Many loved them, some hated them, but there can be little doubt that the 'Get a Mac' ads worked. Last quarter, Apple's Mac sales were up 36% over the year ago, and this has been a steady trend for some time now. While the surge in Mac sales cannot be totally attributed to the ads, they have helped the platform gain mindshare, so much so that even the critics agree that they work.

The Media Arts LabTBWA created campaign was awarded the Grand Effie at the 39th Annual Effie Awards at the end of last week, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York. The Effie Awards honor the most significant achievement in the business of marketing communications: ideas that work. Results from the "Get a Mac" campaign included market share growth of 42%, record sales and cultural influence.

"After much spirited discussion, the jury unanimously awarded Apple the Grand Effie for its portrayal of the Mac/PC rivalry. They managed to do it with humor, class, and honesty without falling into the trap of overtly negative competitive advertising," said John Butler, Co-Creative Director of Butler Shine Stern & Partners and the 2007 Grand Effie Jury Chair, in the press release.

The Effie Awards honor the most significant achievement in the business of marketing communications: ideas that work. Known by advertisers and agencies globally as the pre-eminent award in the industry, the Effies recognize any and all forms of consumer engagement that contribute to a brand's success. Any marketing medium is eligible for an Effie, as long as results are proven, including Print, TV, Radio, Outdoor, Internet, Guerrilla, Digital, Package Design, Events, Street Teams, PR, Paid or Unpaid Media.
The 'Get a Mac' campaign has been such a success that Apple has started airing localized versions in the U.K. and Japan. While keeping true to the spirit of the campaign, these ads feature different actors and slightly different texts. If these prove to be efficient, the company could bring out even more.