Apple Mocks Windows PCs in New Humorous Ad

Apple has unveiled a fresh advertisement titled “Blue Screen of Death,” taking a cheeky dig at Windows PCs while spotlighting the reliability and security of Macs. This ad brings back Apple’s signature comedic edge, harkening back to its older campaigns that humorously targeted Microsoft.

The Ad Revisits a Real-Life Windows Meltdown

Drawing inspiration from an incident in July 2024, the commercial throws light on a massive Windows breakdown. When a flawed security update from CrowdStrike led to the notorious Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), millions of PCs worldwide went down. This glitch hit airlines, banks, media outlets, and businesses. Macs, however, navigated through the chaos unscathed.

Apple seizes this opportunity to underscore its ecosystem’s robustness. The commercial features “The Underdogs,” a fictional team of office workers debuted in Apple’s 2019 series. In this tale, they gear up for a pivotal trade show, but a PC meltdown brings turmoil. While Windows systems crash around them, the Underdogs continue unbothered, seamlessly using their Macs to finalize deals as others scramble.

Humor Meets a Serious Message About Security

A scene in the advertisement nods to the CrowdStrike debacle. It features an IT specialist who breaks down the idea of kernel-level functionality—the integral part of an operating system managing hardware and memory access. He explains how third-party software tinkering at this level led to the Windows collapse. In contrast, Macs, he explains, shield the kernel from such modifications, averting similar failures. “It’s a PC problem,” he states. “Your Macs are secure.”

The ad directs viewers to Apple’s enterprise security page, highlighting how “kernel-level protection aims to keep systems safe from breaches, outages, and unauthorized access.” It concludes with a familiar tagline: “There’s no security like Mac security.”

A Callback to Apple’s Classic Rivalry with Windows

This ad fits squarely in Apple’s long-standing tradition of ribbing Windows. From the iconic “I’m a Mac” campaign of the 2000s to this modern parody, Apple has consistently framed its computers as the safer, more reliable option. Even actor Justin Long, famously known as the Mac guy, later appeared in Intel and Qualcomm ads—something Apple cheekily nods to here.

The tone remains lighthearted, yet the message is unmistakable: in Apple’s view, Macs aren’t just computing devices; they’re assurances against the next major PC disaster. And this latest ad drives home that point with a grin.

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