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Numb3rs Ad Spoofs Apple Get a Mac Ads (with Video)

Numb3rs Ad Spoofs Apple Get a Mac Ads (with Video)

by , 12:15 PM EDT, April 10th, 2008

After the writers strike ended, CBS began running TV ads for the return of its FBI drama series Numb3rs. In the spoofs, Rob Morrow plays John Hodgman playing a PC and David Krumholtz plays Justin Long playing a Mac.

There are two ads, slightly different:

The first ad:

The second ad, with a different ending:

For those who haven't noticed, David Krumholtz, who plays Dr. Charlie Eppes, uses a MacBook on the show, though the Apple logo has been covered up this season. His astrophysicist friend, Dr. Amita Ramajuan, played by Navi Rawat, uses an iPhone on the show.

It's a credit to Apple and its ad agency, TBWA\, that the Get a Mac ads have so percolated into the American psyche that they're used for other TV ads. I this case, an especially technical drama that showcases Apple products as well.

Teaser photo credit: CBS.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:Guest
Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:35 pm Subject: yeah...

A TV show who's audience is people who have nothing to do on Friday nights... Definitely targeted at PC users, that's for sure.


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Close Name:Guest
Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:49 pm Subject: Apple Logos

I have often wondered why most logos on Apple machines and displays are covered up with some kind of sticker. Anyone who is familiar with Apple products can always spot the hardware. What are the networks afraid of?


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Close Name:Guest
Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:03 pm Subject: Who knows

That's "whose," not "who's"...


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Close Name:Guest
Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:12 pm Subject: Stereotipical silliness

We Mac users would never, ever record the show. Nope.

Quote
Guest wrote:
A TV show who's audience is people who have nothing to do on Friday nights... Definitely targeted at PC users, that's for sure.


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Close Name:mahuti -   TMO Staff Posts: 377 Joined: 09 Jan 2003
Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:17 pm Subject: certainly

Quote
Guest wrote:
We Mac users would never, ever record the show. Nope.


Certainly not with our AppleTVs. Way to leave out the DVR.


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Close Name:Guest
Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:18 pm Subject: Good show, good content, good purpose

Ironically enough, a good portion of the show is funded by TI... to help students be more interested in math. Every week they send out examples of the theories used in the show for teachers to use as extra credit.

http://www.springboardbusiness.com

Quote
Guest wrote:
A TV show who's audience is people who have nothing to do on Friday nights... Definitely targeted at PC users, that's for sure.


 Reply | Quote
Close Name:Bosco Posts: 1002 Joined: 03 Jun 2002
Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:30 pm Subject: Even more ironically...

Quote
Guest wrote:
Ironically enough, a good portion of the show is funded by TI... to help students be more interested in math. Every week they send out examples of the theories used in the show for teachers to use as extra credit.


Even more ironically, it's still the dorkiest show on TV. You just know the 115 IQ crowd eats this show up.


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Close Name:vasic Posts: 279 Joined: 09 Aug 2005
Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:49 pm Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
I have often wondered why most logos on Apple machines and displays are covered up with some kind of sticker. Anyone who is familiar with Apple products can always spot the hardware. What are the networks afraid of?


It's not that networks are afraid of anybody; they do that because Apple doesn't pay anything for product placement in this show. Displaying a prominent logo of any product in a TV show costs money. In addition to revenue from commercials, this is how show producers generate revenue. Apple logo has been prominently displayed in many shows (Sex and the City, and Californication come to mind), and Apple has paid for the product placement. However, there are frequent situations where producers don't bother asking Apple for payment and leave the logo uncovered anyway, when a specific look is required by the DP, the director or set designer.


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Close Name:buttercupboxer Posts: 16 Joined: 10 Jan 2007
Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:08 pm Subject: cool

i love to see mash ups of my favorite unrelated things.


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Close Name:Guest
Fri Apr 25, 2008 12:27 am Subject: did this really run?

I have never seen this ad except on the Internet. Did it really run on TV? It seems that CBS doesn't promote this program as much as CSI and some of the other dramas. I certainly never saw this.


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