Cupertino needs to get back into the game, pronto

Nov 3, 2014 14:23 GMT  ·  By
Microsoft emphasizes the versatility of the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro with a truly original ad
   Microsoft emphasizes the versatility of the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro with a truly original ad

A new ad released by Microsoft targeting the MacBook Air is clear evidence that Apple needs to get back in the game, or else. I’m not talking about the hardware, or the software either. I’m talking about the marketing.

Apple has all but exited the Mac versus PC fiasco, but Microsoft is still keen on keeping the war alive. If you think that’s a bad thing, think again. Competition between the two tech giants, as fierce as it may be, is good for the consumer. It forces both companies to come up with ever-more-powerful solutions at more attractive prices and in greater numbers. Plus some free entertainment in the form of some epic ads. What’s there not to like?

Nevertheless, while Apple has long abandoned its Get a Mac campaign, Microsoft has kept on beating the drum. Albeit with the same hit-and-miss rates as before. But they’re putting on a show. Apple, however, isn’t.

Awesome renders, catchy music, a wrap in under 30 seconds

Microsoft describes its new ad as “an epic dance-off between the new Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro and the MacBook Air. But does the MacBook Air stand a chance against the sleekness and multi-mode flexibility of the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro? Nope,” reads the description. “And once you add the touchscreen, it’s game over. The Yoga 3 Pro proves there’s more than one way to do what you want.”

The viewer is taken through some of the Yoga’s key features, including its thinness, its touchscreen, its ability to function as a tablet, and more. The catchy musical score coupled with the crisp dance-off theme and renders make it one of the best ads ever to be released by Microsoft in its Windows Everywhere campaign. Even if the MacBook Air user doesn’t actually need any of the touted features in the ad, the 30-second clip certainly makes the Air seem inferior.

Apple has nothing in its repertoire to make a similar case for the MacBook Air. Worse still, the Air is vastly superior to the Lenovo hybrid laptop in quite a few areas, including design, battery life, and even price. While the Air certainly can’t beat the Yoga’s on-board RAM (4GB versus 8GB in the Lenovo device), each OS uses up resources in a different manner. Chances are the MBA is actually faster at some things than the Yoga 3 Pro, despite the latter’s advantage in the hardware department.

Apple needs to get back into the spotlight

Tim Cook and his troops may appear wiser in refusing to answer a competitor’s taunts, but I have to admit I miss the days when every Get a Mac ad would slam PCs as clunky, geeky machines that most users struggled with, rather than enjoyed using. Sure, Apple stretched reality as well sometimes, but it was good quality fun for the consumer, and it made everyone’s choice more personal. Heck, it’s one of the key things that helped consolidate the company’s army of fanboys.

While I can still appreciate the high-quality promotional materials that Apple churns out every year, I also have to admit that Jony Ive’s pretentious speeches simply don’t do it for me anymore. His design-centric videos have clearly run their course. We all know by now how meticulous Apple is. There's no rush associated with Apple's ads anymore.

Bottom line, Apple had better have something different to say about its upcoming 12-inch MacBook Air or iPad Pro, whichever rumor they decide to materialize first.