Big Mac Attack

I was watching TV last night and noticed that EVERY single laptop that I saw in either shows or commercials was a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, yet they all had the apple light taped over or had a modified case. Now, that's called free product placement, and it happens because advertisers of lesser products want to attach their product to an image of a successful product, a cool product. Now, Apple goes to great extents to advertise new products in an exciting way, but to get boatloads of free adverts is ridiculously awesome.

Remember, apple products are unmistakably 'mac'. When was the last time you saw a black rectangle from distance and said 'now that's an HP, and I love the new design!'. I'd bet never.

Add to all this Pixar's very 'subtle' product placement of apple imagery or actual products, and you have magic potential given that kids love Pixar movies and characters.

Take for example Pixar's most recent gem of a film: Wall-E. Who among us can deny that Eve, that adorably cute and yet extremely powerful robot that Wall-E falls in love with, is actually a futuristic iMac? Word on the street is that Johnny Ive, the Apple VP of design responsible for the iMac and iPod, was a consultant to Disney/Pixar for the film, specifically on Eve's design. I wonder if he added that halo glow always surrounding Eve.

But there are many more references there...Wall-E watches 'Hello Dolly' on a magnified iPod. He chases around a group of one-button mice. When he starts up, he sounds off the start-up sound all Mac users hear daily. My 7 year old turned to me in the middle of the movie and said 'Hey Dad, Wall-E sounds like your computer'.

With that kind of product placement in front of current and future consumers, we have an explosive potential for breaking down the near monopoly of Microsuck and maintaining it for a generation at least.

This reminded me that I have a $100 bet with a friend that Apple will have achieved a 30% market share of personal computers by September 2012. Given RECENT DATA, I'll be collecting that Franklin far in advance of 2012. In fact, he has already bought an iMac himself.

My advice to you investors: ignore recent trends. Buy APPL now. Apple shares will hit $300 by the end of 2009.