‘Get a Mac’ ads go Japanese; Long still the U.S. ‘Mac guy’
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Nov 13, 2006 at 6:27pm
Apple’s “Get a Mac” TV spots have gone Japanese with Japanese actors replacing Justin Long and John Hodgeman as the “Mac” and “PC.” Apparently, the Japanese ads are pretty much straight translations of the U.S. ones. Meanwhile, Long says that, despite reports to the contrary, he’s still the “Mac” in the English language version of the commercials.
In a blog on his web site, he writes: “as for the mac commercials, i don’t know where that report came from that said i wasn’t going to do anymore – i literally setting my alarm right now to wake up for a mac shoot tomorrow – if i’m not doing anymore i guess i can sleep in on my day off – that’d be nice. but yeah, we’re doing some holiday spots now which i think will be pretty funny – not nearly funny enough to justifiy the money they’re paying me though, i’ll be honest with you. as for the future, i really don’t know what i’m going to do – i’m surprised, frankly, that the campaign hasn’t become tired and they’ve just ended it on their own – but i try to live as much in the present as i can considering the future doesn’t exist, i’m not really sure. they’re easy to do, i love john (the pc guy) and working with him is so effortless and fun that i definitely wouldn’t rule out doing some more – and, as i said, they pay us nicely.” Long is pictured at the right. 
On Nov. 8, it was reported] that Long (Dodgeball, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Accepted) was out as the “Mac” in the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads. Though more of the ads are in the works, supposedly the young actor was being dropped as being an “unshaven, hoodie-wearing, hands-in-pockets hipster we’ve always imagined when picturing a Mac enthusiast.” At the time director Phil Morrison and TBWA\Chiat\Day (Apple’s ad agency) all declined to comment, and Hodgman’s rep would only confirm that new ads were in the works.
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
David Feng Says:
The Japanese PC looks like a real “otenkiya” as they call it there (guy/gal that changes like the weather), especially in the Virus ad. (The Chinese call that kind of behavior “說變就變” ("on-the-fly change").) To some extents the whole thing appears a little “fake.”.. but very dramatic.
The Japanese ads are far more dramatic, but the US ads get far closer to real-life situations. After taking a look at these ads, I give Justin and John the hands up. At the same time, though, I’m confident of funnier ads from the other end of the Pacific.
Posted on November 14, 2006