I wish I were joking, these commercials appear to me to actually be about nothing.I’ve watched both commercials with colleagues, my wife, my kids, complete strangers, and nobody can tell me what these commercials are about. It appears that back in May when I suggested that Microsoft fire their head of advertising they instead hired George Costanza.
If you haven’t seen the commercials they are all over YouTube or you can go
In the first commercial Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates manage to insult anyone that has to buy shoes at a discount store why we are uncomfortably forced to believe this is where Bill buys his shoes.He then adds insult to injury by pulling out his discount shoe store bonus card further insulting middle class America by laughing at the fact that Americans need to shop smartly to make ends meet.
In the second commercial Bill and Jerry adeptly showcased common middle class issues, like neglecting grandma, ignoring our children and serving leftovers.I especially liked the part where Jerry is cornered in a dark hallway by Mom just trying to gain a little insight into how she can invest $1800.
Nice job Microsoft I walked away from both commercials feeling financially inadequate.It is also nice to know that after Bill finishes his experiment with American commoners he can go back to his “moon house hovering over Seattle”.Yeah……somehow I’m no longer in the mood to buy expensive closed source buggy software.
I think for 10 million dollars Microsoft could have hired an actor that resonates more with their core customers, you know all of those balding middle aged men-geeks that actually make the recommendations to fortune 500 CEOs.Believe me when I say that a bikini-clad Paris Hilton would have been a far better choice even if all she did was stand there and demo Vista’s Aero Glass feature and say “now that’s hot”.
Why is it that Apple can rally customers to literally sleep in tents for days just to have a chance to buy the latest iCrap ?
Please, let me answer this for you.It is because they tell their customers why!I’ve seen Apple commercials with no dialogue, nothing more than some iGadget in someone’s palm while they go through all of the features.They don’t even tell you the price, you just know at the end of the commercial you need have one. Even the infinitely successful Mac and PC commercials where Apple has literally hired an actor in a T-shirt to list Mac features while a guy in a business suite, presumably Microsoft, self-destructs at every turn.
Seriously, do you guys at Microsoft even know what advertising is all about?What genius decided to put Bill Gates in these commercials?There are companies that have been successful with putting their figure head in commercials, like Dave Thomas founder of Wendy’s.The difference is that Dave had an on screen charisma that made customers feel good, while they watched the man eat a juicy hamburger or spicy chicken sandwich.All I feel that Bill Gates brings to these new commercials is a patronizing cynicism, coupled with Seinfeld’s sarcasm, I feel like a jerk for even watching.
Microsoft you’ve had successful campaigns before, are you familiar with the success of your Xbox?I can’t even walk into an electronics store without seen hoards of kids and parents clawing for a chance to demo and buy the latest Xbox release.Let me tell you something about kids, because I have two little darlings, they watch toy commercials and then beg , half the time they can’t even tell me the name of the toy, but they can tell me what it looks like and what it does.I guess I’m saying it would be nice to see what you’re trying to sell me, and what it does.I’m sorry for being so sarcastic and patronizing, but your new commercials have the same tone, and in the end we both just walk away insulted and mad.
Microsoft is the most powerful and influential software company in the world and not only does nobody get your commercials, but it appears that you have also managed to patronize, insult, and offend your audience in the process. And if I can close by quoting Jerry Seinfeld in commercial 2, “I’ve got so many cars I get stuck in my own traffic”.Well Jerry and Bill, I have about $1500 and I think I’m going to buy a Mac.—tonyFSMO
Jerry Seinfeld debuts in Microsoft commercials…about Nothing!
September 15, 2008 · 4 Comments
I wish I were joking, these commercials appear to me to actually be about nothing. I’ve watched both commercials with colleagues, my wife, my kids, complete strangers, and nobody can tell me what these commercials are about. It appears that back in May when I suggested that Microsoft fire their head of advertising they instead hired George Costanza.
If you haven’t seen the commercials they are all over YouTube or you can go
To www.microsoft.com/windows.
In the first commercial Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates manage to insult anyone that has to buy shoes at a discount store why we are uncomfortably forced to believe this is where Bill buys his shoes. He then adds insult to injury by pulling out his discount shoe store bonus card further insulting middle class America by laughing at the fact that Americans need to shop smartly to make ends meet.
In the second commercial Bill and Jerry adeptly showcased common middle class issues, like neglecting grandma, ignoring our children and serving leftovers. I especially liked the part where Jerry is cornered in a dark hallway by Mom just trying to gain a little insight into how she can invest $1800.
Nice job Microsoft I walked away from both commercials feeling financially inadequate. It is also nice to know that after Bill finishes his experiment with American commoners he can go back to his “moon house hovering over Seattle”. Yeah……somehow I’m no longer in the mood to buy expensive closed source buggy software.
I think for 10 million dollars Microsoft could have hired an actor that resonates more with their core customers, you know all of those balding middle aged men-geeks that actually make the recommendations to fortune 500 CEOs. Believe me when I say that a bikini-clad Paris Hilton would have been a far better choice even if all she did was stand there and demo Vista’s Aero Glass feature and say “now that’s hot”.
Why is it that Apple can rally customers to literally sleep in tents for days just to have a chance to buy the latest iCrap ?
Please, let me answer this for you. It is because they tell their customers why! I’ve seen Apple commercials with no dialogue, nothing more than some iGadget in someone’s palm while they go through all of the features. They don’t even tell you the price, you just know at the end of the commercial you need have one. Even the infinitely successful Mac and PC commercials where Apple has literally hired an actor in a T-shirt to list Mac features while a guy in a business suite, presumably Microsoft, self-destructs at every turn.
Seriously, do you guys at Microsoft even know what advertising is all about? What genius decided to put Bill Gates in these commercials? There are companies that have been successful with putting their figure head in commercials, like Dave Thomas founder of Wendy’s. The difference is that Dave had an on screen charisma that made customers feel good, while they watched the man eat a juicy hamburger or spicy chicken sandwich. All I feel that Bill Gates brings to these new commercials is a patronizing cynicism, coupled with Seinfeld’s sarcasm, I feel like a jerk for even watching.
Microsoft you’ve had successful campaigns before, are you familiar with the success of your Xbox? I can’t even walk into an electronics store without seen hoards of kids and parents clawing for a chance to demo and buy the latest Xbox release. Let me tell you something about kids, because I have two little darlings, they watch toy commercials and then beg , half the time they can’t even tell me the name of the toy, but they can tell me what it looks like and what it does. I guess I’m saying it would be nice to see what you’re trying to sell me, and what it does. I’m sorry for being so sarcastic and patronizing, but your new commercials have the same tone, and in the end we both just walk away insulted and mad.
Microsoft is the most powerful and influential software company in the world and not only does nobody get your commercials, but it appears that you have also managed to patronize, insult, and offend your audience in the process. And if I can close by quoting Jerry Seinfeld in commercial 2, “I’ve got so many cars I get stuck in my own traffic”. Well Jerry and Bill, I have about $1500 and I think I’m going to buy a Mac.—tonyFSMO
Categories: Commentary
Tagged: Bill Gates, Jerry Seinfeld, Mac, Microsoft, Windows Vista