Microsoft's $300 million ad campaign tumbles downhill with new PC ads - Page 2

Good point. Microsoft could say "we let you install our OS on ANY computer--even a Mac. No walls." Something like that. Maybe raise the question of why some people are running BOTH Windows and OS X on one Mac, if OS X is so great.

In the end, though it might have the same old problem: the ads could help Apple even more than they help Microsoft!

Microsoft's message needs to be "Windows is the only REAL choice. Nothing else is worth considering." That's tough to pull off, but it's an idea lingering in people's minds and I bet they could play on that. It's the idea Apple has been successfully dispelling, and Microsoft needs to bring that "fear of the unknown" back (or, start rapidly cranking out amazing and innovative products).

The "no walls" metaphor COULD work in the direction of "Windows is the only sensible choice," but only if people really think hard about the phrase (which ad viewers don't do). And only if people forget that Microsoft themselves loves putting up walls--and they do so without the consumer-beneficial results of Apple's "closed" systems. (The benefit: things work great together because they're designed together. Whereas with Microsoft the benefit of their "closed" aspects is merely more cash for Microsoft and less need to bother innovating.)

I think most people see the "no walls" thing and it goes right over their head--just more happy-sounding ad blather, like "looking to the future" or "quality first" or "your world."

EDIT: To put in perspective what Microsoft is up against--even though they're already the desktop/office monopoly worldwide... imagine walking up to any random stranger and giving them a gift bag. Tell them there's an Apple product inside. Or tell them there's a Microsoft product inside. Which one's going to get them more excited? Apple's mindshare is based on people actually WANTING the stuff. Microsof't mindshare is more like "this exists and I'm so used to it I don't think about it."

Of course, selling to IT (who will conservatively stick with what they always have used) is easier than selling to consumers. But these ads don't seem to be aimed at keeping IT on board with Microsoft.

I'm a PC = Fantastic brand gains for MSFT. I thought the spot was hip, energetic and clever.

"I'm a PC" = every second of the ad makes you think about Apple products!

A well-produced spot, nonetheless--like the abandoned Seinfeld ads were.

WOW

I thought for certain MSFT execs would have gotten together and said "hey, we screwed up and let the Windows brand get dinged with Vista, and these AAPL ads -- lets throw this to some creative people." and not interfere/do the death-by-committee thing to the ads.



...boy was I wrong.

These adverts don't do anything to make Microsoft attractive, but what else could they do? At least they are not as bad as the Seinfeld adverts.

The heckuvit is that all of those "I'm a PC" people could very well be running Ubuntu.

Apple is continuing to enjoy their great success with its products and high customer loyalty because they get it. Unlike Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmers idiotic comments and the company he represents, Microsoft is so far out of touch with consumers. I have been a Microsoft user for over 10 years and the culmination of my experiences boil down to frustration, unnecessary complexity, wasted down time, and low return on its expensive products. I have wasted time and money on Microsofts terribly executed computer software, Windows Mobile phones, and its XBOX 360 gaming console. Microsofts inability to get its game on has resulted in a large number of people to make the switch to Apple Macintosh products because they simply work well. I dont believe I have to identify all the positive characteristic about Apple products because most people already know why its products are far superior to Microsoft.

All of Microsofts products have the characteristics of crashing, not being user friendly, and expensive. As one example, I own a XBOX 360 and a PS3. Microsoft brags that the XBOX 360 is a superior gaming console to the PS3. Microsoft in its wisdom failed to include a Wi-Fi connection, high-definition DVD player, adequate HD space, and locked-down the console for a true multi-media experience. By the time a consumer purchases all the Microsoft accessories that are already included in the PS3, the XBOX 360 is much more expensive and an ugly clunky mess. Not to mention, the XBOX 360 is so loud and frequently overheats. What the heck was Microsoft thinking?

I am making a conscious effort to never purchase a lousy Microsoft product in the future. I dont consider myself as a Mac geek, but as an average consumer who values well executed technology for my hard earned money.

Any first-year marketing student could point out the problems with their "strategy" here.

They are doing to the ad campaign what they did to Vista. It's light-years beyond self parody.

Kudos to Daniel for pointing this out; I haven't seen any other pundit who's caught this.

Also, I'm surprised that no one's mentioned the fact that Apple started responding to this campaign even before it aired! I have to think that's exactly what the new Web-only ad is about, where PC tells us he's written an editorial, imploring us to stop switching.

It's hard to see how M$ is even in the game!

I don't think so.

Personally, I am already tired as heck of hearing Billy G. and Microsoft drop hints about what a big deal philanthropist he is. All he has done is give away some of his ill-gotten money. It always had the smell of "rich man buys his way into heaven" IMO. It's not as if any rich person couldn't do the same thing or doesn't do the same thing. It's not as if he actually gets involved in the projects, he just has a bunch of people working for him that find things he can write cheques for.

I have way more respect for people like Jimmy Carter, who put on a hard hat and actually go build a house for someone who needs one, or all those folks that serve hot soup to street people.

There is nothing tackier than doing charity and then crowing about it. If they started making ads about what a great philanthropist Gates is it would be repulsive (at least to me).

Deep breath.

What, if I may ask naively, is this PC vs Mac war all about? It is the most useless and unproductive thing I can imagine. serving no function other than to distance people in general from the technology and cultural niche we all want to promote. Different people and companies want to do that in different ways, yipee. So how did this stupid-business start? If I recall the 90's correctly Mac got a whopping amount of hate laid on it. This is before all that anti-trust business. So after getting a heap of dirt from MS users, Mac was fearing their brand would be damaged and set to define their it squarely against those who had been defining it for them. Okay. Maybe they went too far. Had enough yet?

Here's more rhetorical questions: Who's winning? Who cares? Do you think all this useless argument exists in a vacuum? What if there are unintended consequences to this spewing of virtual hatred? Why risk it when it is so unpleasant (and I take that word seriously) and draining? Why Bother?

We need to be promoting the indispensibility and function in the long term of what we've got to the world, in whatever way we can get it done. If you think this involves endless war, quit now with Fail. We all want to make things that let people have more and do more of what we want in a way that's good for life for all time. Am I mistaken in this?

I don't care if you run a successful small business and know that Mac couldn't offer half the value and use for what you get done using Microsoft's platform(s). I don't have half the computer you do! You know what you're doing and don't need anyone to give you a hard time! I don't care if you built your computer from spare parts of every manufacturer and wrote your own operating system, sort of like that Johnny Cash song. Great! I have no critique! I don't care if you buy into a cultural enforcement yuppie commune like Apple-- Hey! It's a nice place!

I will try to say this nicely:

Now shutup all of you get back to work.

-

Disclaimer: the free computer i got several years back was an Apple, therefore i use those boxes for my work, since (especially recently) they are more than adequate. If I would tell anyone that they have to be first to declare peace, it would be Apple users. Just stop it already, jerks. You're making my granny cry.

Double disclaimer: this is a third posting of my little rant, and I will post it no more, so I'm not entirely lying in the Note.

Note: If this strikes you as obvious and you like it, pass it on yourself. This whole platform war is so incredibly boring, and profit-sucking, I can't believe I took even the time to write this.

Do I hear Apple's next slogan and ad campaign?



(Actually, no, I've had that GIF laying around since I did it up for fun in Oct. 2005...might've said "playing" instead of "gaming" if I were to do it again, hehe)

Give Bill a break. He's unemployed!

What's with all these people saying they're PCs when they're clearly users? How stupid. Is the point supposed to be that every time Apple airs one of their "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" ads, these people are being insulted? What a load of hooey.

The only thing this new ad does is weaken Apple's ads if they continue to use the "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" line. Through the use of repetition, they reinforce the "PC" part attempting to squash the "Mac" part. It's not a bad counter-offensive if it is part of a bigger strategy.

Love it or loathe it. Its clearly doing its job... everyone seems to be talking about Microsoft.

I think the new campaign is a classic "we are the world" ad. "Everyone around the world is using a PC, be part of the world." It's a normal ad, and I think it'll work like a decent normal ad. Nothing spectacular. Just the usual stuff. It's like when an oil company wanna point out that they're good, they show people in the nature speaking about how much they care about the environment, but they represent an oil company... so. But it works for promoting the friendly image.

And promoting the "PC" isn't bad for Windows or Microsoft, is it? I'd say the majority of PC's are being shipped with Windows, and I think more people use the term PC or Computer than they do Windows and Microsoft in terms of speaking about their PC environment (with Windows). "Do you have a Mac or PC" is a normal question. I rarely hear anyone say "Do you run Mac OS X or Windows (or Linux)?"

So has this just been aired yesterday? It's strange how desarc actually knew the thing about the sharks before...

http://forums.appleinsider.com/showp...2&postcount=15

Perhaps this article should be labeled as an "opinion" piece. Sure, this whole site is about rumors and speculation - but at least those rumor articles are presented somewhat objectively: "This party thinks that such-and-such product will emerge around such-and-such time". Speculation yes, but not pure opinion.

The more I read this, the more one-sided I realized it was. "Microsoft will fail because of A,B,C..." with almost zero view about the other side.

I love Apple products, otherwise I wouldn't browse this site. Respectfully, I have to say that this "article" more closely resembles a blog entry.

This whole campaign is largely pointless.

1 billion people may use Windows, but 70% (if not more) don't use Windows because it's a conscious decision; they use it because it's just what happens to be shipped on their PC.

The worry for MS should be that with hardware makers are pushing for more Linux distribution and HP looking into it's own OS, MS needs to be aware that it's the hardware makers that hold the key to Microsoft's destiny...not your average consumer who MS is trying to communicate to here.

MS need to realise that casual people who buy PC's will use whatever OS comes on them; and if hardware makers start pushing more aggressively more alternative OS's and then ship them on that PC hardware in place of Windows, then that leaves MS nowhere.

Perhaps MS should think about starting to build it's own PC hardware....although given the frankly disgraceful failure rate of the Xbox 360 that would probably be a disaster as well.

This is where it falls down. Apple has already branded PCs for average, uncool users and Microsoft is just adding to that stereotype. The power of advertising is that it can make consumers feel better about themselves for buying the product. Buying a PC means you are cheap, average, possibly ugly, possibly wear glasses i.e one of the conformist mass public. That's hardly a stereotype people want to buy into especially when Apple offer such a better image.

The fact that Eva Longoria is in the ad does nothing because she's already been stereotyped as a person who would say anything for money.

When there are films about superheroes, they aren't shown as everyday fat people that go to the fish and chip shop and that's because nobody wants to be like that. In a world of over 6 billion people, being different and thinking different is the only way to justify to yourself that your life is worth living. If you are just like everyone else then you can be replaced.

As mentioned, the format simply gives Apple more recognition because Microsoft have just copied them again. At least the Bill and Jerry thing was a unique direction to show they aren't phased by Apple. This ad shows they are scared and on the defensive.

Hmmmmmmmmmm......... HP is the leader in PC's, no?

Shouldn't they be talking to Apple about licensing Mac OS instead of writing their own OS?

I doubt Apple would go for it, but it just might make sense to open up Mac OS to one or two quality hardware makers.

Food for thought, anyways.

Your thoughts?

"I'm a PC... and a human being, not a human doing, not a human thinking, a human being"

Does anyone care to explain to me what that man is trying to say? All that comes to mind is a couch potato, not doing or thinking anything productive, just being a lump of flesh. How does that market Microsoft?

I think that Daniel Eran Dilger has previously discussed the really key point: that Bill Gates thinks Vista was a MARKETING failure, rather than a PRODUCT failure.

So Bill Gates decision-making about microsoft marketing is always going to be off-track.

People who are aware of the alternatives to Windows ( Mac, Unix variants ) are well aware of Microsoft's short-comings and will not be swayed by advertising. And there's no point in marketing PC to people who are not aware of alternatives.

So, in the end it comes down to the product. Microsoft is getting hit from Mac on one side and the Unix variants ( let's add Apache etc in there, etc ). I wonder if Apple could do something to reframe the battle as Microsoft versus Unix-based systems, with synergies between the Unix bases such as shared device drivers, easy networking etc. Given the strength of Unix variants in the enterprise, perhaps this could be Apple's way into the enterprise. They will always have the head start on the Unix-based desktop anyway.

For all those who a) do use Macs, or b) have used a Mac, and all those who have b) seen them and want to switch, or c) will switch or d) are about to switch, this simply says:

Not everyone has tried a Mac...yet!



Seems to me that Microsoft is starting to hit the panic buttons.

And not a minute too soon.

I think they are trying to spin it like Apple is saying that the people who use PCs are just a "stereotype" and that if you're a "PC" that you aren't some horrible stereotype, you're a HUMAN BEING!!

Some people just don't get it and think that the Apple ads attack or insult PC users, the reality is everyone is supposed to like PC, and feel bad for him for all the stuff that he is besieged by because of Windows, and then realize that you're PC experience doesn't have to be fraught with the same problems.

PC = Wile E. Coyote
Microsoft = ACME Corporation

Although the particular line in the MS commercial is mind-blowingly stupid as you might as well be a piece of Tofu if you just "are" and don't think or do.

Microsoft Tofu. Life without Soy Beans!

I think the new Windows ads are terrific. I'm a Mac user, but that doesn't translate into me being a Windows basher. Competition is what makes Apples strive to differentiate its operating system over Windows and Linux and, hopefully, excel. If it took this kind of public competition for Microsoft to realize that its audience was disenchanted with Vista, then I can only see that as a good thing.

Some amazing things have been done for our world using the Windows OS. Microsoft has a right to brag about it. Instead of disagreeing and arguing over what the best OS is, let's all be grateful we have a choice of operating systems and that one didn't become so dominant that it obliterated our right to choose.

I'll remember that phrase.

But you did.
(And so pretty much negated your whole argument. )

I'm not a PC, but I play with one at work or

Hi, I'm a Mac but a Play a PC on TV or

Hi I'm a person with a mind and i CHOOSE to use a Mac, but I'm forced to use a PC at work ; or

Hi, I'm a nut, but I love my PC or

Hi, I'm a fuccing dip-shit - I use a PC, but could use a Mac or maybe

Have a screen shot of a person saying, Hi I'm tried, and I think I'll go to sleep - then the camera backs away, and you see the person on the computer screen, which then goes to sleep.

Or how about something more to the point:

Hi, my name is Bill Gates, and well, I just don't want Apple to gain anymore ground on the PC world, so I'm going to give everyone who forwards this email to all of their friends, a FREE PC start sending those emails.

Now I will want to know which PC he will give away, seeing MS doesn't sell computers.

Should he ad's say


Hi, I'm a computer person who uses MS products

My name is Bill Gates and I approve this message (likely to be the dumbest saying for political ads every made. Who would feature themselves in an ad, they didn't approve?)

I mean, c'mon, Eva Longoria is the celebrity that will drive home their message? I would fire that ad agency as soon as they mentioned her has been name as a possibility.

I think the only thing that would make me interested in Windows is a TV commerical where people kicked or punched Ballmer in the nuts over and over again.

I'm a diver and a Mac...
and I'm not scared at all.

Ron

Filthy Windows that needs a good clean.

Think, be, become, do? Word play? (Sigh, I must be the only one that liked that part. )

An open field, filled to the horizon with people. As one, they begin to speak slowly:

"I'm a PC, and I have a virus. I can't do my work today. I can't show you my pictures today. I can't play my games today. I can't listen to music today. I can't get your email today. I can't connect."

Learn how to spell, Appel-insider

Btw, both Gates and Jobs could use these as ads, I think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o24e5...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlIY7Sp_RXY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJGVV...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwy4R...eature=related

The person you are talking about is Deepak Chopra and the term in question is a common play on words used by english speakers to refer to concepts in some eastern religious and new age philosophies.

Boy, THAT'S a great approach for winning over tech people out there.
That is something they can REALLY RELATE to....

I find the new ad even stranger than the others with Seinfeld. At least with Seinfeld it was understood that they were trying to do something quirky and creative and it was creative.

With these, I have no idea what to think about them.

First, clearly it shows that they are bothered by the Apple ads to the point of referring to them. Ok, people in the industry recognize that but do they really want to take that frustration to the public?

Second, the ad, while visually stimulating and personal, really left me cold. People are identifying with the PC? It seemed like a very strange thing to say. No one would ever really say that - I am a PC. No one wants to be a PC. I get what they are trying to do, they are trying to stand with the PC character but it seemed really unnatural to me. Something is lost in translation.

It occurs to me that Bill Gates was really offended by the ads. He reacted like the PC character was him. I never understood the ads that way but he did. So this ad seems to me to be people around the world standing with him. He wears glasses - so do they. And meanwhile there a ton of diverse people using PCs to do some cool stuff. That however is a very strange message. Like the PC is besieged when it is not. Most people know and use PCs and there is not an issue for them.

Clearly they are trying to attack the Apple brand by saying you don't need to use an Apple to do interesting stuff. Macs are associated with fun and creativity, Strangely though it sort of makes them be the outsiders. You can do interesting stuff with a PC! That message does not really work so well - especially when no one in the ad is using a computer. They all love their computer but its not really part of their life, what they do. Even Deepak, at his desk, has no computer. Why is that?

Finally, I think for people who are striving in society there is often a tendency to want to separate from the pack, to excel. Does seeing people all over the world claim to be PCs sort of make a person think, maybe I want to do my own thing - as in not being a machine?

Hmm, yeah. Or they might just make it a field of John Hodgemans (John Hodgemen? ) in different clothes, perhaps even with casually dressed ones mixed in, to tie it in more strongly with the existing ad series. They might even take the opportunity to point out something that Dan here has on several occasions...

"Hi, I'm a PC, and I have a virus.
I can't do my work today.
I can't show you my pictures or music today. [I like that one of yours, BTW it sounds like PC is sorry that he can't make you proud of him. *sniff*]
And I definitely can't surf the web or check your email today.
"You see, the ugly truth is that...way back in the beginning, I wasn't made to be connected.
And ever since, being connected...has burned me.
I can't do what you need me to do right now.
(brightens) On the other hand, I do have some stuff you might want to see about getting a bigger"
Cut to Mac logo/product shot.

On the other hand (sorry for repeating myself, heh), I realize Apple could never let themselves do that kind of ad, because (1) it effectively tells people "we've allowed ourselves to descend into a political-style mudslinging campaign with Microsoft", and (2) Mac (Mr. Long) isn't even in the ad, which further reinforces the idea that the ad is only airing as a hurt, spiteful jab against Microsoft's own attack. They'll have to either address it (or ignore it and keep on going) with Mac in the picture, or try a new, different series of ads altogether (which at this point, with this timing, unfortunately, would still come across as being reactionary IMO).

It's also complete nonsense. It amounts to "I exist" or perhaps "Don't bug me, I'm meditating."

But then that's what's wrong with this whole ad IMO. I keep watching it hoping to see something else but all I end up with is "I'm a PC and I'm kinda stupid."

The whole ad is based on a mistaken premise (that the ""I'm a Mac" ads were about people when they were about machines), and the fact that it's repeated over and over by all these dummies just makes them all look, well ... dumb. No oceanographer, would say "I'm a PC," but a lot of hillbillies that just don't get the original ads might.

Even if you let that part go and parse it as "I use a PC," all the ad is saying is "lots of regular people use PC's." So what? Why are they using them as opposed to Macs? That would be more relevant. If you take it a bit further and look at the people they are using, it's scientists, computer geeks, a few random no name "regular folks" and some B-list celebrities (except Deepak, I don't think he is even considered a celebrity anymore). It's not as if Apple can't turn around and say the exact same thing if they wanted to (with the exception that all the A-list celebrities use Macs).

Finally, even if the ads turn out to be popular, all Apple has to do is stop the Mac vs. PC ads (already a few years old and kinda stale IMO), and the whole basis for this ad evaporates.