Many ads at the time still used a strategy of "reasoning with the reader": explaining the technical benefits of the product, and how using it would make your life better in some way.
Sometime around the 90s, most advertising gradually shifted to emotional manipulation, which is empirically more effective at scale. The famous iPod ads, for example, said nothing at all about the iPod's technical merits, or how you'd benefit by using an iPod instead of other MP3 players. They just showed some vaguely cool-looking person listening to an iPod.
The "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads depicted PCs as old, uncool dorks; while the Mac is fun and interesting and young. Not a word about any actual features or benefits of the Mac. Purely associative emotional branding.
This actually does work in terms of "selling more iPods at scale," though it is dissatisfying to that small segment of the population that cares about making informed and rational decisions. Most HN readers fall into this category, though there aren't enough of us in the world to carry mass advertising strategies.
> Sometime around the 90s, most advertising gradually shifted to emotional manipulation...
Yup.
> ... which is empirically more effective at scale.
I don't think that's the issue. Back in the 80s, stuff came out regularly that was significantly better than the predecessor (if there was one). Emotional manipulation took over when new versions no longer had significant technical advantages over existing competitors.
Right IPhones became a fashion accessory. I guess partial reason is that when everybody uses a smartphone you have to appeal to the masses, and pure reason doesn't reach them.
The same goes for the high fashion in clothing. Doesn't matter if the clothes are the best to wear and most protective and most resilient against wear and tear. Were' in the era of tech-fashion including wearable computing.
> Not a word about any actual features or benefits of the Mac.
From what I recall almost every "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ad's premise was a feature or task that the Mac did easier or better, leaving the PC deflated or envious.
Sometime around the 90s, most advertising gradually shifted to emotional manipulation, which is empirically more effective at scale. The famous iPod ads, for example, said nothing at all about the iPod's technical merits, or how you'd benefit by using an iPod instead of other MP3 players. They just showed some vaguely cool-looking person listening to an iPod.
The "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads depicted PCs as old, uncool dorks; while the Mac is fun and interesting and young. Not a word about any actual features or benefits of the Mac. Purely associative emotional branding.
This actually does work in terms of "selling more iPods at scale," though it is dissatisfying to that small segment of the population that cares about making informed and rational decisions. Most HN readers fall into this category, though there aren't enough of us in the world to carry mass advertising strategies.