After crying foul about a series of ads by Microsoft, Apple is getting a little satisfaction.
In response to the lower prices of Macs, and legal threats from Apple, Microsoft altered its Laptop Hunter ads for accuracy. The ads, which Microsoft says are unscripted, tape prospective laptop buyers looking for a purchase. If they can find a computer under a certain price, Microsoft foots the bill, but of course Apple's line of Macs are always too expensive.
The arcs of the ads remain unchanged, AdAge reports, but some key lines have been altered. Notably, one shopper says, "It seems like you're paying a lot for the brand," in regards to Macs, where she once said "This Mac is $2,000, and that's before adding anything." A line from the girl's mother, asking "Why would you pay twice the price?" was removed as well.
"We slightly adjusted the ads to reflect the updated pricing of the Mac laptop shown in the TV advertisement," a Microsoft spokeswoman told AdAge in a statement. "This does not change the focus of the campaign, which is to showcase the value and choice of the PC."
That's a sombre change in tone from Microsoft COO Kevin Turner's remarks last week. Turner at first used Apple's legal threats as a PR point, telling people at the Worldwide Partners Conference that he did "cartwheels down the hallway" after Apple called.
And you know what? He's got a point. This bickering is fun for us techies, but Microsoft is winning the war on message regardless. Let the ads reflect the true details on Mac pricing; it won't change anything in the long run.
