Mitchell and Webb take over Mac

I really enjoyed watching the recent Mac adverts with Mitchell and Webb (aka the stars of Peep show). These adverts have been running for over a year in US where they follow the same format but feature the actors Justin Long and John Hodgman who you might recognize from the film Dodge Ball. Mac has also recreated the ads for a Japanese market.
The idea behind the averts is to try and persuade people to make the switch from PCs to Macs. This is done by cleverly highlighting the strengths of a Mac against the weaknesses of a PC through various different everyday scenarios faced by computer users.
I feel casting Mitchell and Webb as Mac and PC does have its advantages. The British public are already familiar with the two actors and the characters they play within the incredibly successful “Peepshow.” At first this seemed like the perfect match, Mitchell, aka “Mark,” the unattractive, dull, office working PC, and Webb, aka “Jez,” the somewhat cooler, more laid back Mac. However, if you think about it Jez’s character doesn’t really promote the trustworthy, reliable and practical image that Mac is trying create here. He’s a bit of a lay about and is in fact just as much of a loser as his friend Mark.
But generally I think the concept works. The adverts are funny and do highlight some pretty genuine issues that could easily influence someone buying a computer.

Visit http://www.apple.com/uk/getamac/ads/ to see the full series of Mitchell and Webb adverts, or http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/ to see the US versions. Enjoy.