That Jerry Seinfeld - Bill Gates Commercial

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by fantom1979

I really like this commercial. It shows a side of Gates that is not shown very often. Its a commercial about nothing (Seinfeld) with the richest guy in the world shaking his behind.

He ain't the richest anymore.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

He ain't the richest anymore.

[TazFTW]

New one (well, if 4 1/2 minutes is a commercial).

[fantom1979]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

He ain't the richest anymore.

I had no idea. Who is?

[fantom1979]

Originally Posted by TazFTW

New one (well, if 4 1/2 minutes is a commercial.

I saw this on ESPN tonight. I think it was 30 seconds on TV

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by fantom1979

I had no idea. Who is?

Warren Buffet. Gates "plummeted" to 3rd this past year

SI

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Warren Buffet. Gates "plummeted" to 3rd this past year

SI

Carlos Slim, of Mexico, is No. 2.

[sterlingice]

Carlos Slim- that has to be a stage name or porn name or something

SI

[fantom1979]

I worked for CompUSA when he bought that company out. If I remember correctly, if you used a phone in Mexico, you were giving him money. Also, I believe he owns a chunk of quite a few major retailers in the US.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by TazFTW

New one (well, if 4 1/2 minutes is a commercial).

These commercials make me feel stupid. I just don't get the metaphors.

[ISiddiqui]

I like the second one even better than the first. These things rock... I hope they make them forever .

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

These commercials make me feel stupid. I just don't get the metaphors.

The fact that you are trying to find metaphors makes me feel stupid. I just think they are funny for some reason, and then go back to thinking about my fake sports team.

[-apoc-]

I thought this summed it up

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

The fact that you are trying to find metaphors makes me feel stupid. I just think they are funny for some reason, and then go back to thinking about my fake sports team.

I don't know, I thought the stuff they're talking about was supposed to be referring to Windows and Mac? Maybe I'm looking too much into it.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

I don't know, I thought the stuff they're talking about was supposed to be referring to Windows and Mac? Maybe I'm looking too much into it.

I got the subtle hints of it (like are the monsters won't get in because of the firewall). If you go back to the first commercial, they have very subtle hints and digs at Apple (such as shopping at the discount store, the red sign in the store that says, "Why Pay More"). However, I think they are trying to show Bill Gates and Microsoft in a more causal, funnier way.

[albionmoonlight]

A thread discussing a commercial has reached 60+ posts.

On some very basic level, that means that the commercial worked.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

A thread discussing a commercial has reached 60+ posts.

On some very basic level, that means that the commercial worked.

1) Threads on here that talk about crap - literally - reach 1000 posts. This is no success.

2) The ad campaign costs something like $330 million. That's a lot of Windows products to be sold to people like us who either already have them and don't feel a need to upgrade, or prefer Macs.

[ISiddiqui]

On other hand, every forum I post on has a thread devoted to these ads. That means they are generating extra excitement and discussion than most ads.

[Anthony]

if all the threads talk about is mostly how stupid the commercial is, i don't see that as a success.

[Subby]

Seeing Bill Gates do the robot is worth ~$340 million to me, so...SUCCESS!

[Sun Tzu]

domo arigato mr roboto

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Anthony

if all the threads talk about is mostly how stupid the commercial is, i don't see that as a success.

They mostly talk about its brilliance.

[ISiddiqui]

Good article by the Economist on the commericials:

http://www.economist.com/business/di...ry_id=12209073

I love the last two paragraphs:

Is Mr Gates’s shopping spree with Mr Seinfeld another misjudgment? Perhaps not. The ad appears to have set up the forthcoming campaign with an ingenious twist that its critics have missed. Its viewers, Crispin assumes, have been watching Apple’s ads, in which a nerdy, pale, chubby and hapless “PC”, played by the actor John Hodgman, talks to a hip, suave and unruffled “Mac”. Ironically, however, it is the PC who has become famous and won hearts, despite being the butt of all the jokes, whereas the Mac character is cool but smug, and would not get invited to anybody’s dinner.

Mr Gates, Crispin’s creative types must have realised, is the authentic embodiment of the PC character: geeky, awkward, dressed for a cubicle rather than a bar, unglamorous but unpretentious, able to get the job done, if not excitingly. And like the PC in Apple’s ads, the Bill Gates in Microsoft’s spot has an impish side that occasionally peeks out. One of the world’s richest men comes across as unassuming and approachable, the antithesis of Apple’s aspirational cool, which some find annoying and snooty. In a country that loves to poke fun at “elitists” (especially during elections), it would be wrong to write off Microsoft’s new campaign just yet.

[Anthony]

i can agree with that, actually. however, this would've been a bigger hit if they had a Jake Long "Mac" representative character, where the Mac guy is so unncessarily snooty and condescending that he misses out on all the fun and is left standing on the outside looking in cuz he's too elitist while Bill Gates, the more personable and "real" character, engages and interacts with people. that would've been a better campaign, and a clear answer to the Mac commercials.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Anthony

i can agree with that, actually. however, this would've been a bigger hit if they had a Jake Long "Mac" representative character, where the Mac guy is so unncessarily snooty and condescending that he misses out on all the fun and is left standing on the outside looking in cuz he's too elitist while Bill Gates, the more personable and "real" character, engages and interacts with people. that would've been a better campaign, and a clear answer to the Mac commercials.

Recall that this is an 8 part commerical series... I can see it building up to where Jerry gets left behind.

Though you don't want it to follow too much and make it too obvious a response. I'm just enjoying the humor in it myself... then again, I think Seinfeld is the greatest gift TV has ever given us.

[JediKooter]

I heard the last commercial in the series has Kramer running out of a store calling everyone the N word.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Recall that this is an 8 part commerical series... I can see it building up to where Jerry gets left behind.

Though you don't want it to follow too much and make it too obvious a response. I'm just enjoying the humor in it myself... then again, I think Seinfeld is the greatest gift TV has ever given us.

I'm not a Seinfeld fan, but I do like the commercials so far. I haven't seen the second one air yet, however.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Anthony

i can agree with that, actually. however, this would've been a bigger hit if they had a Jake Long "Mac" representative character, where the Mac guy is so unncessarily snooty and condescending that he misses out on all the fun and is left standing on the outside looking in cuz he's too elitist while Bill Gates, the more personable and "real" character, engages and interacts with people. that would've been a better campaign, and a clear answer to the Mac commercials.

No, that would be too obvious, juvenile, and likely come off as sour grapes. MS doesn't need to get into a slap-fest with Apple, and I think what they are doing is a good direction.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Good article by the Economist on the commericials:

http://www.economist.com/business/di...ry_id=12209073

I love the last two paragraphs:

Do you think they are being too subtle?

[ISiddiqui]

No... like Fidetelo said, you don't want to get into a slapfest with Apple. You are the dominant company, you don't even have to make it too much a response. A little subtle jab is good enough, while making people like Gates.

[Anthony]

the jab was so subtle i didn't even notice it. with people DVRing shows and fast forwarding commercials or texting while watching tv, you have such a miniscule window to get your point across that for the person who devotes the little attention, if any, to a commercial they aren't going to get it and simply fast forward it. and i wouldn't even say these commercials are an answer to the Mac campaign, only because at least with the Mac commercials you get what the point is behind them.

i do agree with the notion that the PC guy in the Mac commercials is actually stealing the show. Jake Long always looks so clammy and pale, like he's some geek who resides in his parents' basement and never sees the light of day. exactly the kind of guy i want to appeal to the 18-39 year old demographic.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Anthony

the jab was so subtle i didn't even notice it. with people DVRing shows and fast forwarding commercials or texting while watching tv, you have such a miniscule window to get your point across that for the person who devotes the little attention, if any, to a commercial they aren't going to get it and simply fast forward it. and i wouldn't even say these commercials are an answer to the Mac campaign, only because at least with the Mac commercials you get what the point is behind them.

You don't think that all of the word of mouth surrounding these ads is getting people to give them a full viewing when they come across them? Or even seek them out on YouTube or wherever? I don't think MS needs to worry about missing that little window on this one.

[Anthony]

the ads aren't entertaining enough that i would actively seek them out to view them in their entirety. i saw the entire 2nd commercial (all 6 minutes of it). it goes nowhere. it's not a good campaign.

if they wanted to do this, they should've released the full lenght commercials as tiny webisodes/youtube segments. that would make a lot more sense. the point of every commercial is to answer the same few questions:

1. what is the product
2. what does your product do that another existing product doesn't do
3. why do i need the product

you only know the answer to #1 in the Seinfeld/Gates commercials cuz they show the MS logo at the end of them.

you don't look for subtlety in commercials. the amount of time to capture an audience's attention doesn't lend itself to character development and plot twists.

[Anthony]

agree to disagree then. sometimes doing nothing (no publicity) is better than bad publicity. its better to be silent and everyone think you're dumb than to open your mouth and confirm the fact, as they say.

[RedKingGold]

Listen to Anthony, kids. He's sold a lot of products.

[ISiddiqui]

Seriously people are discussing it all over the place. Articles on it are on all the big online newspapers. It's seriously everywhere.

And after "Seinfeld" (the show), people seem to absolutely love Jerry Seinfeld.

As for what is the product, what does it do, and why do you need it? It's freaking Windows! Everyone knows the answers to question #2 and #3 after they know #1!

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Seriously people are discussing it all over the place. Articles on it are on all the big online newspapers. It's seriously everywhere.

And after "Seinfeld" (the show), people seem to absolutely love Jerry Seinfeld.

As for what is the product, what does it do, and why do you need it? It's freaking Windows! Everyone knows the answers to question #2 and #3 after they know #1!

I agree. They don't need to "sell" anything. It's about the brand, not the product in particular. Do you see this evolving to cover other Microsoft products in general (as you notice, the second commercial had Gates playing video games and such).

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by RedKingGold

Listen to Anthony, kids. He's sold a lot of products.

that's the beautiful thing, you don't have to be the world's greatest artist to be an art critic. just need an opinion. and my opinion is the ads are stupid, not funny and despite all the chitter chatter on the internet, its not of the "oh wow, this is awesome, i want to go buy me some" sort. i already knew MS existed, i don't need a pointless commercial that tries too hard to be a pointless commercial to remind me of that.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Anthony

the point of every commercial is to answer the same few questions:

1. what is the product
2. what does your product do that another existing product doesn't do
3. why do i need the product

That was definitely the prevailing advertising philosophy through at least 1958.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by molson

That was definitely the prevailing advertising philosophy through at least 1958.

And this change in philosophy led to a new invention lovingly referred to as a "DVR" as advertising became much less useful...

[Maple Leafs]

Apparently the campaign has been cancelled.

Microsoft announcement tomorrow: No more Seinfeld ads!

[fantom1979]

Remember those awful Microsoft ads with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates? Well, now you can forget them. Microsoft flacks are desperately dialing reporters to spin them about "phase two" of the ad campaign — a phase, due to be announced tomorrow, which will drop the aging comic altogether. Microsoft's version of the story: Redmond had always planned to drop Seinfeld. The awkward reality: The ads only reminded us how out of touch with consumers Microsoft is — and that Bill Gates's company has millions of dollars to waste on hiring a has-been funnyman to keep him company. Update: In a phone call, Waggener Edstrom flack Frank Shaw confirms that Microsoft is not going on with Seinfeld, and echoes his underlings' spin that the move was planned. There is the "potential to do other things" with Seinfeld, which Shaw says is still "possible." He adds: "People would have been happier if everyone loved the ads, but this was not unexpected."

The article is a little harsh.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Apparently the campaign has been cancelled.

Microsoft announcement tomorrow: No more Seinfeld ads!

Not quite.

Advertising - Echoing the Campaign of a Rival, Microsoft Aims to Redefine ‘I’m a PC’ - NYTimes.com

The campaign, which begins Thursday and carries the theme “Windows. Life without walls,” will move away from the enigmatic teaser commercials that featured Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld in offbeat conversations about shopping, shoes, suburbia and the potential of computing to improve life. The teaser ads have generated considerable discussion since they started on Sept. 4, not all of it positive.

What follows is an audacious embrace of the disdainful label that Apple, Microsoft’s rival, has gleefully — and successfully — affixed onto users of Microsoft products: “I’m a PC.”

One new Microsoft commercial even begins with a company engineer who resembles John Hodgman, the comedian portraying the loser PC character in the Apple campaign. “Hello, I’m a PC,” the engineer says, echoing Mr. Hodgman’s recurring line, “and I’ve been made into a stereotype.”

The strategy to use the Apple attack as the basis for a counterstrike is typical for the agency behind the campaign, Crispin Porter & Bogusky.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Not quite.

Well, sure. They're going to spin it as an "adjustment" or even that it was the plan all along. These are advertisers, of course they're going to find a way to pretend this is good news.

But you don't spend millions to bring in Jerry Seinfeld and buy up all the ad space on NFL broadcasts just to do a "teaser".

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

But you don't spend millions to bring in Jerry Seinfeld and buy up all the ad space on NFL broadcasts just to do a "teaser".

I'm pretty sure John Ferguson Jr. would have.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I'm pretty sure John Ferguson Jr. would have.

Ferguson's not involved here. If he was, Seinfeld would have a "no-cancellation" clause he'd be refusing to waive.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Ferguson's not involved here. If he was, Seinfeld would have a "no-cancellation" clause he'd be refusing to waive.

Good point.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

But you don't spend millions to bring in Jerry Seinfeld and buy up all the ad space on NFL broadcasts just to do a "teaser".

It sounds about par for the course for Crispin Porter & Bogusky.

[Klinglerware]

I am kind of curious to see how the spoofs of the Apple commercials will work out...

[Rizon]

I saw the robot one last night ... just simply awful. I'm thinking about billing Microsoft for the time I threw away by watching it.