Seinfeld Vista ad is out, and it's bizarre

Fri Sep 5, 2008 11:05AM EDT

See Comments (401)

The first ad from Microsoft's $300 million campaign to resuscitate Windows Vista via pitchman Jerry Seinfeld (who's pocketing $10 million for his work) debuted last night, and now you can see it on Yahoo! Video and YouTube.

Go watch it, come back here, and start scratching your head.

The ad is so far not winning many fans, with most perplexed over the 90-second spot's exploration of churros, footwear, and showering habits, as Seinfeld and Gates (playing themselves) try on shoes in a shopping mall. Vista is never mentioned explicitly in the ad, and Microsoft only comes up in the last few seconds of the ad.

Naysayers call it a baffling, stupid disaster. Kinder critics say that it cleverly plays on Seinfeld's reputation for observational humor (Seinfeld was famously a show "about nothing"). I'll just say, for now, it's weird: Not as bad as I'd been led to believe but hopefully just a quiet opening volley for a campaign that will actually make me laugh out loud down the road.

In one sense, though, the ad is already having some effect: People are actually talking about Windows Vista.

OK armchair critics, what do you think about the spot?

Comments on Seinfeld Vista ad is out, and it's bizarre

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Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 386 Posted by gregfountain on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    "I don't know what the comlaints are unless its people loading it on old computers without sufficient memory and speed." The problem is, Vista is a second rate OS. When I bought it, it never occurred to me that I would never be able to use my HP Laser Jet again because they refused to develop a new driver for the OS. By the way, I bought a brand new machine, pre-loaded with Vista Home Premium. I gave that machine to my niece and bought an iMac, so I guess I owe Microsoft thanks for introducing me to a superior product!

  • 387 Posted by klekkendorf on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    I hate vista I wish I could just run Leopard on my laptop (came with vista home premium) I had to double my RAM soon after I bought it just so all the built-in crap won't freeze it repeatedly

  • 388 Posted by mkmedy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    The spot with Bill and Jerry has been running here in Colorado the past two weeks or so, and I have enjoyed trying to figure it out-- and still haven't. Thanks for telling me it is about MS Vista. I had no idea.

  • 389 Posted by drewalayda on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    Wow, ten million for that ...thing? I thought it was a spoof or a bad joke or ... something. I actually have vista on my computer, that commercial made me want to format my hard disk. Bad, not funny, just plain bad.

  • 390 Posted by kkevilus on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hey Seinfeld there's a competitor that's made a computer thats sweet & crisp for years, only it's not a cookie, it's a fruit... APPLE! Eat healthy, compute sanely... APPLE!

  • 391 Posted by redwoodnaturals on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:34PM EDT Report Abuse

    I thought the ads were amusing, definately caught your attention. Didn't know they were for Vista though, just thought they were about Microsoft. It would be better to keep the general theme in future ads, just focus more on Vista, than bag the whole thing. That just seems silly to cancel the whole ad, but maybe that is in keeping with Vista.

  • 392 Posted by tvnews222@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    People are talking. The spot is part of a "campaign." Witty/hip Jerry Seinfeld is being (socially)associated with braniac/nerd Bill Gates - which translates into a witty, hip, intelligent Windows Vista purchase. Ronald McDonald does not sell hamburgers. He sells good feelings. I would not be surprised if we see a shift to a harder sell(still quirky & humorous) in the next year. Is the ad working? Yahoo created an entire blog on the spots.

  • 393 Posted by sprayking41 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ever hear the saying " if the shoe fits wear it" ? I think that is where this is going. The next ad will be buying gloves for the winter. So the old saying "fits like a glove" . Soo Windows Vista "not only feels good but if it fits wear it"; also "if it works don't knock it". Sound right to you???? Sprayking

  • 394 Posted by depravedschadenfreudian on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:41PM EDT Report Abuse

    Haha....just thought that the 4th and 5th posts were even funnier than the commercial..."an intermediate user" posted the same comment twice. Perhaps this was the reason....?? "It may take a minute for your comment to appear. Please be patient and do not repost." Sorry marky...thought it was pretty funny. ;)

  • 395 Posted by ithinqware227 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    Sad, Just oh so sad. A commercial about nothing, from an agency that "has something" about a product that "used to be something". It's magnified the hard truth about Microsoft, they "need something" to compare themselves to since they "have nothing" without other people's ideas to rip off. Like a graphical user interface, which they have been copping as their own for two decades. Now, the real truth is, that the only novel idea they have is "chewy and moist". But that is absolutely useless. Kinda like windows.

  • 396 Posted by kattonic@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    I've seen the shoes one and the stolen giraffe one and until I read this I had no clue the commercial was for VISTA...they are just bizzare and unfunny.

  • 397 Posted by acalkins1957 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:44PM EDT Report Abuse

    Upgraded to vista. All the drivers needed were available and really the only problem was with my hp printer. Problem has been solved. I love the program. Thought the commercial was outstanding. 300 million for two out of touch individuals to entertain us, who could ask for more.

  • 398 Posted by lsackerman@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY FUNNY, SORRY PEOPLE THAT THEY DIDN'T DUM IT DOWN, SO YOU COULD UNDERSTAND IT!

  • 399 Posted by toddschmod@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    The secret is out -- and it turns out that this was the plan all along -- it was always going to be a confusing campaign about nothing, apparently cut short abruptly because of poor reviews. The Seinfeld commercials were about generating buzz, and it worked. Seinfeld opted to fail miserably, deliberately, to draw attention to Vista. The joke is on us.

  • 400 Posted by sjb1776 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    The ad wasn't all that bad, I thought. Seems to me it needs some catchy jingle music playing to complete it. Kinda seemed like I was watching a sit com with no laugh track.

  • 401 Posted by mojorisin54 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    The commercial is great. I don't see any problems at all. Vista ? This commercial is all about VISTA ? Thanks, I never made the connection.

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