That Jerry Seinfeld - Bill Gates Commercial

[Anthony]

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.

so, basically i know what i'm talking about. please refrain from responding to this, i wouldn't want to have to prove more people wrong and make a mockery of their incorrect opinions.

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.

[Logan]

Yeah so what about those people who were saying Microsoft wouldn't "stoop down" to Apple's level?

edit: HA beat me to it.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Klinglerware

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

they will be more successful.

why?

because the point of the commercial will be more transparent. they'll show you why their product is better than the competition and why you should have it, which, as i disclosed before, the answers to 2 important questions posed in advertising.

the Seinfeld/Gates commercials were so vague and enigmatic they must've been written by the writers of Lost.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Logan

Yeah so what about those people who were saying Microsoft wouldn't "stoop down" to Apple's level?

edit: HA beat me to it.

rest assured, i waste no time in showing people how i was right and they were wrong. everything would be much easier if everyone just took everything i said as the Bible. we'd save so much time.

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by Logan

Yeah so what about those people who were saying Microsoft wouldn't "stoop down" to Apple's level?

edit: HA beat me to it.

Are they going negative on their ads? I thought they were only going to acknowledge the derogatory label that Apple gave them and put a positive spin on it, to take the label and make it their own.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

Are they going negative on their ads? I thought they were only going to acknowledge the derogatory label that Apple gave them and put a positive spin on it, to take the label and make it their own.

That's how I read it.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

Are they going negative on their ads? I thought they were only going to acknowledge the derogatory label that Apple gave them and put a positive spin on it, to take the label and make it their own.

Sorry, not how I meant it. People earlier were saying that it never makes sense for the market leader to acknowledge the existence of the poorer-selling product. I think these new commercials would definitely be doing that.

[Fidatelo]

Ya, I stand corrected. I don't necessarily agree with the switch in tactics, but clearly the people in charge of the ad campaigns agree with HA.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Ya, I stand corrected. I don't necessarily agree with the switch in tactics, but clearly the people in charge of the ad campaigns agree with HA.

you are a breath of fresh air, and a rarity in the internet - someone who can admit they were wrong and that someone else was correct. i respect you and now look forward to future posts from such an honest and upstanding human. good day, sir.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Logan

Sorry, not how I meant it. People earlier were saying that it never makes sense for the market leader to acknowledge the existence of the poorer-selling product. I think these new commercials would definitely be doing that.

Some were, but on the other hand, one can acknowledge the competitor without getting into an in the trenches fight.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Logan

Sorry, not how I meant it. People earlier were saying that it never makes sense for the market leader to acknowledge the existence of the poorer-selling product. I think these new commercials would definitely be doing that.

yeah, i meant MS should've went with spoofing the Mac commercials, turning it around so that no one wants to be the smarmy, elitist Mac guy and positioning the "PC guy" as the character people can relate to and embracing it.

the funniest thing in the world would be if they offered the guy who plays the PC guy in the Mac commercials more money to be the PC guy in the MS commercials. that'd be awesome.

[Galaxy]

I love how the PC guy looks very much like Gates.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Anthony

yeah, i meant MS should've went with spoofing the Mac commercials, turning it around so that no one wants to be the smarmy, elitist Mac guy and positioning the "PC guy" as the character people can relate to and embracing it.

the funniest thing in the world would be if they offered the guy who plays the PC guy in the Mac commercials more money to be the PC guy in the MS commercials. that'd be awesome.

I'm sure Apple has a pretty stiff contract with him that would forbid him from doing that.

[ISiddiqui]

Interesting:

New Microsoft ads directly target Apple | Beyond Binary - A blog by Ina Fried - CNET News

Despite some reports to the contrary, Brooks insists the plan was always to shift away from the Seinfeld-centered ads. He said that the company did not film any other spots with Seinfeld.

That is consistent with what Brooks told me in an initial conversation a couple weeks ago, though I must say the shift in conversation seems quite abrupt with little connection between the first ads and the new pitch.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by fantom1979

The article is a little harsh.

The only thing harsh about it was that it didn't use more negative adjectives to describe the "aging", "has-been" so-called comic.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

The only thing harsh about it was that it didn't use more negative adjectives to describe the funniest man in the world

Fixed.

[watravaler]

If they are trying to market Microsoft as "cool"(taking direct aim at the 18-35 year-olds), don't pick two of the "un-coolest" men walking the planet next time. I hate Seinfeld with a passion...Larry David MADE him...

For all the money Microsoft has, they seem to be relying on the "brainwashing" they did back in the 90's...they need to fire pretty much everyone in their marketing/advertising/PR division. Unlike Apple, who seem to have no problem meshing the the fields of neuroscience and marketing, Microsoft is losing significant ground in this arena.

[ISiddiqui]

Wait a sec... what was Larry David before Seinfeld?! He worked for SNL for two years and couldn't get sketch on the show!

At least Seinfeld was a very good stand up comedian (and was a regular on Letterman and Merv Griffin). They undoubtedly made each other.

[watravaler]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Wait a sec... what was Larry David before Seinfeld?! He worked for SNL for two years and couldn't get sketch on the show!

At least Seinfeld was a very good stand up comedian (and was a regular on Letterman and Merv Griffin). They undoubtedly made each other.

I can agree with that.

I loved the Seinfeld show, had no idea who Larry David was/or that he had a show till last year. I was just a little stunned when I stumbled upon it...

[Pyser]

$10 mil for 2 commercials is pretty damn good work

[ISiddiqui]

From the article I linked (the CNet one):

As for whether it got the value of the reported $10 million it spent to hire Seinfeld, Brooks had several things to say.



"We spent nowhere near $10 million for Jerry," Brooks said. "We've got options with Jerry and we consider Jerry to be a very good friend of Windows and Microsoft. Right now, we are entering a new phase, but it's not to say we might not bring back (Seinfeld). We've got our options open with Jerry."

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by watravaler

If they are trying to market Microsoft as "cool"(taking direct aim at the 18-35 year-olds), don't pick two of the "un-coolest" men walking the planet next time. I hate Seinfeld with a passion...Larry David MADE him...

For all the money Microsoft has, they seem to be relying on the "brainwashing" they did back in the 90's...they need to fire pretty much everyone in their marketing/advertising/PR division. Unlike Apple, who seem to have no problem meshing the the fields of neuroscience and marketing, Microsoft is losing significant ground in this arena.

I don't think Microsoft is trying to be "cool". In fact, it sounds like they are going to embrace the tag that Apple has given them.

[ISiddiqui]

It almost reminds me of the ending of "Revenge of the Nerds" with people coming out from the stands saying 'I'm a Nerd'!!

[fantom1979]

Originally Posted by watravaler

If they are trying to market Microsoft as "cool"(taking direct aim at the 18-35 year-olds), don't pick two of the "un-coolest" men walking the planet next time.

Whoa, it was Jerry Seinfeld, not Jason Alexander.

[TazFTW]

The new commercials.








Bring back Jerry!

[fantom1979]

Not impressed

[Neon_Chaos]

Great spin on the mac commercials.

They just took what Mac gave them and spun it into a very positive ad.

[Klinglerware]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

Great spin on the mac commercials.

They just took what Mac gave them and spun it into a very positive ad.

Agree. The way they subverted the Apple campaign ads with the "PC is for a more diverse group of people" angle is kind of clever. I liked how they even put in a "hipster" who sort of looks likes the Mac guy in there...

[Logan]

I know HA works downtown, but I can still hear him laughing at his own foresight.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

Great spin on the mac commercials.

They just took what Mac gave them and spun it into a very positive ad.

Yep, exactly... these aren't meant to be funny like the Seinfeld ads, but to put a real face on "I'm a PC". Very well done.

[Neuqua]

Haha.

Irony: Microsoft 'I'm a PC' Ads Were Created Using a Mac

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Yep, exactly... these aren't meant to be funny like the Seinfeld ads, but to put a real face on "I'm a PC". Very well done.

The Seinfeld ads were meant to be funny?

[ISiddiqui]

Yes and they were hilarious.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Yes and they were hilarious.

And by that I must assume you mean "not funny in the least." Unless, perhaps, the sadness of how bad they were made you laugh.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

And by that I must assume you mean that they were utterly hilarious and anyone who didn't think so has lost their humor gene .

I done and fixed it!

[lordscarlet]

Yeah, no.

[Subby]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

Yeah, no.

Oh well I guess that settles it. RendeR is going to be pissed that there is another expert on everything around here.