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Gates/ Sienfeld commercial

post #1 of 15
9/5/08 at 8:47am
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I saw my first Gates/ Sienfeld commercial this morning on ESPN. The commercial was pretty lame. For all the money Microsoft gave to hire a comedian, the commercial was totally unfunny! They are in a shoe store and Sienfeld telling Gates how he liked to wear his shoes in the shower. At the very end of the commercial Sienfeld asks Gates a question regarding computers.
Gino J. Piazza
Port Chester, NY
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post #2 of 15
9/5/08 at 5:05pm
It would seem that the goal of the ad is to humanize Microsoft via Gates. I'm not sure if the approach will work, but the direction definitely has merit. Maybe it will pay off, maybe it won't. Ultimately, MS is in a position now where it's not good enough to sell rubbish that has an MS logo on it. They will have to improve the product, too, which seems to be a challenge beyond their ability.
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post #3 of 15
9/5/08 at 5:21pm
It would've been 10x funnier and made more sense if Steve Ballmer was the idiot in the shoe store.

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GOA

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post #4 of 15
9/6/08 at 10:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

It would've been 10x funnier and made more sense if Steve Ballmer was the idiot in the shoe store.

Nothing would have saved it. It was completely stupid. This is the beginning of their "edgy" ad campaign? I know we all like to mock M$ for trying to rip off Apple (poorly) at every turn, but they really do just that. Remember the multi touch table computer? Their "Luna" interface vs. Apple's Aqua? The Zune? Windows flip? I mean...it's like they are announcing it: "Hey...we're going to copy Apple but in a really shitty way...then claim we did it first. After the product fails we're pour billions into it until it succeeds (and use illegal marketing tactics), or we'll deny the problem exists.

Fucking lamest commerical...ever.
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post #5 of 15
9/6/08 at 1:35pm
I don't think the point was to make people go into fits of laughter, it was to simply evoke positive feelings and associations with Microsoft.
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post #6 of 15
9/6/08 at 2:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by groverat View Post

I don't think the point was to make people go into fits of laughter, it was to simply evoke positive feelings and associations with Microsoft.

It failed at that too. It was just totally and utterly dumb. Pointless. Even....creepy.
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post #7 of 15
9/6/08 at 3:09pm
Well it's not as if you're the intended audience. Regular people, not platform zealots.
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post #8 of 15
9/7/08 at 7:11pm
Just saw the ad myself, I know we're not supposed to post random photos too much anymore, but that ad deserves the Picard face-palm:



Was that ad about Windows? I couldn't tell. And Jerry, I like you, but try not to be so obvious you're phoning it in...
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You need skeptics, especially when the science gets very big and monolithic. -James Lovelock
The Story of Stuff
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post #9 of 15
9/7/08 at 8:01pm
I saw it today. Like the "show about nothing" it was the commercial about nothing.
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post #10 of 15
9/8/08 at 7:06am
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it was an okay commercial. Remember, this is the first of many. It's just an intro to the two and I think Microsoft may have something here. I'm really looking forward to seeing more.

Think about this: Maybe the ad wasn't supposed to be very "funny", but instead just get people talking. It worked.
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post #11 of 15
9/8/08 at 11:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CosmoNut View Post

Maybe the ad wasn't supposed to be very "funny", but instead just get people talking. It worked.

People already talk about Vista though in a bad way. What they've managed to achieve is people talking badly about their software and their marketing ability. To quote Seinfeld about a failed suicide victim:

"Is their life any better now? No. In fact its worse because now theyve found out one more thing you stink at."

One thing I didn't like about the ad is how Seinfeld comes across like a 15 year old talking to his grandad. 'Jupiter sized brain'?? Have we ever considered Bill Gates to be that smart?

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Murphy/?p=640
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post #12 of 15
9/10/08 at 5:47am
It seems to me that MS is giving up on the youth market and trying to keep or reel in more older generations. Hence Seinfeld. My Dad likes Seinfeld and uses a PC. I'm not saying this commercial will keep him with a PC but it will probably make him less likely to switch. Kids aren't going to see this commercial and want to switch to MS. They're still going to go for the Apple computers.
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post #13 of 15
9/10/08 at 1:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Bootleg Saint View Post

It seems to me that MS is giving up on the youth market and trying to keep or reel in more older generations. Hence Seinfeld. My Dad likes Seinfeld and uses a PC. I'm not saying this commercial will keep him with a PC but it will probably make him less likely to switch. Kids aren't going to see this commercial and want to switch to MS. They're still going to go for the Apple computers.

Old people want Seinfeld and young people want FREE PIZZA!
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"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school." -- Albert Einstein
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post #14 of 15
9/13/08 at 5:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CosmoNut View Post

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it was an okay commercial. Remember, this is the first of many. It's just an intro to the two and I think Microsoft may have something here. I'm really looking forward to seeing more.

Think about this: Maybe the ad wasn't supposed to be very "funny", but instead just get people talking. It worked.

'cause the second one was so much better.
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post #15 of 15
9/20/08 at 10:11am
I think it was a big mistake to end after two of these. They had an opportunity to pick up momentum and they threw it away for the "I'm a PC ad." Microsoft is so dumb.
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