Gates and Seinfeld, chapter two
Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:40AM EDT
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The Windows Vista-Bill Gates-Jerry Seinfeld saga continues with a 4 1/2-minute video that explains a tiny bit more about what the nascent Microsoft ad campaign is trying to achieve: Bill and Jerry (standing in as anthropomorphized versions of Microsoft... I guess Gates is Gates and Seinfeld is Ballmer) are trying to get in touch with "real people."
In the spot (which I presume is being shown in an abbreviated form on TV; I haven't seen it), Bill and Jerry are living with a prototypically "average" family, complete with disturbed dinners, a rumpus room with wood paneling, and an above-ground pool. (Strangly, Gates kind of looks at home in this environment.) Naturally this leads to all manner of humorous mini-confrontations.
It's a more obviously "funny" ad than the last outing, but again it's not really about computing at all. If anything, it comes across as an extended apology from Microsoft for being out of touch with consumers, and by extension reality. If they can just get synced up with middle America, then maybe they can deliver what users really want.
Will the $300 million being spent on this ad campaign atone for mistakes made in the seven years it took to cobble Vista together? Well, as usual, you'll have to be the judge. Check out the full spot on YouTube.
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7 Posted by dcsoccer25 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse
I think that they're accomplishing exactly what they wanted to. Here you are, Chris, making blog entries about them, and the rest of us are here discussing them. I think that's precisely what they were trying to accomplish.
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8 Posted by linuxdad on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:53PM EDT Report Abuse
No matter how you advertise Vista its still Vista. Not worth the money or the time. They need to say oops sorry for that and move on. MS needs to say "Hey we are the Gaming OS" and be done with it. Linux is for everything other than gaming, even though they are working on a gaming version as we speak. What will MS do then. They are attempting to shovel their way back through a mountain of jello with a vista pitchfork. It just will not work!
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9 Posted by t_heintjes on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:26PM EDT Report Abuse
Now, if only Vandelay Industries would hire Jerry to promote their latex products...THAT partnership would rock! "And you want to buy MY latex products."
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10 Posted by gtmiller5337@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:14PM EDT Report Abuse
To coin a phrase "Putting Lipstick on a Pig doesn't change it Vista is still a Pig.
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11 Posted by alexgannis on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse
I like it actually Bill Gate just trying to reach to everyone to show that he not a monster which some people claim and window vista may not be perfect it really not that bad. But that not going to change some peolpe no matter what bill does. Because some people don't like change and rather stay with their 100yrs old computer.
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12 Posted by btedrogers on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:14PM EDT Report Abuse
they are both "creepy" flat out freaking creepy, great image for microsoft though, perfect match for vista,
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13 Posted by alexgannis on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse
Post #10 we can care lest about your comment. Your statement is really stupid and this shows who you are.
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14 Posted by jssiegel on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:43PM EDT Report Abuse
I still don't get it. Is Seinfeld supposed to be the Mac?
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15 Posted by kupriaa1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:54PM EDT Report Abuse
Actually i think gates did a better job then Seinfeld. This was really funny.
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16 Posted by royale_18 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:53PM EDT Report Abuse
I've always found Seinfeld to be relentlessly annoying, but I have to admit, Bill Gates seems almost . . . human.
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17 Posted by rayvr@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:31PM EDT Report Abuse
Gates can't act --- at all. He's pathetic. It's a sign he doesn't live in the world of everyday people, as smart as he is. I couldn't have done what he did, but I think I could fake it in front of the cameras. The clip could have been funny, but Gates drug it down. He looks sad all the time.
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18 Posted by rogueist on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse
Heh, I like that... "When's this coming out?" "Never... And if anybody asks where you got, say you dont know"
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19 Posted by ifanbland on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:22PM EDT Report Abuse
I've seen both ads (on YouTube but not TV). I'm surprised. I like 'em. And I like both protagonists (but still do not like Vista; but Vista's not really a protagonist in the ads, is it?). It's a very entertaining ad and maybe it covers more than just Vista but a lot a MS products although it doesn't name one. Mr. Gates is pretty descent actor but of course he always been able to convince us that his company is continiously innovating. There's very few ads that can hold my attention for over 4 minutes.
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20 Posted by gregfountain on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:12PM EDT Report Abuse
The MS commercial I laugh at the most is the one where they "trick" people into using Vista. Very sad....
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6 Posted by cartier.chase on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:19PM EDT Report Abuse
Does anyone notice that this is sort of like the Wii ads where the people ride up in their smart fortwo and ring the door bell? Hmm.....