br /><br />In the Apple ads, the two actors playing Mac and PC are NOT SUPPOSED TO BE MAC OR PC USERS! They are supposed to be the human PERSONIFICATIONS of the computers themselves!<br /><br />For Microsoft to do ads with DOZENS of people saying, "I'm a PC," misses the boat by MILES. These people are not PCs.<br /><br />You don't say, "I'm a PC" because you are a user, you say it if you are an actor chosen to PERSONIFY the computers themselves. (Duh!)<br /><br />The good thing is, I think the public "gets" the Apple ads and understands that the two actors are the human personifications of the computers, not just ordinary users of Macs and PCs.<br /><br />Once again, Microsoft has demonstrated that it doesn't know a thing about marketing --- and Apple does.<br /><br />The Apple television ads will continue to be a success. (And have clearly touched a nerve with Microsoft.)<br /><br />All Microsoft is inevitably doing is drawing attention to the success of the Apple Stores. Apple has "Geniuses" and now Microsoft has "Gurus." Darn copycats---still at it after 25 years.<br /><br />P.S. Microsoft doesn't even MAKE PCs! (Although they might as well seeing they get a profit margin off every one sold). But it should be Dell or Hewlett Packard/Compaq outside the Apple Stores, not Microsoft!<br /><br />Bill Gates has "hardware envy," and if there're one thing he wants more than money it's CREDIT. He wants credit for making PCs, and unfortunately, the unwashed masses do believe Bill Gates makes PCs.<br /><br />Remember how much he wanted to show off that HP-made concept PC ("Athens"), standing next to it as if he invented it.

[Kev_Orng]

Awesome! We had Chevy's "Make your own Tahoe Commercial" website in 2006, and the "Build your own Bush Campaign Banner" site from '04. An MS version sort of completes the trifecta, doesn't it? We can only hope that Microsoft makes the same mistake of leaving the videos on a website for all the world to see.

[iertry]

good idea. that's where all the customers they're losing are going so ambush them before they have the chance to switch lol

[FanBoy200]

Maybe they can hide in a Pizza Box and wait for college students to pass by?

[Vegaman_Dan]

I wonder how Apple responds to this to the mall management? Surely they have a lease agreement to prevent competitor products within X number of feet of their location? Most stoes have such agreements in the US, but I do not know about the UK. <br /> <br />This wouldn't happen in the US. Too many lawyers.

[phrogdriver71]

I think all the apple store people should flood the kiosk and keep making videos saying "I'm a Mac and I can do everything a PC can and more!" MSFT = retarded for this ad campaign. Spend the money you stole from us during the Y2K non-event and fix your operating system!

[rapier1]

Non-event? It was likely a non-event because people did their jobs. Thats the problem when you prevent something bad from happening - eventually people become convinced it was all wasted effort because nothing happened.

[Mark_Anderson]

You know, it's always easy to spot someone who isn't playing with a full deck when they blame MS for things that weren't really their fault. Like Y2K for instance.<br /><br />The other bit that gives it away is where he says ""I'm a Mac and I can do everything a PC can and more!"

[jypeterson]

Yeah, hounding the customers before they switch. That will convince them to stay!<br /><br />It just goes to show how Microsoft is so out of touch from its customers, again...

[Penguinisto]

Remains to be seen, but I think it'll backfire. You'll end up with <br /> <br />* a lot of folks 'making' their own videos while the Apple store in the background is busy w/ folks buying Apple products, which makes the whole thing look hollow, or... <br /> <br />* folks making their own videos which include a full and ugly indictment of MSFT products (e.g. "I just bought a Mac in that store behind me! Screw You Bill Gates! Whoooo!", or... <br /> <br />* folks who will have no idea what it's about but will use it as an analoge for, say: "Amateur Hour on YouTube!", or... <br /> <br />* Mac die-hards who will give the camera a one-finger salute (and worse), or... <br /> <br />* folks who will confuse it with an Apple campaign and start going "Oh, yeah - the iPhones are really, really cool - I can't wait to buy one!" &#38;tc... <br /> <br />* ...and of course whatever obviously contrived "testimony" that MSFT can pay people (and/or their fanboy crowds) to deposit in the thing. <br /> <br />This would leave very little in the way of folks who understand what the kiosk is about, make a video, and honestly give a positive opinion about MSFT, let alone Vista. Yes, they will exist, but as a percentage of the whole? I wouldn't hold my breath in anticipation. <br /> <br />/P

[Vegaman_Dan]

You make good points, and all of them are valid any time you have a video camera pointed towards the public. People become stupid when on camera. That doesn't mean that MSFT would use any of the footage submitted though. So when you get to pick and choose what is used, I don't see this action to cause any sort of backfire as you pointed out. <br /> <br />Perhaps Apple will put kiosks out in front of .. um.. well, nobody else has any stores like this. Only one company has the ego to make it work. <br /> <br />Personally, I think people will associate it with the Apple store and not realize it's from a competitor, further diluting the difference between systems.

[Penguinisto]

That's the thing - it's possible that they might have something usable, but what little they can use would likely require so much editing that the results will look contrived at best.<br /><br />Apple wouldn't bother with a tactic of this nature because they have an intelligent marketing department. I'm thinking this was an idea that came from some boneheaded CxO in Redmond, not a marketing person or agency. <br /><br />The reason I can say it's boneheaded? You and I both outlined them - brand confusion, low probability of result, and it's likely costing a fair bit of money to do it (kiosk rent, artwork, machinery, connectivity, people to monitor/maintain it, people to gather and thresh the results, etc.) No true marketer (I know way too many) would want such a stain on their resume.

[ckurowic]

Haha, MSFT=fail<br /><br />they sure are flailing about now, aren't they?

[The_Decider]

It is funny how MS is very much like the McCain campaign. Out of touch, buggy, mean-spirited, and just plain incompetent.<br /><br />Epic fail doesn't come close to describing the future of MS.

[ddesy]

I'm still waiting to hear this one:<br /><br />"I'm a PC, and I use a Mac!"

[rapier1]

Ummm... That would be me and bunch of other people on here. I use whatever is appropriate for the task at hand. Only an idiot uses one tool for every job.

[Penguinisto]

@rapier1: When you said "That would be me..." , well, true or not, I don't think that MSFT wants to give any ground to Apple, so I don't see them making much use of that. <br /> <br />/P

[Vegaman_Dan]

Does that go along with the people who have a Mac and use Windows on it? <br /> <br />Blows that point out of the water, doesn't it?

[Penguinisto]

@Dan: Actually, no. Parallels and BootCamp do something MSFT probably doesn't want the user to do: Try out a competing OS. The two setups allow new Mac users to wean off of MSFT apps, after all...

[wolivere]

Penguinisto<br /><br /> Well at least you can run a competitive OS on your MAC. Apple although its possible does not want anyone to run there OS on someone else's hardware.

[Penguinisto]

...which is Apple's prerogative. <br /><br />Then again, why should they? OSX was made to run best on a certain hardware set (in spite of being able to run on a far wider array, as evidenced by my own Hackintosh). <br /><br />You're also making an Apples/Potatoes comparison. Apple is a Computer/device company (that is, they sell whole computers and devices), whereas Microsoft is a Software company (that is, they only sell software). <br /><br />I know why Apple doesn't want OSX running on non-Apple hardware - for the same reasons Windows gets such a bad rep at times - crap hardware leads to a bad opinion for the software that runs on it. Bargain-basement Dells and HP's comprise one half of the reason why most folks firmly believe that Vista sucks, after all (the fact that they carry stickers saying "Vista Capable" completes and cements the image, meaning that MSFT is culpable on that too).<br /><br />/P

[Seaspray0]

Lol. Funny! And it's partly true when you consider bootcamp.

[colamix]

Pathetic, desperate, uncool and incompetent.

[dude7895]

Just like Apple!

[myles taylor]

dude7895, regardless of what you think of Apple or their products, their recent earnings and growth hardly seem to be pathetic, desperate, uncool, or incompetent.

[JoshMiller79]

My wife saw those Vista Mac Ads where the guy's counting the money and asked what the heck a Mac was anyway. Also Vista.<br /><br />The point is, the Mac ads are really stupid to begin with.

[Vegaman_Dan]

The ads long since stopped being about Apple's products and are nothing more than a Microsoft flame fest. The public's attention isn't that long and all they see now is Apple beating up on Microsoft for a product while not talking about their own at all. People may not know what Apple actually sells other than the iPhone. That's a danger in this sort of advertising when you get so focused on hating your competition that you end up promoting them as a result.

[wolivere]

Whats strange, is Apple can spend ton's to try and win customers, (Yet still can hardly make a dent in MS) but of MS spends any money to counter MAC's mostly wrong add's..... what do we get?

[montex66]

You're bragging about how ignorant your wife is and you think that's cool?<br /><br />Sad.

[Penguinisto]

I agree with montex66 - W+F, dude?<br /><br />@ the others: Err, in case no one noticed, Apple is raking in customers by orders of magnitude. I suspect that for a company that only had 3% of the market three years ago and has moved to 10% now? At their current growth rates, they'll very likely have 14-15% by this time next year, 20-25% by EOY 2010, and even greater beyond that... <br /><br />...meanwhile, MSFT is actually losing marketshare. At first, they've lost it slowly, but now that loss is accelerating.<br /><br />On the ad front, Apple is defining the terms and tone - MSFT is only reacting. In a war, if you only react to the enemy, you almost always lose - if not immediately, then certainly over time. MSFT is doing nothing but reacting, and it's only going to hurt them. <br /><br />/P

[juiceandjaja1]

I happened to have switched to mac in 2008, mainly because I wanted to make my music, photo, and video experience easier/better.<br /><br />It has worked. That being said, MACs (my iMac and MacBook, intel) also frustrate me just as much as MS did. Beach balls everywhere, periodic freeze ups. Lets face it, Apple makes a somewhat better product, but in the same vein as a BMW or $150 Nikes; is it really worth it?<br /><br />By the way,I hate fan boys; could all the fan boys shut up until Apple puts them on the pay roll; it doesn't make you any cooler.

[Perry_Clease]

What is the correct spelling, "mac" or "MAC" if indeed you actually bought two "Macs". Also what model MS did you have?

[mpitogo]

beach ball or XP lag = lack of RAM. No matter what OS you are running if you don't have enough real RAM for the number of apps you want to run, you'll feel the wrath of vm hdd popcorn swap and jingle. <br /><br />I'm a VM PC on my Mac.

[Seaspray0]

It's your decision on what you use and I have no beef with that. I'm glad you made your decision a knowledgable one on what you thinks is best for you rather than what the pundants think is best for you. We are all individuals and therefore will have individual tastes. I respect that, the fanboy's won't.

[aukid32]

after reading a number of comments from mac users i have come to a conclusion that they're not human.

[Mark_Anderson]

Oh come on, it's funny though - that amount of whining at what actually is a pretty good show of chutzpah is priceless.

[dk jones]

i use Macs because they work for me &#38; i assume most people do the same, whether they use a Mac or HP/Dell/Sony/etc.... i've been watching the Mac vs. PC ads for as long as they've been on... they were funny in the beginning &#38; i still think they're funny for what i see them to be, jokes. though initially they were more a "contrast &#38; compare", i don't think Apple is hating on MS at all--after all each needs/uses the other in a strange sort of symbiosis. now w/ the "Bean Counter" &#38; other recent ads Apple is more directly poking fun and just plain ROFL @ MS. making a very big, much cheaper joke @ MS expense($300 million).<br /><br />i won't speculate on how this kiosk tactic will work out, but i got a chuckle out of the notion of MS trying such a thing. i enjoy the "i'm a PC &#38; I do whatever" ads as well, i just don't laugh as loud or as long.<br /><br />choose whatever 'puter works for you &#38; then get on w/ what you want to do, w/ what you need to do. life is too short for flame wars. celebrate diversity!! &#38; even if you don't the flame wars will continue to provide people like me w/ endless entertainment!! i love reading these comment sections, always good for a laugh!!

[Norseman]

Re: Microsoft's $300,000,000 Windows/PC ad campaign<br /><br />This is what you get for $300M????? Why doesn't Microsoft just have someone outside the Apple store handing out money to people if they won't go in!

[Seaspray0]

And all those "I'm a PC/I'm a Mac" commercials didn't cost anything? How much was spent on all those?

I'm a BSD | Linux | OS X | Windows | Solaris | VMS guy ;-)

[Mark_Anderson]

I'M SPARTACUS!

[ballsackfantastic]

MAC=media access control<br />Mac= Apple computer<br /><br />If you don't know the difference just kill yourself now and save us all the trouble. Thank you very much.

[jgoodman60]

They should just called it the ''Why i'm leaving pc koisk'', cause thats all their gonna hear from people shopping in around a Mac store :]

[shycelticwitch]

I was a PC, now I am a Mac. I am smarter, faster, more reliable and definitely prettier.... I am also a bit more expensive, but isn't all that I just mentioned worth a few extra bucks?