The much-hyped Microsoft ad featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Microsoft kahuna Bill Gates finally debuted during last night’s NFL game, and it seems to bank more on the established ideas that we have of Gates and Jerry than on what they’re actually doing - which isn’t much. The ad is being compared all over the Interwebs to the everyday comedy Seinfeld is known for, with headlines like “First Seinfeld Vista ad is out: and makes no sense,” “Microsoft’s Seinfeld campaign: random humor, no Vista,” “Seinfeld and Gates: Was this ad supposed to be funny?” “Seinfeld Vista ad is out, and it’s bizarre,” “The ad about nothing: Seinfeld and Gates go shoe shopping,” and my personal favorite, “Seinfeld / Microsoft ad - what’s the deal with that?”
It’s interesting to see how harshly people really dig into this ad, slamming it as “pathetic,” “thin on content” and “a total dud.” Everyone has been comparing it to the ubiquitous “Hi, I’m a Mac” ads that everyone holds so near and dear to their hearts. But I think it should be pretty obvious that Microsoft isn’t going for that approach. Microsoft has never been about shiny white panels, sleek cases and sex appeal. It’s been about people like Seinfeld - a little awkward, sure - but we still love him for what he does.
But seriously, though… they should have gone with this ad:
on Sep 5th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Chris Moran