Do you remember those famous Mac vs. PC adverts that Apple ran in the second half of the aughts? A casually dressed man represented Mac, while a man in a suit represented a PC.
For its latest adverts, Intel has hired Mac actor Justin Long—except this time he’s here to sell you Windows laptops.
Intel’s “Justin Gets Real” Campaign
Intel’s advertising campaign is called “Justin Gets Real”, made up of a series of short videos where former Mac actor Justin Long introduces himself and checks out how an Intel laptop compares to a Macbook.
“Hello, I’m a… Justin,” he says, set against a white backdrop to mimic the Apple ads. “Just a real person doing a comparison between Mac and PC.”
Justin Gets Real: PC Gaming demonstrates how MSI’s Stealth 15M laptop can handle intense gaming with an Xbox controller, before an empty-screened Macbook is shown to represent how “no one really games on a Mac”.
Another is Justin Gets Real: Touch Screens, which highlights the dual touchscreen features of the ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 and how feeble it looks in comparison to the Macbook’s touch bar.
These adverts come off the back of Apple using PC actor John Hodgman for a brief skit in its November 2020 press conference.
Why Is Intel Roasting Apple?
There’s a reason that Intel is going after Apple. The latter ditched the former’s chips in favor of its own, based on ARM designs.
Intel is in a tricky spot generally. Though it used to be the de facto choice for PC processors, AMD have worked hard to close the gap. When it comes to gaming in particular, many PC builders now opt for AMD’s Ryzen line-up over Intel’s offerings.
Intel will be hoping that its 11th generation desktop processors puts the company back in the fight.
The Classic Mac vs. PC Ads
Any tech head of a certain age remembers the Mac vs. PC ads. They’re obviously dated now, relying on clichés like the belief that Macs are better at creative work than PCs, but at the time they were amusing and evidently remain iconic enough for Intel to take the format.
The Mac vs. PC ads were also adapted for some local markets. For example, in the UK popular comedy duo Mitchell and Webb played PC and Mac respectively, while in Japan the roles were played by the Rahmens.
Mac or PC… it’s a debate as old as time, and it looks like it’s not going away any time soon.