Seinfeld Vista ad is out, and it's bizarre

Fri Sep 5, 2008 11:05AM EDT

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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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  • 66 Posted by litnet@pacbell.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    After watching this ad, I was totally confused about what it was supposed to be about, what it was supposed to tell me, or what is supposedly wanted me to do. Seinfeld would probably think my comments about "me" and "I" are funny, but the people who created this disaster should be crying (or worse).

  • 67 Posted by wilson94122@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'll reserve jusgment on the ad for now, but my profoundest curses on Windows Vista! --Recent iMac convert

  • 68 Posted by lbjtooktheirt on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    WTF was that? I saw it on television and up until the last seconds when they flashed the Microsoft logo I was expecting it to be an AmericanExpress commercial. If Mirosoft is trying to keep customers from bailing and going to Apple they're going to have to do a lot better than that.

  • 69 Posted by theplaces@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think the ad was simply stupid. Not a bit funny just like Seinfelds comedy humor. His show Seinfeld made it big only because of the funny cast members. It's a sin really to think he's getting 10 million dollars for something so stupid & absolutely not funny. Sad.

  • 70 Posted by dlefebvre@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    Soft and chewy computers?... What's that all about. I gotta believe that the follow-ups will help make some sense of this.

  • 71 Posted by kenburg@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    Oh yeah, the Conquistador does run tight. However, my personal experience with showering while wearing them is that while it does make them seem looser while they're still wet, the leather tends to get hard and actually shrink when they dry. And if you wear white socks with them (who would?), the ink from the insole tends to run, staining your socks. And if Bill had the new Hanes underwear, they wouldn't bunch up like that.

  • 72 Posted by mlezdad@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I believe the answer is obvious. Jerry Seinfeld is not, never has been, and never will be funny. On his sitcom he was merely the straight man for the other three main characters. Simply stated, his stand up routines and individual attempts at humor suck.

  • 74 Posted by srcann@ameritech.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    Sadly, I like Vista Home Premium A LOT MORE than I like this ad. Hopefully Jerry and Bill had more fun making it than I did watching it.

  • 75 Posted by bmacelroy@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    The ad was too direct. There should have been several additional layers of obfuscation. Gates would have been better dressed as a character from Harry Potter. And most importantly Newman should have been the protagonist attired as an 18th century printer from Boston.

  • 76 Posted by victoriawoods@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:34PM EDT Report Abuse

    Oh.... was the ad about Vista? I thought it was about shoes... or Seinfeld meets Gates while shopping and their conversation is about nothing.... No soup..er... Vista for me, though!

  • 77 Posted by tdfurubotten@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    That ad wasn't worth $10,000 dollars let alone $10 million. That is just the idea of a has been actor getting money for his name and nothing else. How sad.

  • 78 Posted by lvskinkade on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hmmmmm....bizarre certainly describes it. I don't find it humorous. Odd, and strange, and mildly interesting, but I just don't get it. Must be a nerd thing. LOL

  • 81 Posted by acemtrx@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:44PM EDT Report Abuse

    As a long time Mac user I thought this commercial was really funny and not just because Seinfeld was in it. I might even get fusion or parallels and throw vista on it (gasp!). jk, it'll be xp if it at all.

  • 82 Posted by sassydt@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm just glad I don't have the need for "Vista"(have heard some TERRIBLE THINGS ABOUT IT FROM FRIENDS). Don't thik the ad was very funny. Of course never thought Jerry was very funny, either.

  • 83 Posted by ck8poc@pacbell.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    scratching my head, yes? funny, yes? re: microsoft vista, NO! besides, i'm a MAC freak...

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