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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2 Posted by sd45cc on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse
funny low key ad I thought it was just about microsoft not vista till I read the article above. so did it do its job?? HMMM????
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3 Posted by dcsoccer25 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse
It did leave me scratching my head, I must say. Mildly humorous though.
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4 Posted by wolverinemarky on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:49PM EDT Report Abuse
ok i recently bought a computer, and it came with Vista Home Premium and 3gb of RAM. I havent had any problems with the OS so far, all the drivers I needed are available no BSODs. So far it seems pretty stable to me, I am an intermediate user so maybe knowing a little more about computers in general keeps you from having all the problems most people have. As far as the commercial it was slightly funny, but I think they need to go a little bit further with it and maybe mention Vista. cant wait to see the next series of commercials and maybe they will expand on it.
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5 Posted by wolverinemarky on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:49PM EDT Report Abuse
ok i recently bought a computer, and it came with Vista Home Premium and 3gb of RAM. I havent had any problems with the OS so far, all the drivers I needed are available no BSODs. So far it seems pretty stable to me, I am an intermediate user so maybe knowing a little more about computers in general keeps you from having all the problems most people have. As far as the commercial it was slightly funny, but I think they need to go a little bit further with it and maybe mention Vista. cant wait to see the next series of commercials and maybe they will expand on it.
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6 Posted by uffpet on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:27PM EDT Report Abuse
Didn't get it at all, sorry.
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7 Posted by enza811 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:55PM EDT Report Abuse
I think Microsoft should ask for a refund...
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8 Posted by elmo_also on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:53PM EDT Report Abuse
OK. Look, I am actually a happy Vista user (please hold yer comments). I was skeptical when I heard Seinfeld would be doing Vista ads to change the stodgy MS image, but hoped for the best. I'm tired of trying to explain why I like Vista. I hoped that perhaps the new ad campaign would knock a few of my adversaries into repose so I could catch my breath. Well, this first ad is probably more likely to put my adversaries to sleep wondering what all the ad hoopla was about. As was mentioned in the article, I sat there for about 10 seconds after the ad was over with a blank look on my face thinking, "Huh?" There is something about Gates adjusting his shorts that just seems so.....so....so wrong.
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9 Posted by javabennett on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:29PM EDT Report Abuse
i found it to be the perfect ad for vista, the ad isn't compatible with past and current technology advertising just like vista isn't compatible with past and current technology. it was brilliant, i would like to hire that marketing team...
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10 Posted by javabennett on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:29PM EDT Report Abuse
it was the perfect ad for vista. The ad is incompatible with past and current technology advertising and vista is incompatible with past and current technology. i mean that is a brilliant ad campaign!
1 Posted by albloch69 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:49PM EDT Report Abuse
Not nearly as bad as I expected. Nothing to do with Vista (which I certainly still won't be buying any time soon), but it may just be a general positive that has people smiling when they hear "Microsoft." I guess it's similar to the Budweiser frogs, though not as funny.