Ok, so the producers of these commercials have clearly decided that these things are going to be a pure viral marketing campaign hoping blogs like this will run them for free as I am doing here. So instead of paying for advertising the cheap bastards are expecting free advertising. This will work for maybe a few episodes of this crap, but not much more than that. The campaign will thus be a success but will it actually sell any product? Does it even sell Microsoft as a brand? I’m not seeing it.
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Are you kidding me?
Bill Gates does “The Robot”. Now that is keeping it real! This is worth $30 Million? What’s next Steve Balmer as George Costanza?
HAR!
WHERE THE COMMERCIAL?
WHERES THE PRODUCT?
Is he trying to start a movie carrier?
TRYING to so they are “LIKE” ??? People?
what a shame.
Why so many people kept asking “where’s the product?” It’s MS. We all know the product(s).
This is about branding.
I think this 2nd ad funnier. The more you watch it, the more puns you’ll notice.
Though the genre looks familiar. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie’s “The Simple Life” comes to mind?
[DO NOT DOUBLE POST!!]
Longer or bigger and pointless… that just describes most of MS software from XP on…
It sucks. And I like it. I am waiting for the next on already. Imagine if the Presidential candidates were in an ad like this….
Well… size does matter…
Branding? That’s the problem. As a consumer I want to know why I should buy your product based on features and benefits TO ME!! That’s how you make me feel good about your brand.
The first one I could give the benefit of doubt on. But now two?
The average consumer is not going to get it. I don’t get it.
It’s not that funny and it is not rememberable. It may inspire talk around the water cooler at work but not good talk.
I think they’re good.
But ungraspable for the average Joe sixpack.
But then again, Microsoft’s market is not being hammered on the Joesixpack side, but on the more affluent and more refined Design, Communication and Education markets. Those clients WOULD get these. Maybe you can argue that the humour is a bit dated, but perhaps they’re targeting exactly that age group: someone that its in it’s forties and has seen, and loved Seinfeld in the eighties and nineties, and relates to the humor.
Of course it’s the wrong approach. MS should be courting the younger generations, as those will be the ones assuring sales in the future.
In that respect Apple is doing a hell of a job, with the iPod, iPhone and iBook, products appealing to the young generations and branding that apple logo on the minds subliminally.
I actually like it, i wish they would make a real sitcom, it made me laugh a good bit.
OK, I just watched the full version on Microsoft.com. I realize the problem now. The edited version shown on TV is nowhere near as good.
You have to watch the full version!
[Ed. – The video in this post is the full version, no need to go to M$]
That was just awful. If the goal here is to try and get people to look deep into it, with all its “puns” then there going to fail. People are just to busy to bother. Great ads are catchy and to the point. This add was long and painful.
[Duplicate comment deleted. – ed.]
Bwahahaha
Explaining OOP Polymorphism to the kid….
– Is there a monster in this story?
– Yes, but we’re ok, we’re behind a Firewall
Connecting to REAL people! It looks like Bill’s skin is crawling.
It sucks – just like Microsoft.
Wow! Can’t wait for the series to come out. Will it air on HBO?
This is really, really bad, Microsoft. Too afraid to talk about your failure Vista??
The branding concept is interesting. Though it would only be valid if everyone in the viewing audience didn’t already know the Microsoft brand. So, in this case, branding is not the reason for the ad.
Another point I read else where, this series of ads cost $300 Million to produce. The Dark Knight only (relatively) cost $185 Million.
Bill and Jerry have already spent 6 minutes of ad time to convey a message that nobody understands.
You just don’t get it do ya? The very fact that you guys are talking about the commercial, being too long and pointless or not, is testament as to how friggen brilliant this campaign is! Your “Average Joe” may not “get it”, but at least they’ll say, “That’s a Microsoft commercial? What’s that have to do with Windows?” But at least they’ll think about Microsoft…
In the end, lighten up. It’s not politics people, it’s just a stupid commercial. Let them waste money if they want… It’s there’s to waste!
The little girl is the Mac trying to Blackball Gates.
A TV sitcom about nothing
A TV commercial about nothing
The Internet is weird.
Everyone I’ve shown this to loves it. The IT department has been cracking up over it. The Grandma is hilarious! And, the giraffe thing is great, too. Gates asking when the “hot tub” would heat up was inspired. But, from a purely geek perspective, the inheritance/polymorphism part was the best line!
I’m a fan of surrealism, but . . . ? ? ?
I liked it!
I’m going out to buy 5 copies of Vista right now!
It’s obvious that only MS fanboys like these ads. And there is a big culture of people that follow Gates religiously: from the employees of microsoft to the legions of companies that work with/for microsoft.
From the perspective of almost anyone else on the planet this just feels like a huge waste of time. They’re just tooting they’re own horn. Feels like those “intra-company” ads they used to make every year or so….
Neither side has commericals that make me want to buy their crud.
I use Windows because I run a business and have to keep costs down.
IF I could gte the quality, selection and user acceptance I would use something else.
Cursor_
Really really bad. The Microsoft-dinosaur is going down.
Windows MeII (aka Vista) was bloated and unnecessary – and I guess this commercial captures much of the Vista-spirit!
Where’s the sweet and tasty cake PC from the last commercial?
Typical Microsoft vapourware.
I want my twinkie PC!!
this ad is actually really good, i even find it to be quite more enjoyable then the other one.
so as for most people who dont understand this ad at all, i guess they dont really know much about windows and its working procedures either – besides that “it sucks” of course.
point is, microsoft sees itself as the very basis for entertainment, but in most of its ways unneccessary, timewasting and badly designed.
then again, so is every day life aswell as these ads. in most of its ways unneccessary, timewasting and badly designed – but entertaining.
Very fresh, very funny. Loved it.