Greetings, everyone! Meet Team BUSFAM, a premier creative advertising agency is again happy to introduce #BreakingtheAds. In this episode, we will present our unique perspective on the iconic rivalry of two tech giants- Apple and BlackBerry.
In the world of advertising, mostly we come across brands that compete with each other in an ethical manner. They try to create a meaningful connection with the audience while adhering to industry standards and regulations. However, several top brands have attempted to spice up engagement with the audience by using provocative marketing strategies, often through comparisons.
This type of advertising tactic, or specifically ad war, is mainly employed by brands to generate buzz, spark conversations, and ultimately attract attention for a short period of time.
Whenever a brand pulls down another, it tries to promote itself as the better option by making the other feel inferior. Now, competitive advertising is not something that will work for every brand. However, if executed well, it can boost awareness and is considered a powerful way to highlight the brand’s USP and significantly increase conversion rates.
So, let’s just discuss one such famous commercial - Apple vs. BlackBerry
The late 2000s saw a massive shift in the interfaces of mobile phones. From physical keyboards and keypads, it was all about finger-operated touchscreens. It was a time when BlackBerry dominated the smartphone market and became a status symbol among business corporates and soon among teenagers.
However, soon with the launch of the iPhone, everything changed in the smartphone industry. Apple was known for its sleek design and touch screen which became a threat to BlackBerry.
To make its mark, BlackBerry released its campaign to attack Apple. What seemed like the battle of fruits was actually a dig at each other.
The ad begins with a small BlackBerry launching an attack on a large apple and tearing it apart in the process. After a moment of silence, the words appear on the screen, “The world’s first touch-screen BlackBerry Nothing can touch it.”
As a counterattack, Apple also took a dig at BlackBerry but in a sophisticated manner. The ad showed that the small BlackBerry device got completely shattered against the Apple. The camera remains on the screen and the words appear, “Simple Facts, signifying that the former can never stop or attack Apple.
This Apple vs. BlackBerry tech commercial was a brilliant piece of comparative advertising where Apple established itself as the superior position in the market without any words spoken. It adopted and minimalistic approach and reacted in a sophisticated way in response to the BlackBerry’s attack.
With just visuals and two words, “Simple Facts,” Apple indicated that the iPhone is the future of the mobile phone industry.
This is one such example where the superiority of one product was positioned over its competitor in a non-derogatory manner. However, you will come across many brands that publicly criticised the comparison brand in a negative way. For instance, Horlicks vs Complan, Pepsodent vs Colgate and Pepsi & Coca-Cola were some of the famous brands that engaged in aggressive comparative advertising campaigns. They demeaned each other to highlight their product’s advantages.
Comparative advertising is a powerful tool in the marketing world only if aligns with the brand’s value and identity. BUSFAM believes that a well-crafted ad effectively positions the brand without the need to be involved in negative criticism.