In fact the technical term for this is a “reeker!”
As we should all know by now, Microsoft Corp. has tapped Jerry Seinfeld to anchor an advertising campaign for the company in hopes of counteracting the insulting “Mac vs. PC” ads, featuring comic John Hodgman (as PC) and actor Justin Long (Mac).
Based on Microsoft’s history in advertising, let me start with the logical premise that this advertising campaign will stink. Try to think of a memorable advertisement by this company, and you can’t do it.
So the question becomes not whether the campaign will stink, but how bad.I have come up with three possibilities. The kindest one would be “just stinks.” After that comes “stinks to high heaven,” followed by the frightful “What are they thinking!?
Seinfeld got a reported $10 million for this fine effort.
Well, there went 90 seconds of my life that I can’t get back…
I can’t see how this is even remotely humorous, but some people claim to have found it funny. Fine. The question is, will this commercial sell a product, or will it leave most people scratching their heads?
Great job, Shoe Circus! Imagine getting both Seinfeld and Gates in their commercials. It must have been really expensive.
I want a new pair of shoes!
Hey, it wasn’t bad. Take this into account. Jerry probably wrote the whole thing and he’s been known to be a Macintosh user and probably knows very little about computers. Also, Bill Gates is the world worst actor and probably has a very poor sense of humor. Here’s Bill’s lines for the whole commercial:
Jerry Seinfeld?
I’m good.
The left one’s a little tight.
No.
Pleather.
Never.
Better.
Platinum.
Big top points.
I have.
They need to keep Bill’s dialog to a minimum so he can’t screw it up or come off as a person with no social skills. Jerry is doing all of the talking for most of the commercial. Who’s the straight man? It’s not Jerry, and Bill can’t do many lines, so the commercials are going to all kind of be a little Jerry-heavy.
I’m not a mac or windows fan (Linux is my preferred OS), but I’m a big Jerry Seinfeld fan. I thought that for a first attempt, it was ok, and I’m sure that once they come up with a story line, they’ll start the Windows Vista (or whatever) message more solidly. I think that this commercial is just about the two of them meeting and becoming friends. Character introduction – Jerry is the normal Jerry Seinfeld (who likes churros, showers with his clothes on and doesn’t know anything about computers) and Bill is the world’s biggest cheapskate.
I’d like to see a few others before I pass final judgment.
Why is Microsoft dissing the Hispanics? Don*t they think we know who Bill Gates is?
Just makes me angry! I thought the Hispanics also was a part of the US community!
I first saw this on TV. I like dry humor, so I liked the commercial.
Incidentally, though I first used the Mac GUI when it came out, I have always found Windows, from Win 95 on, to be easier to use than either the old Mac GUI or OS X (my wife has a Mac laptop that I have to dig around in occasionally to upgrade or fix something for her). Even Motif (Unix, and similar interfaces in Linux) is easier to use than OS X. I’m still trying to figure out a way to put shortcuts to documents on the OS X pageother than the bar at the bottom of the page
I think that most of this ad is very funny, only because it paints Bill Gates as a cheapskate that buys his shoes from an absurd discount store by the name of Shoe Circus. I am somewhat confused by the ending however. The point there is that Microsoft is going to be coming out with something delicious and the sign for that is Bill Gates drawing attention to his butt. How in the world can anyone explain that? It strikes me as greatly demeaning Microsoft customers.
Maybe they should have shot it in a computer store? I would have hired PC guy from the Mac Ad’s and had Bill Gates given him a pep talk and telling him not to believe Mac dude. Sure would have gone a lot further then the ad they have now. Not any better then the Zune ad’s.
Even being the diametric opposite of a Microsoft fan, I still liked this commercial.
But then again, I’m apparently the only person that thought that “The Dark Knight” was crap.
Nerd away, ye flamers,
William T. Riker
Of course the first ad didn’t make a lot of sense – remember the early Seinfelds? It took a while to get into the zen of Jerry’s world, but then you bought it hook, line and sinker – the “show about nothing” turned out to be brilliant. This is what they are doing. First, you re-introduce Jerry, and then guess who becomes Kramer (sort of). The first couple of ads will set the stage, and the product pitches will come later. What’s Microsoft? Why Vandalay industries, of course 🙂 Keep watching – these ad meisters are going to suck you in.
I’m not sure who this commercial is aimed at or the point of it. I’m a technical person and I did my best to read between the lines and if this was about Vista it was never evident. This is then a commercial to promote Microsoft? I believe a commercial should give some idea about what it is supposed to represent. First Sienifeld talks about moist and chewy, then I thought it strange when Bill Gates wiggled his butt and Jerry Seinfeld said “Delicious”. There is something disturblingly gay in a coprophiliac way about this. They paid Seinfeld $10 million for this. A high school student could have made this commercial with his lunch money.
He may not be very funny but who ever said Seinfeld was an idiot? Take the money and run, right!? I’d do it for 10 mil too, in fact I’d pull down my down my drawers then wiggle my butt for that! Personally I think Microsoft is crazy paying that kind of money for this drivel, but its their money.
If this was a “teaser” for a future set of commercials, it didn’t exactly tease.
I has this empty feeling…
Im thinking Im going to get an APPLE and run linux.
Nice! I learned that Bill and I have the same shoe size. That was the point of the ad, right?
It’s nice to see Microsoft embrace and extend the humorous commercial format. By Version 3.1 it will be up to par with the competition’s current product. That version is slated for release in Q4 2011.
Its was good when i watch sienfeld reruns i think of the ad.
Ca we assume this was a Vista commercial? Sucks just as bad. I’ll bet Pedro got a woody over it though.
I found it original and funny and a heckuva lot less pretentious than Apple’s advertising. I think this is the right approach for Microsoft. Spot on.
Bill has a rep for micromanaging things. I’m just saying…
#50 – jim h, you must working for the ad agency or need to up your meds.
Somewhat entertaining but peculiar to say the least.
The only thing I find more horrifying than the idea that the people at Microsoft thought this ad was a good enough one to produce and disseminate it, is the comments here from people who say they ‘liked’ it. It frightens me to think you all are out there on the loose where I might run into you. Dear gawd.
#56 Alan, Amen. Weird.
Listening on TWIT a week or two ago, everyone on the show thought Jerry was a bad choice. One guy said he’s been out of a career for 10 years. The thing to remember is that is by CHOICE, and I think Jerry really is a great choice.
But this ad is so unbelievably bad. Are people going to just love Microsoft more than Mac because of this? And also, didn’t Microsoft and the press make sure everyone knew that Bill Gates left Microsoft day to day duties a few weeks ago?
WHAT is going on at Microsoft. They try to out hip Apple, the over think their ads and totally forget who they are marketing to. Like to insane idea they had to blast neighborhoods in NYC in the middle of the night advertising the Zune.
Microsoft, stick with the basics. Be straight forward. Can you do that please? It’s sad to see a great company roll around in the mud this publicly.
That said, I did like the moment Bill said, “leather,” and there was that trademark Seinfeld moment of comical silence right after that. But that isn’t going to help Microsoft, is it? Heck, it just all tells me I miss Jerry.
NOW I have to ask..
WHat was this commercial FOR??
I saw NOTHING adverted, EXCEPT SHOES.
I liked it. I found it to be amusing which is a good thing.
Does no one get the subtle humor or the constant jabs at apple.
And it’s “pleather” like leather but cheap imitation. I think this add went over everyones heads.
#61 jobs
“Does no one get the subtle humor or the constant jabs at apple.”
Actually it’s a homoerotic homage to Marcel Duchamp during his Kinetic period and his Rrose SĂ©lavy personae.
Bill is the PC guy and Jerry is the mac guy. The mac guys may be portrayed as one who is entertaining but annoying – not accomplishing anything. We shall see.