Capitalizing on

Media Horsepower

Perhaps the most pioneering, innovative and genius examples of capitalizing on media horsepower was the rivalry between Intel and Apple Computer (Circa 1980’s).

Intel had produced a variety of first class commercials featuring what was coined as the "Intel Bunnies" featuring a variety of Disco soundtracks.  Intel spent millions of dollars on the production and television advertising of its Intel Bunnies commercial series.

Before reading further, take a minute to view the video below, which shows a few of Intel’s commercials.

Apple Computer (later renamed Apple, Inc.) produced a single commercial that satires the Intel commercials, which resulted in Apple gaining all of the exposure purchased by Intel’s advertisements.  After Apple began airing its satire commercial, the effect was, every time someone saw the Intel commercial, they thought of the Apple satire commercial.  Apple realized millions of dollars worth of exposure from all of Intel’s advertising by producing and airing a single advertisement.

After realizing it was fundamentally advertising for Apple with each airing of its commercial, Intel ceased its Intel Bunnies series advertising campaign.

Please view Apple’s response to Intel’s commercial series, and how it capitalized upon all of Intel’s advertising horsepower.

In the end, the rivalry between Intel and Apple was not only resolved, it resulted in one of corporate America’s most productive partnerships.