Intel Releases New Ads Starring Former ‘I’m a Mac’ Actor Mocking M1 Macs

BY Sanuj Bhatia

Published 17 Mar 2021

justin long intel mac ad

Intel has released a series of new ads, starring Justin Long, mocking Apple’s latest M1 Macs. In the ads, he compares Intel-based Macs with M1-based Macs, and how they’re are lacking in some aspects.

Justin Long, well known for his “I’m a Mac” TV ad campaign from the 2000s has appeared in a new ad campaign “Justin Gets Real” on Intel’s YouTube channel. Contrary to the series of ads he featured in the 2000s, Justin compares how M1 Macs are inferior to the PCs powered Intel chips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYSm_HOg2kg

In one of the ads, he makes fun of Apple’s TouchBar. He compares how small and un-useful the TouchBar really is, and how a variety of Windows laptops are available with a touchscreen, and some with an even bigger second touch screen. In the other, he compares how you can even connect 3 external monitors to an Intel-based laptop, while you can connect only one external display to an M1 Mac.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gtRRMd2_UI

In one of the other ads titled “2-in-1 Flexibility,” Justin Long compares how diverse Intel-based Windows laptops are. He says how some laptops can act both as a tablet, and a laptop, while Apple’s counterparts are strictly prohibited to their domains. Even though Justin has changed trains, this isn’t the first time Intel is making fun of M1 Macs. The company released new ads last month highlighting M1 Macs’ shortcomings.

Our Take

Intel has been trying to compete with Apple’s M1 chip since the chip’s release with M1 MacBooks. Intel’s marketing team is for sure having a hard time, finding niche things to target Apple’s first-generation of custom ARM chips. The performance, both CPU and battery, of the new M1 Macs has impressed the masses, and the company is just now targeting particular drawbacks.

These new ad campaigns highlight how the company has fallen behind, and deliver any meaningful improvements over the last few years. What are your thoughts on Intel’s new ad campaign? Let us know in the comments section below!