September 10th, 2008 
joel This weekend’s NFL football games featured a 90-second television ad for Microsoft featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates shopping for shoes and eating churros. What any of this has to do with moving the Vista platform off the shelf is beyond me.
The spot is quite random, with the discussion of discount shoes and showering with your clothes on. In fact the word “Microsoft” is said only once during the spot. But hiring Seinfeld for a reported $10 million and allowing him to do his “yadda, yadda, yadda” routine might help lighten up the image of the monolithic corporation and its struggling operating system. The campaign is getting mixed reviews. What do you think?
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Um, huh? That ad seemed to make no sense whatsoever. Happy lifelong PC user here, but that ad seemed to be unrelated to computing at all. I don’t see why anyone would feel more drawn to Microsoft after seeing that.
COMPLETELY STUPID,BUYING SHOES AND EATING CHUROES?? SURE DOESN’T SEND ME OUT TO BUY VISTA.
I’m in agreeing with Michael, that advert had nothing to do with the Vista platform, but when I was walking by DSW Shoe Warehouse I was compelled to by new shoes.
I think the ad campaign is relying upon sheer star power…Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. I wonder how much Seinfeld got for this one?
Walked away from the spot about 60 seconds in. Only right now did I realize that was a Microsoft commercial. I seriously thought Gates was doing a cameo in a Seinfeld American Express commercial – hence the flashing of the frequent shopper card at the counter.
Another example of Microsoft attempting to be everything to everyone and muddying up their brand identity some more. I’d venture to say that less than .01% of people would consider Bill Gates a “common man” – yet he’s fronting this commercial?
RIIIIGHT. And T. Boone Pickens is REALLY interested in saving me from high gas prices. It has NOTHING to do with him making another 78 Trillion dollars in investments. MMM HMM.
What’s next – the big “Zune” unveiling, but one week after the iPod Nano and much geekier?
Awesome.
It’s getting bashed in a lot of corners, but I like the ad. I’d rather be entertained than sold to.
In any case, the ad is doing what it accomplished — it’s getting people to talk about Microsoft. It’s getting posted all over the Internet on blogs like this one (and I know Joel isn’t getting paid to post it here).
I don’t want to know how much Seinfeld got for doing the ad…the real question is HOW MUCH did Bill Gates get for doing the ad? LOL
It’s not even good humor. Lame.
That ad “works” as well as the Vista operating system and that is Microsoft’s real problem.
I’m not sure, but I think the Jerry and Bill Show might have already been retired. Here’s a new “I’m a PC and I’ve been stereotyped” spot that saw in football all weekend long:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFPfApqTzLY
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“It’s getting bashed in a lot of corners, but I like the ad. I’d rather be entertained than sold to.
In any case, the ad is doing what it accomplished — it’s getting people to talk about Microsoft. It’s getting posted all over the Internet on blogs like this one (and I know Joel isn’t getting paid to post it here).”
Peter, you put it all down the line right there. I totally agree. Nicely put.