Get A Mac

Like all of Apple’s “Get a Mac” commercials, the pizza box ad follows the same simple layout. The actor representing a PC and the actor representing a Mac use onscreen dialogue to briefly compare the capabilities and characteristics of each computer. In the end, the Mac always comes out delivering a better argument. In this specific advertisement, the PC actor is hiding inside a pizza box trying to attract college students to buy more PC’s by giving away free pizza.

The mise en scene for this commercial is very simple, as a plain white background is used against the two actors. The lighting and the white background make the overall look very bright and allow the actors to stand out. Instead of the eye being distracted by a more colorful or active background, the set design is kept minimal so the audience focuses on the dialogue.

The cinematography is simplistic as well. A single frame is used throughout the ad, and the camera angle remains parallel with the ground. Because of the white background, the depth of the frame is unknown. There is no camera movement, but the focus is clearly the two actors, who are centered in the middle of the frame. A long shot scale is used throughout, as it includes the full length of the Mac actor’s body from head to toe. Furthermore, the editing is continuous, as it presents a scene in a single space and a single time without cutting until the final seconds.

Because Apple uses the same tune for its Mac commercials ("Having Trouble Sneezing," composed by Mark Mothersbaugh), the song has become a theme song to the brand and it is recognizable without even having to look up at the TV screen. The song starts playing as the commercial begins and ends on a cheerful chord thirty seconds later. There is no other noise in the ad besides the actors' dialogue and the music.

Overall, the commercial is simple, yet intriguing to the audience. The witty conversation between the two actors entertains and informs the audience about Macs. However, the actual Mac computer is only displayed at the end of the commercial for a few seconds as the shot cuts to the second and last frame. Here, a Mac computer monitor stands in the center of the frame against a white background. Mise en scene, cinematography, editing, and sound come together to showcase the product that Apple is trying to sell.