Apple “Bean Counter”

The ad war between Apple and Microsoft intensifies this week as a new spot from TBWA\Media Arts Lab takes another volley at Microsoft and its Vista operating system. In this commercial the John Hodgman-played PC character is counting piles of cash. “Advertising, advertising, advertising,” says PC, wearing an accountant’s visor as he places dollar after dollar on a growing mound of cash he’s earmarked for advertising and virtually nothing on his “Fix Vista” pile. “I’m just doing a little budgeting,” explains PC to Mac. With all the Vista problems that have been frustrating PC users, he tells Mac, he has to “take drastic action.” When Mac presses him, asking him whether he really thinks putting all that money in advertising can fix Vista’s problems, PC agrees and instead of moving all the cash to the “fix” pile, moves all of it instead to advertising. The spot is another smart swipe at Microsoft that tells viewers that despite the brand’s new campaign promise, “Life without walls,” PC users are bound to feel the same frustrations with Microsoft they always have, no matter what the message, if the product problems persist. –-Eleftheria Parpis