Comments on: Microsoft begins big ad push

Microsoft's multi-year push, estimated at $300 million, begins with a spot featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld aired during Thursday's NFL game.

[Norseman]

I get it! Microsoft is going to branch out and open a chain of shoe stores that also sells a line of boxer shorts and edible computers. Brilliant!!!

[jypeterson]

It is interesting to see the differing opinions, especially from Stariun and quadj. I think that both make good points, but here is where Microsoft continues to disconnect itself from the consumer and shows that they really do not know what consumers are looking for. If you look to online boards regarding this ad, you will find the overwhelming majority of people scratching their heads.

What is Microsoft trying to do -- to get back to their brand. Unfortunately, they have lost themselves along the way. They no longer sell their brand, but have commoditized their own products. Who needs reps in BestBuy to sell Windows? Besides the few stores that sell Macs along side PC's, you don't need to sell it. People are not buying a PC for the OS at BestBuy, they are just shopping for the hardware. The general consumer still isn't making a conscious choice in OS type. A few are changing to Mac and Linux, but overall, people just don't care about it.

Instead of spending $300MM on commercials, Microsoft needs to have a greater focus on a homogeneous company. It is too fragmented and has its hands in too many baskets. There is no uniform brand -- which they have failed to capitalize on.

New leadership is required at Microsoft, and I'm not talking about Ballmer. There needs to be vision and a move back to innovation. That is truly the way Microsoft should sell itself...

[ppgreat]

MS is attempting to create an ongoing "series" of spots. The difficulty with these types of campaigns is that it assumes that viewers remember the previous episodes and the theme is allowed to build on itself.

The reason that the Mac spots work well is that they are self contained and, for the most part, point out the common, everyday problems that people have with the MS operating system and user experience.

[DakotaMojo]

WOW! The next ad (or ads) better deliver a phenomenal payoff that this teaser ad sets up.

Or, Microsoft's absolute lack of a strategy to grow their business is now the primary subject of their national television campaign. WOW!

[Seaspray0]

I had to rewind the DVR and watch it again. Response: "What the F### was that?" It seems I'm not alone in that response. It made as much sense as that cat roundup commercial they did during the superbowl 2 years ago. Ohhh... this is the teaser? Ok. Did you feel teased? Because, I'm still somewhat confused about it. And then something dawned on me. I actually rewinded the DVR to watch it twice. Why did I do that?

[sting7k]

I wonder if Seinfeld came up with the idea for that commercial with some help from Larry David, it is about NOTHING! It's not a windows ad, its an ad about the future, to get you to think what could they be doing over there. The bit about getting in the shower is funny, and the whole thing is like an episode of Seinfeld, but Bill Gates is not a very good actor.

[open-mind]

Parts of it were really funny in a subtle Seinfeld episode reference sort of way. Examples ... offering Gates some of his food ... getting dressed in the shower ... calling the shoe the Conquistador. And Gate's mug shot on the card was lol funny.

So I thought the commercial was funny and am curious about the next one, but it really did nothing to make me want to buy Vista. Even the Mojave Excrement commercials are better in that respect. I think I'll stick with my Mac for now.

Maybe a better commercial would have been a remake of their dah-dah-dah VW spoof, but using a Mac/Linux computer instead of Sun Solaris.

[Vegaman_Dan]

I've seen the ad and it is clear to me (at least ) that it is building up for something more. Just like you can't judge a book by the first page alone, it isn't fair to judge the entire advertising campaign by this opening ad.

Remember that the 1984 Apple ad also didn't mention the computer and you can see how that turned out.

[Vegaman_Dan]

There is another factor to consider... what other ad on TV that night are people talking about now? Are you all talking about a Nike ad? An ad for a Ford Fusion? Walmart?

No, you're all talking about a Microsoft ad. Everyone knew it was a Microsoft ad. Sometimes it's about getting the name out there and people talking about it. In that, it is very successful. People are remembering it. From the advertising standpoint, this is a remarkable hands-down success.

Now what they do with it after this is still up in the air, but you have to admit it gets that name recognition out there.

[Assistant_Village_Idiot]

What MS needs to do next is to make a video of the commercial and show it to a group of carefully selected people in a controlled environment. Maybe that will help. Those people would then go out and tell all their friends that they saw a way-cool video of a commercial about a company trying to sell a product that was not mentioned because most people think it's a bad product, but it really isn't. It makes perfect sense.... doesn't it? Just think... the viral marketing possibilites are mind boggling. It may take about a year to spread. By then Windows 7 will be out - but that should not confuse anyone.

[JeffGoo]

Either you like Jerry Seinfeld or you don't... I do and so look forward to the next ad. I also look forward to the next John Hodgman ad. That PC guy is funny.

[xcopy]

That was lame....

Apple, iSheep, and Steve Jobs all suck, but the mac ads are funny and well done.

This is like a concept they never finished. Really bad....

[AJ Pants]

Well at least the ad represents Windows quite well.

Dated and kinda sad.

[Solaris_User]

I think it was kind of arrogant.. To say Bill is sooo smart that his genius just rubs off on people..

I have a feeling people are laughing at this ad, not with it.

[Donfuy]

I found it cool for a teaser, as it worked very well at teasing me.

[The_Decider]

This ad was about as funny, interesting and relevant as that pig Rove trying to rap a few years ago at the WH correspondents dinner.

[t26l]

Watch out for the soft and chewy goodness from Gate's gate.

[_HP]

Maybe it's a matter of bad publicity is better than no publicity and first thing I did after watching it on youtube was forward the link to most of my mates, mostly because I am a huge Seinfeld fan and so are my mates.

We all know that Microsoft copy ideas and that it just isn't "cool" etc etc but you know what....I can forgive that when I see how much money Bill Gates pour into poor communities; there is no denying the fact that he is one of the biggest philanthropists around.

Apple....don't use it, I just eat them....delicious......

[felgercarbnaysay]

I'm a UNIX/Macintosh bigot. Microsoft clearly is not interested in winning me over. I show up at mojaveexperiment.com with my Firefox browser on Mac and I immediately get a page selling me on Silverlight.

Yeah, right.

Microsoft can suck my $&#@!

[Silverbat]

Eh? Astonishingly bad. The pairing of Gate's stilted awkwardness with the Seinfeld's smarmy arrogance is almost difficult to watch. They have zero comedic rapport. Was this actually scripted? The part with all the planet and underpants mumbo-jumbo alluding to Gate's "genius" is preposterous and ill-conceived - but ironic and amusing in a way that I'm certain wasn't intentional. Makes them both look like idiots, frankly.