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Library/Campaign/Apple “Get a Mac”
Grade B20 sourcesHIS-01630

Apple “Get a Mac”

Campaign · 2006 · Niche

36Editable slideCertificate

Apple’s 66 US Mac/PC TV spots became a template for gaming spoofs and rival ads.

Apple “Get a Mac”
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
Justin Long switches sides in new Mac vs PC commercials | CNN Business
CNN Business
Headline artwork from Apple’s Get a Mac virus-themed email.
Apple
MacBook image from Apple’s Get a Mac direct-marketing campaign.
Apple

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth30Velocity0Longevity7936

Numbers

Seed to milestone
13 months
May 1 ’06 to Jun 11 ’07
Platforms
4
Started on TV
Origin
Paid
Technology

Mechanics

  • Response chainPrimary
  • Controversy
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Pairing

How it spread

Trace the origin

Apple launched paid Mac/PC spots, followed by web parodies and local casts. G4TV and Microsoft answered with their own spots. The Grand Effie report is a milestone anchor; no measured attention peak was recovered.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

Google searchesSep ’05Jun ’06DecJun ’07Jul ’08Mar ’09SepApr ’11Jul ’14Oct ’17Dec ’20Aug ’21MilestoneOpen webTVYouTubePress
Open webTVYouTubePress

11 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (14)

  1. April 2006

    Steve Jobs precursor · Apr 27 ’06

    Steve Jobs told shareholders that Apple would launch a new television ad campaign the following week.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. May 2006

    Apple seed · May 1 ’06

    Apple aired six Mac/PC spots and posted them on its website.[2][3]

  3. WIRED platform jump · May 3 ’06

    WIRED linked to The Joy of Tech’s comic parody of the Mac/PC ads.[4]

  1. commercial · Oct 18 ’06

  2. platform jump · Nov 29 ’06

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Why it worked

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Origin
Paid
Sector
Technology
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

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How the next thing spread, the week it does.