Apple has released some UK only adverts which feature the comedy duo Michelle and Web from the peek show. These adverts are a reworking of their Americans ones which feature one character as a PC; who is slightly uptight, uncool has bad hair and a bad suit. The Mac character on the other hand is laidback, friendly and hip. The adverts show the two characters interacting in various scenarios which help to point out how the Mac is great for “fun stuff” and the PC is best suited for business use.

Personally I found the adverts quite amusing the first time I saw them (I’m now sick of them because they’re on the UK version of mySpace all the bloody time), did the adverts make me want to buy a Mac? No they didn’t. The reason for this the same reason other Mac adverts have irritated me in the past, they’re quite smug! The casting of Michelle and Web probably doesn’t help as we know their characters from the peep show. So before the advert begins I was imagining the “PC” character as being a quite likable but bumbling oaf, and the “Mac” character as being a slightly irritating pretentious twat.

I wondered if it was just me that saw the add like this because I’d watched a lot of the peep show but there is an article on the BBC site which voices very similar opinions. Maybe Apple underestimated how well known the comedy duo were in England.

Now I’m not anti-Apple, I used to own a iPod until it broke. One of the thing that I have found about some Mac owners is they will quite happily bore you about how much better Macs are than PCs with a slightly smug look on their face. Becoming one of these is the reason more than anything that’s prevented me from buying/using Macs. Is this attitude reflected by the adverts or caused by them? Your guess is as good as mine.

# Pete Graham