An ad ignites boAt vs Apple war

Delhi: The age-old tradition of epic brand rivalries continues to captivate audiences worldwide, and in the modern era of marketing, it's no different. 

From the iconic Coca-Cola wars to the tech behemoths' battles like the infamous 'Mac Vs PC' ads, brand rivalries have always been a source of fascination for consumers.

The latest addition to this saga comes from boAt, with its campaign titled "Don't be a Fanboy," squarely aimed at Apple. The campaign has ignited a firestorm of reactions, with consumers divided between praise and criticism.

With the slogan "Think Better," boAt's campaign has sparked a spirited debate, shedding light on the intricate dynamics of brand loyalty and the ever-changing landscape of the market. 

Sanjay Mehta, Co-founder and Director of Mirum India, said, “The ad is aimed at the much larger non-Apple user customer base, to assert that their product offers comparable quality to Apple’s offering.”

Mehta further noted, "When a boAt takes on Apple, Apple would not defend or respond. Because that would mean that Apple even acknowledges boAt to be in their league. And that Apple does not respond, allows boAt to further build on the campaign, unchallenged by Apple."

He viewed that, “The ad is not focused on the Apple consumers, or to convert them from their Apple AirPods to purchase boAt products instead.”

Calling it a brave campaign, Mehta highlighted, "What boAt has done, in doing the campaign, is to get noticed! The fact that many people are discussing it now, is all the kind of attention that it looked for and is getting."

Karthik Srinivasan, Communications strategy consultant, taking a nuanced perspective in a post, pointed out, "boAt campaign is not targetting Apple at all." 

He further added that, "boAt knows that its products and Apple’s products do not compete at all. They belong to vastly different worlds, and both are perfectly valid worlds that are adequately useful to those respective buyer segments."

Lakshmipathy Bhat, SVP, Global Marketing and Communications, Robosoft, said, “Somewhere a copywriter for boAt has gone home thinking he has 'socked it to Apple' by writing 'no fruits were harmed in making this ad'. And trade portals are reporting it as 'shots fired'. Such initiatives will make the brand's current and prospective customers (unlikely to be those who can afford and seek Apple products) happy with their choice. "

He added, “Also mock all you will of the 'Apple ecosystem' but if you've experienced it - the network across iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple TV and AirPods is desired. Competition cannot simply wish it away. Irony is the creative industry is full of Apple fanboys.”

Srinivasan highlighted an analogy, “When a beehive is poked, the queen bee wouldn’t care less. But the worker bees that have sworn allegiance to the queen would get angry and create mayhem.”

Abhishek Asthana, Founder of Ginger Monkey, highlighted, “boAt asking people to ditch Apple and go for boAt earphones is like Oyo mocking Taj hotels.”

In this clash of marketing titans, boAt's move against Apple underscores the evolving nature of brand rivalries and the strategies employed to capture consumer attention.