Full FeedAnother Microsoft Seinfeld ad about nothing, but at least this one’s funnier
Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld are back with their second ad in Microsoft’s new campaign. The first one was kind of lackluster in my opinion, not just because it had nothing to do with Windows and Microsoft products, but because it really wasn’t even all that funny.
The second spot in the series, which involves Jerry and Bill moving in with “real” people in order to connect with them is at least funnier, but it’s still “all about nothing” and doesn’t do anything to convince me that Vista or anything else that Microsoft makes is any good.
If Microsoft really want’s to compete with Apple’s Mac guy and PC guy ads, they’re going to have to realize that their ads can’t just be funny—they have to also give people reasons to use their products, whether that’s through pointing out features that the Mac doesn’t have or talking about Windows Media Center. I realize that Seinfeld built his career on a show that was “all about nothing”, but that’s not going to work for an advertising campaign.
Check out the combined two-part ad below…
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I respectfully disagree, Michael. I think what they’re doing here is interesting. They don’t need to talk about their products because they’re instilling it in people’s minds that Microsoft a) connects people, b) is working on things we can’t even dream of yet, and c) feels they have lost touch with their customers needs, so they’re using Jerry and Bill as symbols of reconnecting with their customers.
Also, if it makes you laugh and chat about the campaign with your friends, then it’s a successful campaign. I’m excited to see “episode” 3.
on September 12, 2008 at 09:54 AM - LINKGetting me to talk about it really isn’t enough.
Just think about the Super Bowl. How many commercials do you see that you think are funny or otherwise memorable that you talk about with your friends but you have no idea what product was being advertised?
Being that Bill Gates is in these ads, most people will at least recognize that it’s got something to do with Microsoft, but that’s about it. They don’t give anybody any compelling reason to upgrade to Vista, which is what I thought the intent was supposed to be, and they certainly don’t do enough to counter Apple’s ads, because:
a) they’re too long
b) they can’t be funny and actually promote features of their products at the same time
I like the ads mostly because I like Jerry Seinfeld, but there’s nothing about them that makes me think any more highly of Microsoft or its products.
on September 13, 2008 at 01:01 AM - LINK