Seinfeld, Gates 'connect' with regular folks in new Microsoft ad

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  • Reply 21 of 146
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    I can't help but wonder who their target audience is? I would think they'd want to target the teens and twenty-somethings. The future generations of computer buyers. I've only seen the first commercial (and can't view the 2nd one online from my current location), but it completely misses that demographic. Seinfeld is old news. It's barely in reruns anymore (at least on the channels I normally surf). If you are under 30 you didn't grow up watching Seinfeld. They just looked like a couple of old geezers in the first ad. Sure, it was cute at all; and maybe the series of ads will eventually lead to something more relevant. But I'm having a hard time seeing it.
  • Reply 22 of 146
    While this does nothing to convince me Vista doesn't suck, it is very, very funny. I think Bill's been taking some acting classes.
  • Reply 23 of 146
    I think Gates and Seinfeld should have a sitcom together rather then making ads.



    The adventures of Gates, former richest man and Seinfeld, former comedian. Two thumbs up
  • Reply 24 of 146
    These are not supposed to be funny.

    On that, they are as expected.



    They are trying to be folksy and cute.

    On that, they are as expected.



    What they are not, is enjoyable.

    At least to the extent anyone will watch them twice.

    I can't imagine anyone that would notice this commercial as it starts, and say to everyone in the room... "Shhh, watch this..... you gotta see this."

    Something other memorable commercials like Apples, or others in a long line of "where's the beef" or "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" or "Less filling:Tastes Great" ads.

    In fact, I suspect in five years schools that teach advertising that already review those campaigns will list this one under the category of either "failed" or "campaigns run for public interest and not to sell a product".



    This is failing on so many levels to do what is intended(respond to Apple) that it boggles the mind.

    If they keep running "Run only once" ads, most of the people they target will see a small percentage of the ads and not even be able to piece together the story.



    If Microsoft wants to make any headway by hiring a bunch of "Gurus" to fix the problems both perceived and real with Vista...... they going to have to hire more than a couple for each state in the united states. They're going to have to hire one for each customer they have.



    Apple has another name for their Guru's. They call them happy customers.
  • Reply 25 of 146
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mr O View Post


    ? well said paxman! It is not about the product, but about perception! These ads are so subtle that they will eventually undermine Apple's bragging Mac man vs PC man campaign.



    Remember Apple's "think different" campaign in the mid nineties?! It was right before the iMac and iPod era.



    Hmmm, I am not too sure I agree with you but I am more than willing to see how the ads progress.

    :-)



    We, here, need to remember that, for the most part, we are NOT TYPICAL pc users.!!!!!!!!!



    Like the people in the film, the typical user gets their news thru TV and the infomercial type news. And that is where they heard that VISTA sucks. So, I think that the agency is trying to reach those same people (who buy millions and millions of HP and other PCs) the same way.



    Maybe, "Bill Gates is a smart guy that is making a good product for you. Trust him, he is good, like you. "



    BIg ad agencys usually do their home work. But keep in mind that the customer is MS and we are not sure what kind of message MS is trying to send.





    Cute commercials so far. Weird but cute.



    Just a thought.

    en
  • Reply 26 of 146
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wally View Post


    Right. So people bought the iPod because of.... perception?



    It's one thing to come out with a campaign to increase or improve people's perception, but if the product doesn't back it up - what's the point? Why this campaign seems so ridiculous is because Microsoft said that they need to counter Apple's marketing campaign. What has helped make Apple's campaign successful is that the products live up to the commercials.



    Apple's ads have contrasted the ways Mac's work to the PC. Now that a lot of people have access to a Mac store (or equivalent), they can go and check them out for themselves. Microsoft has achieved it's customer base by being the default system on most computers available on the shelf. It's rare that someone walks into a Circuit City or Wal-Mart and asks for a computer with Windows. Mac users on the other hand are users by choice which involves jumping a few hurdles at times, but people do it because they trust the product. Microsoft is attributing Apple's success to "good marketing" and so are trying to counter with good marketing on there own. I don't see that it's "good" yet, but in order for Microsoft to successfully change people's minds about their products, they will need to improve them tremendously.



    Absolutely.



    Microsoft did not gain dominance by releasing good products that people wanted. Gates was in the right place at the right time, tricked a developer into selling him an operating system for next to nothing, which Microsoft essentially rebranded, while he had a contract with IBM in his back pocket. IBM was THE dominant tech company at the time. What IBM sold was what corporate America bought. People used it at work because they had to.



    The rest, as they say is history.



    No one likes Microsoft. Everyone hates Vista. So, these ads are supposed to make people feel good about a corporate culture of bullying, deceit and downright thievery? AND they sell shitty products?



    Love your monopolist? HUH?



    Bill Gates needs to get out more often.
  • Reply 27 of 146
    I think they're sort of interesting as television. As advertising, atrocious, a huge waste of money, but it's kind of interesting television. Sort of an avante-garde "Married with Children."



    I keep wondering... is this really just Microsoft's retirement gift to Bill Gates? "Hey, Bill, we know your secret fantasy was to star in a tv show with Jerry Seinfeld... well, thanks for the memories!"
  • Reply 28 of 146
    How is this Apple/Mac releated news?
  • Reply 29 of 146
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPilya View Post


    I keep on reading people question on where the "vista" tie-in is on these ads. Well... the fact is... and I think its rather obvious from a marketing stand point that these ads are not about a product per se... but rather about a shift in the image perception of Microsoft itself.



    well... the fact is that these ads are really badly made.

    bad acting, badly edited as if it is streaming with glitches, and really not funny at all.

    the deliverance of the 'jokes' is really awkward and the script and timing is miles away from what made the jerry seinfeld show a good show.



    if this is to indicate an image perception of microsoft, the image I am getting is of a product that just doesn't work well. that runs awkwardly with glitches and misses the point.

    and I'm not anti vista, because I am about to install it on a dual boot to check out the panorama photo feature and the dvd creating things that I saw in their promo videos (which incidentally are well made, so they CAN do it).



    in contrast the upgrade from iWorks is more like a downgrade.

    iMovie is completely unworkable. and iPhoto should take a look at Lightroom.

    seriously, if this is the package that should show people how easy a mac is, they are going to drive them away..
  • Reply 30 of 146
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wally View Post


    I had this nagging "get to the point" feeling throughout. Plus, the whole Jerry Seinfeld treating Bill Gates like the Steven Hawking kind of super-genius seems a bit over-the-top, kind of like Bill paid $300m to tell everyone how smart he is (I know that's not the actual case, but that's the way it comes off to me).




    Actually, I think you're right. Contrary to the postings earlier, ads are not "products", they're messages. The only coherent messages these ads have delivered are (1) Bill Gates is an uber-genius and (2) M$ will deliver great things, sometime in the future.



    This is pathetic. This is evidence, if not full proof, that the emperor has no clothes. My recollection is that Gates has always tried to wow us with what he's going to deliver next year. That speaks volumes about what he's delivering today. We know it's no good; he knows it's no good, so he tells us all we have to do is wait until tomorrow.



    And playing up the fact that he considers himself a genius? Please! Again, this is pathetic. Consumers are not interested in what Gates scored on his SATs, we want quality products today.



    This campaign is part of Microsoft's death throes. I predict Apples market capitalization will surpass Microsoft's by the end of 2009. Other opinions on this?
  • Reply 31 of 146
    citycity Posts: 522member
    Please stop the carousel so I can get off. American brains have turned to TV mush. Other then chemicals, there's no substance anywhere. And now we have McCain/Palin OMG
  • Reply 32 of 146
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wbrasington View Post


    Apple has another name for their Guru's. They call them happy customers.



  • Reply 33 of 146
    Quote:

    Just as any smart, educated person would in the absence of any other driving factors pick a Mac over a PC, and Obama over McCain.



    I have to say that you insinuating that all people who vote for McCain are stupid is rather offensive. To assume all McCain voters are uneducated, backwater hicks is a very arrogant, and may I say, stupid thing to say. While I prefer Macs over PCs, I think it's very arrogant to say that only dumb, uneducated people buy PCs, just as it is very arrogant and narrow-minded to accuse all McCain voters of being the same. There are plenty of Obama supporters I could say the same thing about, but does that make every Obama supporter dumb and uneducated? No. Keep your ignorant, self-serving views to yourself, as you obviously are one of the dumber, more uneducated Obama supporters around if those really are your true views.
  • Reply 34 of 146
    Maybe its that this is my kind of comedy but I have to say I think these ads are brilliant. It's in the news that Vista sucks, Apple's running ads saying its products better than Microsoft's and in return Microsoft run an ad that's funny but also says nothing about a product. It just makes Apple look like its having to advertise against Microsoft to sell anything and be really petty about things while Microsoft on the other hand are just going, people know are products good and use it, lets have some fun.



    In the long run I can see this ruining the Mac vs PC ad because after a while people won't think of PC as a geek. Bill is basically making fun of himself by placing himself in an ad in a really stereotypical roll of someone with a lot of money and who's also a geek by reading a programming book to a kid. But we know it's not true from all the charity work he does, and the robot bit at the end demonstrates he has a sense of humor destroying the stereotypical view of PC.



    Plus if you compare the websites Microsoft's is colorful while Apples is white and grey, who looks more fun from that?
  • Reply 35 of 146
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wally View Post


    Right. So people bought the iPod because of.... perception?



    Some did, yes. Remember not to group--people do things for a wide variety of reasons. I got an iPod because I use and support Apple products for a living, so it makes sense for me to own the products I'll be asked about in my profession. Others buy them because they're cute. Others because everyone else is. Perception absolutely counts. Just ask the GOP--McCain is surging in the polls because of the perception that he is a "maverick" and that his VP is a "bulldog", even though both of those are self-assigned monikers that do not stand up to logical scrutiny. Perception is top priority to a (disturbingly high) percentage of the populace, and the marketer/candidate who ignores that is in for a hard time.
  • Reply 36 of 146
    citycity Posts: 522member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Magic_Al View Post


    Are these "regular folks" who use Windows instead of Mac the same people who choose Leno over Letterman, and McCain over Obama? When did mundane become better than elite?



    Is Kimmel okay?
  • Reply 37 of 146
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by timgriff84 View Post


    Maybe its that this is my kind of comedy but I have to say I think these ads are brilliant. It's in the news that Vista sucks, Apple's running ads saying its products better than Microsoft's and in return Microsoft run an ad that's funny but also says nothing about a product.



    Brillant?

    Ouch for you.....



    You may not have noticed, but Apple doesn't advertise against MicroSoft.

    They advertise against PC which is INDIRECTLY a stab at Microsoft.



    The early ads pointed out some of the PC manufacture problems like loading up all that free trial stuff and bloating your machine. That was not MS, that was Dell, eMachine, Gateway and all the rest.



    While some target MS, not all of the ads do.

    MS can't fix the competitive problem Apple is giving them until they work with the hardware makers to change the total package. (even Balmer said so)



    The problem with THAT, how do you get Dell and HP to both come up with essentially the same MicroSoft experience with their hardware in effect, making users see no difference?



    Can't.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by timgriff84 View Post


    It just makes Apple look like its having to advertise against Microsoft to sell anything and be really petty about things while Microsoft on the other hand are just going, people know are products good and use it, lets have some fun.



    Nobody under the age of 45 is going to see anything remotely FUN in this stuff as a result of these silly ads.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by timgriff84 View Post


    In the long run I can see this ruining the Mac vs PC ad because after a while people won't think of PC as a geek.



    You are so wrong on this, I actually expect to see PC guy do a parody of the Gates and Seinfeld show. Going to be hilarious to watch PC guy hold an 800 dollar shoe in his hands and flex it back and forth as he talks. If Apple does that fast enough, the remaining Gates spots that are in the can but not shown that may have him doing that again..... are going to be a RIOT!





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by timgriff84 View Post


    Plus if you compare the websites Microsoft's is colorful while Apples is white and grey, who looks more fun from that?



    I have NO IDEA why you would promote the MicroSoft website.

    That's silly, nobody goes anywhere near it when buying a PC....
  • Reply 38 of 146
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    The Ads also seem to be about nothing. Unless they get more focussed later on, I just can't see what good they will do.



    I really enjoyed this last one. I look forward to the next one.



    MS is seen as IBM-like company that big, stuffy and corporate focused. I'd say these ads aren't meant to sell Vista, they are meant to fix MS image in the eyes of the consumer. Gates might now be in charge of MS like he was, but he's still their poster child.
  • Reply 39 of 146
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPilya View Post


    I keep on reading people question on where the "vista" tie-in is on these ads. Well... the fact is... and I think its rather obvious from a marketing stand point that these ads are not about a product per se... but rather about a shift in the image perception of Microsoft itself.



    From all that was talked about before the first was released, I too expected a more 'vista' focused assault....



    All in all I am not so sure this campaign will succeed because I believe that the Microsoft image is so set that its going to take a much more global effort that includes product re-focusing and long term product successes to win the battle.



    I agree...the TV-ad Microsoft perception will come crashing down as soon as you sit in front of a PC unless they fix the product. "A turd by any other name is still a turd..."
  • Reply 40 of 146
    foo2foo2 Posts: 1,077member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by delreyjones View Post


    The only coherent messages these ads have delivered are [...] M$ will deliver great things, sometime in the future.



    In an apparent nod to reality, I believe Gates' precise description of when the great new stuff would be delivered is: "Never!"
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