Watch Microsoft Brilliantly Shade Apple With 2NE1's K-Pop Hit in New Ad

[suxaholic.livejournal.com]

Technology companies doing side-by-side comparisons in TV ads is nothing new. But subtly shading your competition by soundtracking the ad with a foreign language hit is rather brilliant.

For its new Surface Pro 3 tablet laptop, Microsoft shows where its product excels compared to the Macbook Air. The ad never comes out and says it, but by synching a song from K-pop group 2NE1, Microsoft is declaring "I am the best" ...in Korean, that is.

One of 2NE1's signature and fiercest tracks, "I Am the Best" is a cocky anthem to celebrate all the things to love about oneself. With more than 96 million views on YouTube, the dance-rap-pop hybrid is one of the most-viewed vids ever for a K-pop act and had itself a pop culture moment Stateside when the girls performed it on "The Bachelor" earlier this year.

While Apple execs may not catch the clever shade upon first listen, loads of K-pop fans were delighted by the placement, and by hearing a Korean act in a U.S.-focused commercial.

Hear the full version of 2NE1's "I Am the Best" below.

source billboard, surface@youtube, 2ne1@youtube

Comments

[imangos.livejournal.com]

I want the Surface Pro so bad...but not badly enough to screw around with Windows 8--or Windows in general. Get on that Microsoft and then I'll throw them Benjamins at you~

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

legit tv commercial in the US iirc

[dokyungsoo.livejournal.com]

comparative advertising is legal in many countries

a really common example is pepsi and coke

[kanbinayume.livejournal.com]

this ad is qt but I would never trade my mac for a surface

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

This must be a religious thing, I'd never switch to ios from win8.

Then again, I don't like these comparison ads. Let apple do their thing.

[jeliza]

Eh, Apple started it with their douchey "I'm a mac" (hot guy) vs "I'm a PC" (Jon Hodgman in full nerd persona) commercial series. This is subtle, and funny.

I have to use both for work, and they just suck in different ways.

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

Oh okay. Luckily there are different commercials airing where I live.
I agree that they both suck, also use both for work. It's just apple stuff is way overpriced in addition to not being perfect.

[kazu-kumaguro.livejournal.com]

this is subtle? I mean even without the song I can see what they're doing.

[jeliza]

The full out "I am the best" message rather than just "surface is better because X and Y" is subtle, since most of the audience will need to be let in on the joke, and it stands just fine without it.

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

ia ia

[woohyun.livejournal.com]

ia bigger the better~

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

XD That pepsixcocacola realness

Lol, windaube that was cute but comeback when your tablette can compare to an ipad, a nexus or a galaxy (aka similar product)

[pepper.livejournal.com]

Windows 8 is hideous.

[blueberry (from livejournal.com)]

srsly windows 8 is the worst!
windows 7 was the best thing microsoft ever produced and they ruined it, they should have just continued off of that.

[tempestdance.livejournal.com]

yeah i'm waiting for 8 to blow over

[pseudo-shigure.livejournal.com]

lol what the hell is windows me. i don't even know its existence.

[shocko-o.livejournal.com]

i think it's prettier than 7! i like the clean "flat" look, but i did customize it to be even more minimal.

uhh i never use the start screen though.

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

my mum has a win8 laptop and the updates take foreeeeeeeeeeever
like there are new updates every few days and then they take hours. the last time i updated it to 8.1 it took almost 3 hours.

my mac is so much faster, never going back to windows i swear.

[aeries-amethyst.livejournal.com]

And so complicated to use on top of that OTL

[xoxgoodbye.livejournal.com]

It's so confusing. Also wouldn't it be expected for sales to go down because of the learning curve that users have to go through

[jeliza]

I really dislike working with windows 8, but my kids got access to touchscreen laptops with windows 8 and for them it is awesome, I think because they aren't adjusting from something else.

It's really not designed to be used without a touchscreen, though.

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

I really dislike Windows 8 but Apple with these price hikes are getting on my last nerve...that new MBP I bought last week was $1789...until I realized "WTH am I doing?" and ordered an LED online to just fix my old MBP


I have those Louboutin Clou Noued 150mm Bom is wearing in the MV and I still don't know how the hell she's dancing in them...those are some of the most unwieldy slingbacks ever

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

have you thought about buying a refurbished mac? they're usually much cheaper and some of them weren't even used by the former user

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

I did look and they were kind of pricey to be refurbished.

I actually just cracked the glass when I tried to remove it to get to the LED. I unfortunately had a crappy suction cup and a too large putty knife so this is the outcome.



So I just said F IT and bought the $1499 one (255gb instead of $1799 512gb this time) because I have a vacation planned next week.

I actually have a Microsoft Windows 8 laptop that I hate a lot.

*edit* I also just realized how ridiculous it is I'm complaining over the MBP price when I have spent that and more on a pair of shoes...I really just wanted to wait for the Broadwell chipset next year

[cordyceps.livejournal.com]

omg

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

It's not bad. I just need to get the replacement glass protector but it's out of stock right now. I already have a replacement LED because that was what went dead.

I already had it plugged into the tv anyway

[waves-of-light.livejournal.com]

bb, can you id the shoes in this pic? they're so pretty and i love her here

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

Yup...it the re-release of the Rodarte in peep toe for the 20th Anniversary...it's called Isolde...I know a bunch of people who bought them but I did not..N O P E...price tag was not to my liking

[waves-of-light.livejournal.com]

Thanks! They're so pretty

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

how can you walk in those shoes omg

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

It's a double platform like Dafs so even though it's 160mm/6.5in it feels 100-115mm/4 to 4.5 inch

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

but the heel is so thin, like a stick.
i would not be able to walk in these

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

Not really thin...you should see the heels I wore today lol

[xblackchristmas.livejournal.com]

wow direct b-slap in the face

[shocko-o.livejournal.com]

tbh after using win8.1for a year i don't have any preferences between 7, 8, or ios. sure there are slight differences but as far as usability goes, there isn't one that stands out phenomenally.

i do want a mac pro though for the display and it has a slight edge in my line of work.

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

That list made me think of another os. For a while I had ubuntu on, then I couldn't get my mom off my laptop. She got so addicted to the games it had... Now I know how to get people to learn any os.

[shocko-o.livejournal.com]

I was so confused the first time I used linux on my laptop- I had to download so many drivers! I can see why people like it and it's pretty efficient, but the downside is some programs I use aren't available on linux.

shoot i said ios earlier, my bad i meant osx.

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

Same here. Some of the drivers I never found:D

[sskaller.livejournal.com]

That really is shade. I would think about getting a surface but I would need a better keyboard than that. I I have a macbook and chromebook (I'm an Android person) and end up using the chromebook more but I could never abandon an actual OS like Mac or Windows. I wish there as an amazing chromebook/windows hybrid.

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

flop band for a flop company.

[aeries-amethyst.livejournal.com]

That shade though LMAO XD

I wouldn't really mind getting either because they both have their pros and cons, but those prices are a bit ridiculous T_T I already have a touchscreen HP envy with windows 8 that I bought like 5 months ago so I don't need either of them atm anyways o.O I'm more of an android person I guess because they're more customizable and easier to use in some ways.

Besides, every time that I see the Surface Pro I just keep thinking of a really fancy tablet...Which is basically is ._. Anything Apple is overpriced but the visuals are aesthetically pleasing lol XD

[e-bone (from livejournal.com)]

I prefer the non competitive commercial with those krumping catholic school girls

[nurii.livejournal.com]

LOL, that's brilliant. but the CF itself looks basic.

I wish apple would come out with a touchscreen retina macbook air. no amount of specs can make me convert because at the end of the day, it's still a clunky PC that uses windows. I've used too many windows laptops and just... nope.

[supersunshiner.livejournal.com]

the shade is real
just waiting for ignorant ass americans bein like wtf is this

[cast-no-shadow0.livejournal.com]

This song has a catchy tune in any language. Do the girls write/compose any of their own lyrics or music?

And for everyone complaining about Windows 8...I don't get why. People don't like change? It does take getting used to because it no longer has the old start button, but it's really not bad at all.

And in terms of tablets/smart phones, I prefer Android over ios sooooooooo much. I used to think ios was great until I got an Android. I have a Galaxy phone and then chose a Galaxy tablet over an iPad. Everyone has their own preferences, but I think Apple is not worth the extra cost of their products.

[hyeena.livejournal.com]

lol i love it

[45s.livejournal.com]

Why are we still using shade as a verb?