Why was the 'I'm a Mac, I'm a PC' advertising campaign so successful?

The campaign succeeded by strategically positioning Macs as young, hip, and modern while portraying PCs as outdated, slow, and vulnerable to malware—directly addressing consumer pain points with PCs. Apple cleverly tackled potential customer anxieties about switching platforms by emphasizing that Microsoft Office works on Macs and countering the perception that Macs were expensive. By systematically removing barriers to adoption and creating a clear brand identity contrast, the campaign effectively changed consumer perceptions, making Macs appear as the more attractive, trouble-free alternative to traditional PCs.