Charlie Sorrel made a very interesting observation in his Wired Magazine blog yesterday.
In it, he describes a post on Martha Stewart’s blog in which she espouses the virtues of the new MacBook Air. Those who know me know I love Martha. Sure, she’s flawed, but she’s also a super savvy businesswoman who turned her hobbies into an empire. That said, as Charlie notes, her comments sound an awful lot like a Apple press release.
I was so excited when my new MacBook Air arrived the other day. When I opened the box and examined this laptop, I was amazed by how razor thin and how light it is – just .76 of an inch and only 3 pounds. It has a full-size illuminated keyboard, which is terrific for working in a dimly lit car or on an airplane.
And I really love the trackpad, which works in much the same way as the Apple iPhone, giving you many more options by simply moving your fingers. […] It’s a little difficult to photograph just how thin this MacBook Air is, but you can see for yourself by stopping at an Apple store or checking it out on line at http://www.apple.com.
Certainly sly celebrity endorsements are nothing new (there is a reason some celebrities are so often seen going in and out of Starbucks), but one would expect a bit more ingenuity from both Apple and Martha here.
Shill –noun. Slang.
1. a person who poses as a customer in order to decoy others into participating.
2. a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty.