Microsoft taps Seinfeld for ad campaign

Jerry Seinfeld will appear as a celebrity pitchman as part of a new $300 million ad campaign being developed for Microsoft, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The comedian will reportedly get $10 million for the campaign, in which he will appear with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates in some of the ads. Comedians Will Ferrell and Chris Rock were also considered for the new advertising campaign, the paper said.

(Credit: Seinfeld)

The paper said the ads, being developed by a new agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, will use a form of the phrase "Windows, Not Walls," and will stress connecting people and ideas. It will also focus on changing negative perceptions about Windows Vista.

The campaign, which is expected to debut September 4, just around the time Apple is expected to roll out new products and ads.

[trd1282]

In this ad, Jerry Seinfeld, Will Ferrell, and Chris Rock all take part in the "Mojave Project", and are reminded that the world is round...

[Mr.Nobody]

I tried clicking on a "Mojave Experiment" Windows Vista ad on this site and it crashed my lenovo 3000 laptop with ... Windows Vista. This wasn't a simple "program has shut down crash". I got the blue screen of - well in this case - blue screen of irony.

[ogman]

This company is just so tired.

[i_am_still_wade]

I can see it now:<br /><br />"What is the deal with the box asking if I want to do something."

[Vegaman_Dan]

As opposed to other OS software OEM's that just tell you what you want because it is good for you and remove the freedom of choice? I think I'll take freedom of choice myself.

[kelmon]

Sorry? Microsoft is planning to put Bill "The World's Most Charismatic Man" Gates in their adverts? I have a lot of respect for the man himself, and particularly what he is doing these days, but he's a sure cure for insomnia. Has anyone else watched his keynote addresses? Watching paint dry is more interesting. I can understand using Jerry Seinfeld but Bill himself should be kept as far away from marketing as possible.<br /><br />This said, it's been clear for years that Micrsoft has no clue how to market their products so this nutball idea is pretty much inline with recent history.

[us0r]

i agree. microsoft is pretty bad at marketing most of their products. they did ok on the xbox and xbox 360 though.

[Vegaman_Dan]

I wonder if they will parody the Apple ads with Jerry taking the place of the Mac. They could really have some good fun with each company going after each other with that. It won't happen, I know, but it wold be entertaining.

[rcrusoe]

I wonder who this campaign is aimed at? Most businesses have already decided to pass on Vista and either stick with XP or bail on Windows entirely. Most consumers just buy a Windows computer and don't know or care what version is on the machine. They think all computers are slow, insecure, and unstable. So, IMO, MS is spending $300 to say "Oh yeah?" to Apple. Its really sad.

[sanenazok]

About time. Anything gets better with advertising as Apple shows. If MS spent as large a portion of its revenue on advertising as Apple does all we would ever see is MS ads. Products don't sell themselves it's all in the marketing.

[Xiltheria]

Give me a break!<br /><br />Apple products sell because they work. Period. <br /><br />All the marketing in the world would be wasted on a piece of crap like Vista.

[catch23]

Xiltheria<br />Ya, just like MobileMe? Or the new iPhones?<br />Apple sells Pinto parts and service at ferrari prices to suckers who want to be 'cool'. <br />And Vista has 2x the users as Apple has been able to muster in 20+ years. Vista could also play a DVD on release, could run for more then 20 minutes at a time, and didn't have to be developed for more then 2 years before it wasn't such a piece of crap that it was deployed as the default OS.<br />None of which can be said for OSX<br />Apple would love to have a 'failure' like Vista.

[Vegaman_Dan]

Xitheria wrote: <p><br />"Give me a break!<p><br /><p><br />Apple products sell because they work. Period. "<p><br /><br />Except when they don't, ie iPhone 3G, MobileMe, Apple TV, etc, etc. Be careful to not get too much lampblack on your pot there, Mir. Kettle.

[technewsjunkie]

NO. <br />Quality sells. Get over it.

[Mr. Dee]

Interesting that Jerry Seinfeld is doing ads for Microsoft. I remember in all those episodes of Seinfeld, Jerry had a Mac in his apartment.

[Vegaman_Dan]

You can lead an actor to a prop, but you can't make him use it.

[HeavyJim]

They might as well use Ellen Degenerate, I still won' t buy Vista.

[Bubba_Satori]

Seinfeld. Goes to show that even if you're worth $300 million, you can still be bought. Yawn.

[bobby_brady]

Seinfeld doing ads for Microsoft? On the show, Apple paid to have their computers placed in the background in Jerry's apartment. What irony!!!

[The_Decider]

What is funny is that Microshaft is going to start slamming Vista hard in public in less than a year to try and get its mouth breathing knuckle dragging user base to cough up more money for their next crappy OS.<br /><br />Yes Vegehead, it is already crap: it is just more polish on the Vista turd.

[Vegaman_Dan]

Excellent comments... for a four year old. Now how about you try cleaning up your language and insults and play with the adults?

[jeffgtr60]

Hmm, I believe Seinfeld is a Mac user.

[DevTop]

I can already imagine what the commercials will be like. Seinfeld will sit down at his Windows Vista computer and attempt to launch a program, when suddenly UAC throws up a barrage of confirmation dialogs. Then it will cut to Seinfeld on a dark comedy club stage with a "bump da dump boom" bass line playing in the background. Seinfeld will muse, "So what's the deal with Vista always asking if I want to do something? I just clicked the mouse, didn't I? There's nobody here but me. If I wanted someone to question everything I do, I would call my mother-in-law."<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.devtopics.com/hello-im-a-pc-says-seinfeld/" target="_newWindow">http://www.devtopics.com/hello-im-a-pc-says-seinfeld/</a>

[open-mind]

Yeah, lets combine a billionaire no-charisma nerd with a once-great yet declining comedian to deliver a vague lofty message like "Windows, not Walls."<br /><br />"That's gold, Jerry! Gold!"<br /><br />I predict this will be just as successful as their Mojave Excrement campaign.

[Harrison912]

Justin Long is great as the Mac guy but I still don't want to buy a Mac. And, if I was a Mac owner, I don't thing that having Seinfeld pitch for Microsoft would cause me to switch.<br /><br />Microsoft is probably targeting consumers who haven't purchased a computer yet. Three million for this campaign means there must be a significant amount of them out there and they're betting Seinfeld will reach them.<br /><br />Looking back at his show, Seinfeld sold things just by using them or having them visible in his kitchen. I'd love it if he pitched for my safety and security web site. I can dream can't I?

[Get_Bent]

I can't wait for the Software Nazi episode: "No Vista for you!"

[wraith2017]

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but did'nt Jerry have a Mac in his apartment?<br /><br />Hello Newman!

[Vegaman_Dan]

He did indeed. It was a non-working prop model. That doesn't really say much pro or con.

[FO-FI_FO_454]

THE BRUTHA' MUST BE REALLY CRYING NOW! That's "Bill-Onion-Aire" Gates....ya' know, the Grand Mufti of Bits and Bytes, who showed the world that he was HUMAN when he hung up his duties at Microsoft to chase a MOSQUITO.....and the dude CRIED ON THE MEDIA! Now, he's hooking up with Jerry......what does that tell you? Jerry is a comedian, quick on the draw, witty, funny, has all the right moves......he is THE JOKER in real life, so now, Jerry the JESTA is the pitchman for VISTA. This is SO funny I could choke right now....Mista_Jerry_Jesta_Vista. With Bill playing a guitar as they sail on Paul Allen's Octopus looking for Steve Job?s Apple Stand. The three MOUSEKETEERS, Bill, Paul and Steve.....meanwhile, I've cashed out my credit cards, exhausted my credit line, tapped my savings, upgraded to the MAX......and guess what.....the VISTA TEAM DID ME IN....all they did was change the English Language. Milk became Bread, Air became Water and straight arrows became CURVE BALLS. I'd like to know on what planet or in what country VISTA was programmed..........it certainly wasn't from any city in the US that I recognize, because everything about Vista OS seems to be LETTER POIFECT (not a typo). Ya? know there?s a direct path to everything in life if you take a moment to check it out. A simple, logical way of getting from HERE to THERE?.but in VISTA, I found that getting from HERE TO THERE was like playing the game ?MIST? - every friggin? move I wanted to make had a GATEKEEPER asking me ?ARE YOU SURE? or the ?MAY I? Mufti who kept interfering with my action?..?ARE YOU SURE - YOU MAY NOW DOWNLOAD.? Man OH MAN OH MAN???..what lamebrain programming team put this together??.good luck Jerry, you will from this DAY FORWARD be LOGGED INTO MY BRAIN AS THE SADDEST COMEDIAN I?VE EVER KNOWN. How could you accept this offer?.could it be just for the money? Jerry, this ain?t funny man?..you have connected yourself to o failed Operating System.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I?ll leave you with an old joke. JOKE: Guy is teeing off and is surrounded by birds. He?s shouting ?PHCUCK OFF, PHCUCK OFF? and swinging his club at the birds. Little old lady, a churchgoer walks by and says ?You shouldn?t talk that way, they?re God?s creatures, those poor darling little birds. You should say ?SHOO SHOO little birdies??????..and then, they will PHCUCK OFF.? Which is EXACTLY WHAT I TOLD VISTA.<br /><br />Thanks for this opportunity to comment.<br />TTFN, TA TA FOR NOW!

[Vegaman_Dan]

I do believe you may have burst a blood vessel with that post. Tell us how you really feel. :)

[The_happy_switcher]

Have you ever noticed how Windows crashes all the time? Not that there's anything wrong with that.<br /><br />The game is over. Apple already has defined Microsoft through their ads and the damage is irreversible, I hope.

[Vegaman_Dan]

Ah, but can Apple overcome the reputation that they have created with those same ads that Apple products are not suitable for business or getting work done? That Apple users are out of work poorly dressed losers? That's not exactly positive press that they garnered there. If they had chosen to present the Apple as a well defined piece of equipment suitable for all tasks put to it in a professional manner, they could really help bolster their case. Right now though... well, they don't really even talk about their product, only how bad everybody else is. That sort of attack ads are fine for politics, but when they come from an OEM in the IT industry, it's just embarassing for them.