Ask HN: Is Apple Cringe?

2 points by mijustin 23 days ago | 1 comment

When I think back on Apple's public-facing persona over the years, I think about moments like:

- The infamous (and edgy!) 1984 Super Bowl ad - The countercultural push of campaigns in the 90s and early 2000s, like "Think Different" and "Here's to the crazy ones." - The iPod ads that featured dancing silhouettes listening to iPods, contrasted with the white cable of the EarPods - The "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads were funny, and also positioned Macs as "the computer for young, cool, creative people."

All of these campaigns felt like they resonated with the Gen X and Millennials of the time as "edgy, cool, relevant."

But watching Apple's recent events (WWDC, announcements), looking at how they show up on social media and in their print ads, it all feels corporate, safe, and more than a little cringe.

I know that statistically, most Gen Z prefer iPhones.

But I'm wondering what today's Gen Z and Gen Alphas think about the brand. Do they think it's cool? Do they think it's cringe?

thewebguyd 23 days ago |

Apple isn't about being a rebel anymore. They aren' the underdog like they used to be, they are the default (in the US, as that's all I can speak to).

For Gen Z & I'd assume Alpha as well, Apple (via iMessage) is just a baseline requirement for social inclusion. The cringe isn't Apple, it's the opposite, its cringe to not have an iPhone because of social pressure.

Apple sill remains an aspirational brand too, despite this. It's a flex to show off the latest iPhone, or whatever else brand new Apple product.

Basically, Apple doesn't have to spend marketing effort to appear cool anymore because the vendor lock in and peer pressure are already doing that for them.