Sometimes it is very difficult to answer a question like that. Sometimes it is very easy.

The answer here is obvious. No, they don’t. They probably pay a lot to CHIAT but frankly I fail to see the point.

Since Steve Jobs came back (the real came back, years ago), the communication slowly shifted to something dramatically new. It shows also the evolution of a company.

If you remember 

how to sell an Imac (pre steve jobs if I remember correctly)

the soon to be dead because very embarrassing Mac vs PC

to that

You can see that progressively the human disappear for the product. From real people to stencil to just part of people.

Apple is a product centric brand, for many valid reasons.

Their communication reflect that, turning communication in a pure product porn.

All around me, there are print adds for the Ipad. You never see a face, just part of bodies with a big ass product in the middle. With the name of the product. Period.

I don’t say it doesnt work. My question is more do they need to do print ads and tv buy ? When obviously the solo PR is enough to push journalist to act like fanboys, tv to open their show with the release of the Ipad and etc.

It is also very interesting that a brand so strong like apple is only pushing their product through traditional channels (Print, TV and PR). And oh boy, there are good in PR. Of course, the main point of apple is the mass market (they don’t care anymore about the pro, just look at the computer line at apple). But when many brand struggle dealing or embracing new media, Apple continue to use the same old product porn, over and over.

The efficiency of the print and tv for apple is something I am really curious to see.

On the other hand, you have the big evil, Microsoft.

The answer here is obvious as well. They need advertising.

Microsoft was a big elephant, sexy as a spreadsheet etc. 

They needed to rebuild themselves. 

The strategic shift in Microsoft is the most interesting part for me.

The shift from a product centric company to a human centric company.

(I am talking about communication here, don’t start on win7 or IE).

You can pick random examples

or

Kudos for the guys at CP+B for doing that.

And the strangest thing is that Microsoft is becoming a damn interesting company.

Using new medias to create a momentum about what they are doing, present everywhere, etc. Taking risk (like their very odd mobiles phones), innovating in terms of design (the ui of the next gen of window mobile phone), and …failing on the stock market. I am not convince that Microsoft is the best place at the moment (with a dancing monkey CEO, with Allard and his buddies leaving the building, etc) but clearly in terms of communication and advertising they are way ahead Apple.

Posted via web from Brain dump