When we first heard that Microsoft was prepping an ad campaign starring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld I was cautiously optimistic. Gates has a good sense of humor about himself, and Jerry might not be your cup of tea but he can be pretty funny now and again. The first ad has hit TV screens across the nation and… I don’t think I even have words for it.
I’m assuming they were going for the ‘Seinfeldian’ commercial about nothing. As you can see from the video above, Jerry is walking through the mall and he sees Bill trying on some shoes at a discount shoe store (it is funny because Gates is so rich, but he has no taste! Ha!). Jerry leaps in and helps him find a pair of shoes. After asking Bill if he showers with his clothes on Bill and Jerry walk out to the parking lot. Jerry wonders if the big minds at Microsoft are working on delicious computers, and Bill shifts his underwear (you read that correctly) to confirm that Microsoft has, in fact, been looking into edible computers.
The whole mess ends with a Windows logo.
What a mess. Kind of like Windows Vista - could of been good, but just falls flat. And they don't get it.
It
hurts.
I thought it was a great commercial, but I really don't get how it is promoting MS or Windows.
Hmmmm, I giggled a little, but what has that got to do with computers?? If this is their answer to the Mac vs PC ads. FAIL!!! Bill gates isn't even head of the microsoft anymore. What a waste of money.
um...
what?
Huh?
Funny, yes.
But, what are they selling.
If ALL the Microsoft products were loved and flying off the shelf, then this advert makes sense.
Otherwise (and, I think that reality is: otherwise) not.
That was sad: embarrassing.
I think I get the point:
- Computers shouldn't be "sold" by a salesperson (aiming at Apple Geniuses)
- The recommendation of a friend is a better bet (aiming at large windows population as a better reference)
- Windows is flexible? (shoes being flexible)
- Churros? (I have no idea)
- Delicious cake (huh... still have no idea)
- Oh, yeah, the windows logo at the end (there it is, the oomph in the commercial)
That's the worst thing I think I've ever seen.
This was on TV? I thought Microsoft hired some hot marketing firm that was going to make Microsoft look more like Apple.
If if I wanted to buy Vista after watching this, there's no Shoe Circus near me...
That was an amazing Churro commercial, so subtle, I want one now. Don't you want a Churro now? How about a new pair of shoes, I could go for a new pair of shoes.
I still don't feel warm and fuzzy about Vista though.
The picture on Bill's Shoe Circus platinum card in the ad seems to be his mug shot from when he was arrested in Albuquerque.
Now that is actually quite funny!
Whereas Apple ads are tight, focussed and don't say more than they need to, this ad is sprawling, all over the place and doesn't seem to have a clear message or focus.
I don't think it takes a genius to work out the correlation between the ads and the two companies' products here!
At first when I saw that during the NFL game I thought why is Bill Gates doing a commercial for a shoestore.
If thats the best they can come up, all the money is wasted.
If they send it to me instead it has probably the same effect in advertising windows. With that much dough I might even consider buying a copy of Vista.:)
Apple's ads have been screaming "We are cool, buy our stuff or you wont be cool and you will probably die alone...oh and buy our stuff"
Microsoft says, with this ad..."get a life. If you are defined by your computer brand, you are a sad, sad person."
Has anyone noticed the size of Ballmer's gut lately? It's apparent that they ARE working on building computers made from cake.
That may be the worst ad I have ever seen. What was the message there? The future? To me Seinfeld and Gates are the past, way past their prime.
That is if you could even figure out the message.
$300 million for this ad campaign?? I could have done better for free...
I would have like to been in on the pitch meeting for this because I don't know why a client would have bought into this concept. The ad skirts the principles of advertising, focuses on nothing and sells nothing.
I've noticed a long time ago that Seinfeld is only as funny as the people he is doing comedy with.
Senfield + Gates. Enough said.
This is genius, stay with me.
We know everyone needs to change their PCs every five minutes and we also know that corporations are being asked more and more to recycle the parts. Soooooo why not let the consumer consume them instead!!! Genius. No Waste, no problem.
Macs have a home for life, not just for Christmas.
:P
Hope Windows resellers are prepared for the rush that thing's going to cause.
The cake computer is a lie.
The only buzz that this will generate is the cloud of flies swarming over the surface of its warm, steamy, well...you get the idea.
Wow! I like Seinfeld's work, but this isn't even funny. The point of the Seinfeld show was that the uber-theme was about nothing, but it was always about little observations that were funny or true. This misses that second layer. Plus both Bill and Jerry look awkward, like they're forced to say these lines or something.
This has all the elegance of the Zune.
Did Newman come up with this commercial?
You can do a 5 or 10 second video that goes nowhere and talks about nothing. But a minute and a half of prime time air to do that... jeeze! Apple does any one of 3 things in each of their ads, sometimes all 3:
1. Demonstrate a feature that you can benefit from: be it in iLife, iWorks, networking, etc.
2. Give the idea of 'using a Windows PC' a punch in the eye... or um, a noogie.
3. Implicitly or Explicitly convey to you to 'Get a Mac'.
Microsoft doesn't have to follow Apple's formula, nor should they. BUT based on what they've got in this ad, you walk away from it saying, 'Huh?'... is that really the association they want with their brand?
HUH?
Sorry, I don't get it. Well, back to my Mac.
Pathetic.
If these two jokers didn't have so much money already, I'd be advising them not to quit their day jobs.
I don't get it. Why Seinfeld? He is so 90's and doesn't represent anything new and forward-thinking. Anyway, it's unbelievable to me that MS is so bad that they can't even produce a decent commercial.
Bill Gates wiggling his middle aged man butt ? Mildly revolting.
This is just one spot out of a whole campaign. Wait till we see more.
Although just how well they will do will remain to be seen. IMHO, I doubt they will have much impact.
Obviously, like Apple, MS is taking a humorous approach and it is heavily influenced by by Apple's "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC spots." But... MS is taking an 180 degree spin with their approach about how the "PC guy/Mac guy" interact.
In Apple's ads, PC and Mac are isolated, alone in an "idealized" and pristine environment. In MS ad, PC and Mac are interacting in the all too messy "real world."
In Apple ads, Mac and PC "discuss" their various "virtues" compared to each other. In the MS ad, Mac and PC say almost nothing about technology at all, let alone in a comparative sense.
Whether or not this second point will will be followed up on in subsequent spots, remains to be seen. I suspect that subsequent MS will be along similar lines to the first one and might gradually become more technology specific.
I also suspect subsequent MS ads will take place in similar "real world" environs.
mmmm.... churros.....
I want one.
Folks
May I humbly suggest that you scroll back up and give another listen to Ryan. Clearly this is not meant to be a commercial that hits you over the head with a message. It's setting a tone. If Microsoft can Make you think that Bill Gates is cool, then they've gone 50% of the way to making you think good thoughts about his company. And it's way too soon not to be thinking of Microsoft (in the popular imagination) as anything other than Bill Gates' commpany.
I didn't get it.. I like both of them, but ... huh?
Eric said: The ad skirts the principles of advertising, focuses on nothing and sells nothing.
If you aim to sell nothing, you're bound to succeed.
I see what they are trying to do here. They are pretty much trying to do what apple does by trying to associate a cool or palatable image with the company. The ideas and pieces are there...and it's not terrible. Not to tout apple's horn, but it just shows that what apple is able to do isn't that easy. It reminds me of a writing or art class...someone can create something and it can be very well executed and all the pieces can be there...it's just very difficult to create something that resonates... no matter how much effort or $$ you throw at it. There is alwys that talented person in the class that you can see going somewhere...and that makes you insanely jealous.
Actually I think that it shows exactly what the difference is between apple and ms...
This commercial was all about one key line.
"Brain meld."
Gates is the most recognizable geek on the planet. Outside of hardcore techies, who recognizes Ballmer? Ozzie?
I predict that this ad was the start of a public torch-passing ceremony.
By the final spot, we'll see Ballmer air-running past a BSOD. Then, fireworks.
Huh? Someone wasted a lot of money (and someone made lots of money - or ripped Microsoft off)
It is truly the Windows Vista of television ads.
This hurt my iPhone watching it
Those of you you who are commenting on how bad this is and that you cannot fathom why MS would make this commercial do not know one of the cardinal rules of advertising; regardless of whether an ad is bad or good, what really counts is that people remember it. And judging by the buzz this "opener" has created here and on many, many other boards, they have succeeded wildly. However, this success is only in regards to this one commercial. Whether the entire goal of the campaign is met is another matter, and will be decided by future commercials. For now though, the fact that you all have this ad racing through your mind (whether in admiration or revulsion) means it's actually a good ad.
Wow, what a surprise, the readers of MacUser.com fragging an MS ad. This ad could have starred Brangelina, been directed by Ridley Scott and mindbogglingly cool and the crowd on this site would still find something to knit pick. The ad is part of a series, and I'm betting most of you are interested enough to seek out the rest of the series just to see what they're up to....
I got the feeling that they are building up to something down the commercial road here... Like the revelation of something cool and creative that Microsoft is going to release... But wait, Microsoft hasn't ever created anything unique have they? Oh, yeah, there was... No they stole that. But there was... No they bought the company that used to make that. Well there was... No they stole that then bought the company that sued them in court and won.
Well now I'm all excited to see something new, creative, unique, and insightful that Microsoft is going to come up with all by themselves.
Gotta be the surface... but that's old news, isn't it?
Come on. That was hilarious. The very idea was preposterous, and it says one thing 'somethings coming, keep watching'. Seems like the right focus of an ad to me.
"The whole mess ends with a Windows logo."
Best one line description of the ad! :)
At least that is a concept most Windows users can relate to.
This appears to be a commercial for Vista alright. It's really bad, but since they spent a lot of money on it they really want you to like it. Please?
I'm sorry, someone's going to have to explain this to me. I had put Jerry in the "intelligent" category so now I'm just confused....why would some as smart as Seinfeld buy or promote a windows?
This ads clearly proves that M$ just don't understand how real people think.
Never had a Windoze box, never will
It's a spoof of Apple culture:
Circus Shoes: Apple stores
"He's a Ten: OS X
"Tight fit": We'll make it fit
Conquistadors: Divide and conquer
Platinum Card: Customer brand loyalty
Very well done...
I saw this the other night, but missed the Microsoft logo at the end. I honestly thought it was an American Express ad.
I posted anonymously the other day and my post was buried when it was finally released with a dozen other queued posts. To see why this was actually a pretty darn good ad, and why your posts themselves are proving that point, see my post above. That's from an advertising stand-point, no pc/mac slant.
The fact that there are this many comments on just this page alone shows that MS has achieved at least one goal with the ad... to get people talking about them instead of Apple.
I finally get it! It's a dream sequence. In the next commercial somebody wakes up at the beginning and it's a real ad that sells something Microsoft. Will it be Jerry? Bill? Me? Am I dreaming I actually saw an ad as pointless as this one and am taking time to comment?
Exactly eagle, thanks for agreeing with me.
Sorry to burst your bubbles, rickydd and eagleeye, but the only people talking about this are folks in the IT industry. Consumers are not talking about it. Search Google News: there are occasional references to it as footnotes in Australian or Indian papers, and FoxNews syndicated stations have boilerplate pushed to them about how bad the ads are, but consumers are NOT talking about it.
Will I watch the next ad? Not if I can help it.
Epic Fail.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to repairing my Windows machine. Fortunately, I've got my MacBook to keep me company so I can surf the web while I fix Windoze.
It would appear that the ad is doing what it's supposed to - getting people to talk about Microsoft. That's it! Microsoft holds the lions share of the pc market. No corporation is about to dump there current infrastructure and go all MAC - especially with all those great MAC server OS's.
Is it painful to watch - sure. Is it entertaining - you betcha. Is it making people talk - definitely.
I'd say mission accomplished Microsoft.
this commercial was entertaining but it wasn't effective. It made me think of the mac n pc commercial where the pc is trying to trick people into thinking he's a delicious pizza.
Funny thing is, Jerry always had the latest Mac on the desk in his apartment on the show. You can roughly date the reruns by the Mac model.
I thought Bill gates wiggling his butt was the ONLY funny thing about the commercial. Seinfeld's babbling about an edible computer? Don't we already have one? THE ONE? The APPLE?
PC's are like middle age butts. You grow old with them and you love them, but let's face it, they don't get your blood going anymore. Apples, however, are fresh and new every day . . . like a new affair or that first kiss all over again. Every day. Apple rolls out something new all the time. And PCs? Well, they just age gracefully, or not, frustrating us with their loss of memory and constant viruses and breakdowns, and over time they start to look really haggard.
So I think the entire message in this commercial was EXACTLY about middle age butts. And they chose 2 people to personify those middle age butts. I'm 50, but give me that cute Mac Boy any day over Gates or Seinfeld!
The salesman is trying to sell his customer on something that doesn't fit well.
This reminds me of the ads with the cool Mac guy and the frumpy IBM guy. Echos of problems with Vista???
"rickyd said:
Those of you you who are commenting on how bad this is and that you cannot fathom why MS would make this commercial do not know one of the cardinal rules of advertising; regardless of whether an ad is bad or good, what really counts is that people remember it."
As someone in the ad biz, I can fathom very well and can emphatically tell you you're only half right.
Lots of ads are recalled very well by those who view them... except for one little detail.
They can't recall who or what the ad was for.
One of the most famous examples of this not-uncommon phenomena is the King Kong Volkswagen commercial.
After test viewings, which indicated that people thought it was a terrific ad, Volkswagen decided not to run the commercial because test viewings also revealed most viewers could not recall that it was a Volkswagen ad.
The content of the ad completely overshadowed product recall.
It's not about anything other than getting we (the public) to know that a little humor is not such a bad thing. I giggled. I moved on.
The end.
Sorry to burst yours Alphaman but I know a lot of non-IT people talking about it too. The ad is being discussed because Seinfeld and Gates are so recognizable, and most non-IT people thinks it's sort of funny. On the IT side most PC users aren't too worked up either way, while the mactards rip it apart. As for the mac/pc debate, several devlopers in my office are actually switching to macs. They have tried to convince me but so far they seem to be having as many software issues as PCs and more hardware issues. A few even run virtual machines because they still have some apps they prefer to run under Windows. The mac is just not worth it to me. I bought an iMac at home because my wife wanted one. It's a $1400 iTunes jukebox (and we also did one iDVD project, woohoo). I have to put up with a mac at home, but I'll be darned if I'm going to suffer with one at work. Anyway, I'll just keep working on my PC, you mac heads can keep getting all hot and bothered over the commercials.
glad to see that 3 people here actually know the goal of an ad: being seen, remembered, and best of all creating controverse.
For those who didn't see that it's a microsoft commercial (like the previous john), well I doubt they're able to use a computer anyways.
Of course it's not libellous like apple's ads. Its just makes me think of a normal, to-the-point, well-priced computer. Don't take it bad, I admit MBP is a must-have to show off in front of a client.