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

12357

Comments

  • Reply 81 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ladowski View Post


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



    The old adage about "no such thing as bad publicity" simply isn't true. If the ads have everyone talking about how shit they are, they're not doing any good.



    Tell me this: Does watching this "I'm a PC" ad make you want to re-evaluate your decision to use a Mac? Because all it tells me is that a bunch of people use PCs/Windows. I already know this, 90+% of the world use Windows, showing me a bunch of people that use it is not that surprising to me. This type of tactic would only work for someone like Apple in my opinion where people might actually be surprised by the types of people who use Macs.
  • Reply 82 of 140
    great strap line



    "I'm A PC and I sell fish!"



    don't fish stink?











    ----



    I'm a bit of a fan of "Are you Being Served?" and these is an episode where young mister grace (the boss) on hearing that the department is not doing well, tells Rumbold that young mister grace used to have a saying when he sold fish... "when the fish go rotten, it goes rotten at the head... so ... cut the head off!" he then asks "so, who is the head of the department?"



    Rumbold (a bald middle management type with ZERO vision, but plenty of flap and bluster) then says "well, I run the department sir"



    sort of all fits really.
  • Reply 83 of 140
    Well what a turnaround. The Apple ads where refering to PC's not PC users. "You can't run properly and you can't hide properly!"
  • Reply 84 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    But you did.

    (And so pretty much negated your whole argument. )



    I wasn't arguing: what are you doing out of school, boy? What I said either strikes you as a good direction or not. You decide for yourself. Go ahead, let your brain have a satisfying little hate jab. Have a bottle and some ice cream. All better now?



    BTW, I think the new Microsoft ads are fabulous. BTW, I bought a new iMac 24, 4Gb, Nvidia 8800 box 2 months ago, rackmounted it in a dj table and use it to mix video in live performance. I really, really like what Macs can do for me.
  • Reply 85 of 140
    Microsoft gained it's monopoly not by making better products, but by people needing thier software. It's a brilliant business strategy, but the public loses because we get inferior products. Apple and Linux go by the business strategy of building a better mouse-trap, so they more innovative and their ads reflect that. Gates knows how he gained so much of the market share and now he's trying soooo hard to show that people choose to use MS. No amount of clever campaining can change what MS is.
  • Reply 86 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    That ad is much better IMO.



    Actually its quite good. While people will say its stupid to respond to Apple in their ads they really don't have much choice IMO. Apple is ascending in popularity and influence in the tech industry while MS seems stagnant. They should recognize this and confront it.



    I agree, I think this latest "I'm a PC" ad is a lot better and is what they should of come out with in the first place. That being said, simply having a bunch of people say "I'm a PC" does nothing for Microsoft. They need to justify why a PC, or more to the point Windows, is a better product. I think the problem is Microsoft just has too much money to care, too many business manager robots, and no creative types to come up with a good message.



    Not that that is a bad thing for Mac or Linux users...
  • Reply 87 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sigs21 View Post


    I think most people will associate PC with any computer.. could be a Mac, DELL, HP they are All a Personal Computer..



    I love my MAC and I wear Glasses...



    Nah people in general don't think that deeply so i have to disagree

    I think the average Joe associates the word PC with Windows and Mac with Apple.
  • Reply 88 of 140
    PC comes in from left holding a couple small windows in front of him

    Mac: Hey PC! What's with the windows?

    PC: I have become enlightened and realized I don't need walls!

    PC straining to keep the windows held up right

    Mac: Aren't you arms getting a little tired?

    PC(straining): Can't... Drop... Windows

    PC grunts and drops windows

    Mac: Hmm, looks like your windows crashed...



  • Reply 89 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bigmc6000 View Post


    PC comes in from left holding a couple small windows in front of him

    Mac: Hey PC! What's with the windows?

    PC: I have become enlightened and realized I don't need walls!

    PC straining to keep the windows held up right

    Mac: Aren't you arms getting a little tired?

    PC(straining): Can't... Drop... Windows

    PC grunts and drops windows

    Mac: Hmm, looks like your windows crashed...







    Sounds...PANEful!!
  • Reply 90 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2 View Post


    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).



    Ok, this crosses the line for me.



    That is fine to lampoon M$ and their ads, yet attacking Gates is going too far. I'm no M$ fanboy, yet here is what Bill & Melinda Gates ARE doing in the world: $16.75 Billion committed in funds around the world: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grant...?showYear=2008



    1.77B or 11% to Global Development

    5.35B or 32% to USA

    9.61B or 57% to Global Health



    Here are their principles for the organization: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/About...ingPrinciples/



    He quit M$ to help run the foundation. NOT all rich people are doing this - a quick Google search reveals that Steve Jobs shows up no where on public charitable contributions (this does not mean he doesn't give - his name doesn't show up on lists of donors).



    Look, beat up the ads, that's OK. Gates Foundation IS DOING something with their money. I can't find the reference yet I believe they have stated that all the money will be granted at or before their death.



    Jimmy Carter does do great work AND so does Gates. Comparing one as better than the other misses the whole point - giving back is simply giving back no matter what form it takes.
  • Reply 91 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by djpadz View Post


    ...because we all know that Microsoft has no history of doing anything like that...



    (sorry, I couldn't resist.)



    Because you've forgotten the whole "mobileme" debacle?



  • Reply 92 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ByronVanArsdale View Post


    Ok, this crosses the line for me.



    That is fine to lampoon M$ and their ads, yet attacking Gates is going too far. I'm no M$ fanboy, yet here is what Bill & Melinda Gates ARE doing in the world: $16.75 Billion committed in funds around the world: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grant...?showYear=2008



    1.77B or 11% to Global Development

    5.35B or 32% to USA

    9.61B or 57% to Global Health



    Here are their principles for the organization: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/About...ingPrinciples/



    He quit M$ to help run the foundation. NOT all rich people are doing this - a quick Google search reveals that Steve Jobs shows up no where on pubic charitable contributions (this does not mean he doesn't give - his name doesn't show up on lists of donors).



    Look, beat up the ads, that's OK. Gates Foundation IS DOING something with their money. I can't find the reference yet I believe they have stated that all the money will be granted at or before their death.



    Jimmy Carter does do great work AND so does Gates. Comparing one as better than the other misses the whole point - giving back is simply giving back no matter what form it takes.



    Don't argue with this jacka**. Steve Jobs could take a dump on his pillow, and he'd think it was a mint.
  • Reply 93 of 140
    Back on the ads, Apple is successful because they have identified the pain many Windows users have faced and they lampoon the image long branded to the PC. This bridges a connection with the audience - you understand my pain.



    The new "I'm a PC" ads by M$ don't make a connection for all the reasons previously given by the smart posts before this one.



    The shift to Intel by Apple appears smarter and smarter - I recall hearing a Genius Bar associate say that Windows runs better on Apple than it does on the PC. Won't that be in an interesting avenue to explore as Apple goes forward.



    Oh, so bummed I didn't buy AAPL two days ago.....
  • Reply 94 of 140
    Im a PC and I have a beard. Love it.



    Not sure if its good or crap, starting to think they shouldn't really bother with adverts. Apples share of the market may be growing and Firefox may be taking the browser market from IE, but then its not like they really make any money from the browser market and Apple's never going to take over windows. If there was a chance then Microsoft would just stop making Office for the mac and their growth would be slowed.



    Plus I recall reading a lot of articles mentioning iPOD sales helping Mac sales and the same for the iPhone. Problem Apple has though is at some point people will get board of a click wheel and the iPOD will be out of fashion. As for the iPhone they've based the device around a fixed size screen with lots of apps made for that screen. People get board of products and just want something new but what can apple deliver with these fixed things in place.
  • Reply 95 of 140
    "The ads Apple does are good for pointing out why Mac is better than PC, but the ads won't get people in the stores after one viewing."



    huh??



    actually this is the reason why Apple Stores are doing so great.







  • Reply 96 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ByronVanArsdale View Post


    Ok, this crosses the line for me.



    That is fine to lampoon M$ and their ads, yet attacking Gates is going too far. I'm no M$ fanboy, yet here is what Bill & Melinda Gates ARE doing in the world: $16.75 Billion committed in funds around the world: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grant...?showYear=2008



    1.77B or 11% to Global Development

    5.35B or 32% to USA

    9.61B or 57% to Global Health



    Here are their principles for the organization: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/About...ingPrinciples/



    He quit M$ to help run the foundation. NOT all rich people are doing this - a quick Google search reveals that Steve Jobs shows up no where on pubic charitable contributions (this does not mean he doesn't give - his name doesn't show up on lists of donors).



    Look, beat up the ads, that's OK. Gates Foundation IS DOING something with their money. I can't find the reference yet I believe they have stated that all the money will be granted at or before their death.



    Jimmy Carter does do great work AND so does Gates. Comparing one as better than the other misses the whole point - giving back is simply giving back no matter what form it takes.



    I agree with you. The Gates Foundation will turn Bill Gates into one of the great philanthropic charity givers of our century, much like the robber baron-cum-philanthropist John D. Rockefeller. As an author said about Rockefeller, "...his good side was every bit as good as his bad side was bad."
  • Reply 97 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ByronVanArsdale View Post


    Ok, this crosses the line for me.



    That is fine to lampoon M$ and their ads, yet attacking Gates is going too far. I'm no M$ fanboy, yet here is what Bill & Melinda Gates ARE doing in the world: $16.75 Billion committed in funds around the world: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grant...?showYear=2008



    1.77B or 11% to Global Development

    5.35B or 32% to USA

    9.61B or 57% to Global Health



    Here are their principles for the organization: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/About...ingPrinciples/



    He quit M$ to help run the foundation. NOT all rich people are doing this - a quick Google search reveals that Steve Jobs shows up no where on pubic charitable contributions (this does not mean he doesn't give - his name doesn't show up on lists of donors).



    Look, beat up the ads, that's OK. Gates Foundation IS DOING something with their money. I can't find the reference yet I believe they have stated that all the money will be granted at or before their death.



    Jimmy Carter does do great work AND so does Gates. Comparing one as better than the other misses the whole point - giving back is simply giving back no matter what form it takes.



    I think a lot of people will look at this as the end justifying the means. Should we not look at past transgressions and the people and companying that were destroyed by MS' anti-competitive tactics, or should we sweep all that under the rug and say, "Well, I guess it's okay since he's doing the world now."? Is this some sort of perverted Robin Hood who is rich and powerful but steals from the unfortunate just to give back years later to the even more unfortunate?
  • Reply 98 of 140
    I drove a VW i was and am a VW guy.

    I own a Mac and I am mac guy.



    I buy and use what works, and is cost effective.



    I dont think all PC users look like Hodgman. I do think PC users have problems with Vista.



    It would be a more effective ad if they all were smiling.
  • Reply 99 of 140
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cowhide View Post


    It would be a more effective ad if they all were smiling.



    But it wouldn't reflect the user's experience.
  • Reply 100 of 140
    I've said it before and I'll say it again, oh boy, this is going to be one of a long and funny crash to oblivion to watch.

    MS don't even need to try to be funny in their ads. Their complete fail at anything they try just shows how desperate is their cause and how doubtless is their fall.



    Not to say that there isn't a winner in the commercial industry. Right, Crispin Porter + Bogusky ?
Sign In or Register to comment.