Microsoft's First Seinfeld Ad Airs: Shoe Circus

[madrag]

Sad Ad™

What a waste.
It's not subtle, it's stupid. The PC consumers (and mac consumers as well) need a straightforward ad, not a sad piece of "shoe".

Also I was very sad to see Bill Gates doing that.

Seinfeld is a washed out comedian and in the ad he looks like "ok, I'm doing this and then I'm going to lunch".

 

[flir67]

Let me be the first to say it.

"WTF?"

let me also say!!

"WTF?"

now after viewing it for like 5 times I think I understand it. the purpose was that bill gates is king and will always will be king. then in the end he wiggles his butt as to " kiss my butt" I don't care and goes on with his business. such as apple do your thing and bill will do his, and he doesn't care

 

[chewbaccacabra]

I am a huge fan of Seinfeld since almost the beginning and own all the DVDs. It's Larry David, the writers and supporting cast that helped Jerry solidify the show into the American classic it is - until the final season anyway (and there are still great moments in it). Never found Jerry by himself so interesting, of course I am not a big fan of stand-up comedy either.

Like everyone else I am saying "WTF" watching this commercial. It's just painful to watch Jerry walk into the shoe store. Seems to take so long. Nothing new to add. Just share the same sentiments.

But I have one question. And if it's been answered, sorry. I looked through the thread and didn't see - Is there an edited version for broadcast? A 30 second spot? At 90 seconds nobody is going to sit still and watch Seinfeld awkwardly interact with Bill Gates.

 

[Pooshka]

No, what we have learned is that he won't make the transition to size 10. He's stuck in size 9 or size 9.5. The situation warrants making the leap to a new and different size, but rather than do that, he wants to hold on to his old shoe size, simply because all old shoes also happen to be a 9 or 9.x size. He's unsure if he'll be able to still wear his other shoes on occasion after he buys size 10's or if he'll be forced to discard them all and start over with size 10.

What we have learned that Bill Gates is afraid of change and can't deal with the fact that his feet may have changed from what they were 20 years ago.

I don't think Bill's real shoe size is 9-10. I read somewhere on the Internet it was 11. Could someone else confirm this please. I'm also looking for that article.

 

[dangleheart]

From a Reuters news story.

Microsoft said the commercial is part of a broader, long-term initiative to change consumers' perception of Windows, which will include setting up a retail corner at several hundred Best Buy (BBY.N) and Circuit City (CC.N) stores staffed by "Windows Gurus" to explain the benefits of Windows

 

[shaolindave]

revamping microsoft's image

so they say Jerry Seinfeld is suppose to help revamp microsoft's image.
well, they are both old unfunny jokes that no longer work.

 

[Schtumple]

I thought the ad was ok, I don't know if the general (ie moron) population will get the subtle undertones of it, but hey, not my money being spent

I did chuckle at the membership card bit though

 

[pomus]

Easy Cowboy... McCain is a mac guy. So is Obama. Decisions decisions...

Em, sorry to be off topic, but McCain doesn't know how to use computers. So he uses neither Macs nor PCs.

On topic, Microsoft sure knows how to waste money don't they. These ads remind me of the visa? Ads, except that instead of Superman, they used super Bill?

How lame

 

[Darkroom]

as a recovering apple fanboy, i'd like to say that this ad is ok... it's light, kinda dumb... in other words it's similar to apple ads...

 

[Shadow]

I thought it was funny (I laughed at Gates's picture on his card) but it doesn't really sell anything. I didn't even have chance to read the text at the end and I'm an exceptional reader.

 

[Ploki]

people, i know we all love apple and want to attempt to shoot down everything ms does as poorly directed planning blady blady bladah


but honestly, i think this commercial is ON POINT.

positives

1) who doesn't love jerry

2) several ppl get to now put a wrinkly pale face to that famous name bill has, due to the fact that millions of ppl worldwide know the name but have never seen him.

3) bill actually did his own commercial, do you see steve on get a mac commercials, i think not.

4) hes not wearing a turtleneck in august

5) Shows the idea of bills everday, average price, affordable kind of guy, very undertony, but played well in my eyes,

6) jerry showing him ideas, about the shoes, and re-directing him shows that microsoft was willing to take and humbly accept fellow consumers criticism, and listen, learn and adjust.

7) he is only pointing towards THE FUTURE, thus no vista refrences or features. he is saying there will be a epic movement back to the ms domination, in the near future, presumably with windows 7, which jerry implied with the edible pc's reference and the rump shake,

8) basically every issue that needed to be taken care of , was , and hillariously played out, as well as im sure the shoe store was all smiles to the idea, major publicity for them,




FURTHERMORE- bills membership card picture was hillllariously on spot.



thanks

good reply, you seem to know something about metaphors.
i dont know whats the aim of the ad though, your about the first one on forums that seen this (and i agree with you), but to be honest, most of people didnt see anything in that commercial.

it is not advertising the product, its pre-advertising, its getting people to ready them, so they will say "OH, THAT'S what that commercial WITH SEINFELD was all about"
i think its effective
its taking in account the human brain response latencies

 

[aristan]

Em, sorry to be off topic, but McCain doesn't know how to use computers. So he uses neither Macs nor PCs.

On topic, Microsoft sure knows how to waste money don't they. These ads remind me of the visa? Ads, except that instead of Superman, they used super Bill?

How lame

It was American Express, and yes... it's nearly the same ad. It's Jerry 'Everyman' Seinfeld interacting with a person who is untouchable (Superhero/Superrich(smart/whatever)) and trying their damnedest to not actually mention the product until the last possible moment in a overly long format.

(Oh, and I can't watch the Amex commercials because the guy who does the voice for Brock Sampson on Venture Bros and Joe Swanson on Family Guy does the voice... and then I think of Joe in his wheelchair and then I picture Superman in a wheelchair, and then I start thinking about Christopher Reeves and... well then I giggle a little and I feel bad. I'm a horrible person mostly.)

 

[AndyR]

That is the most random advert I've seen in a while.

But at least I now know to get my shoes at Shoe Circus!

BTW, who was the guy with Jerry and what does he do?

 

[magiic]

I lol'd when I saw it.

 

[nextfrom]

Sad

It's almost as bad as I expected. It probably isn't even possible to make Microsoft look cool.

It's also sad, because someone needs to step up the competition here. Apple now needs someone to give them a run for their money, or they will loose focus.

 

[Santa Rosa]

That ad brought to you by the cheedar cheese company...

Want an extra supersized double topping of cheese with that?

 

[econoline06]

It was American Express, and yes... it's nearly the same ad. It's Jerry 'Everyman' Seinfeld interacting with a person who is untouchable (Superhero/Superrich(smart/whatever)) and trying their damnedest to not actually mention the product until the last possible moment in a overly long format.

(Oh, and I can't watch the Amex commercials because the guy who does the voice for Brock Sampson on Venture Bros and Joe Swanson on Family Guy does the voice... and then I think of Joe in his wheelchair and then I picture Superman in a wheelchair, and then I start thinking about Christopher Reeves and... well then I giggle a little and I feel bad. I'm a horrible person mostly.)

The funny thing is the front men to both companies Apple and Msoft hardly know crap about the underlying plumbing that is their OS's

 

[i0Nic]

No, what we have learned is that he won't make the transition to size 10. He's stuck in size 9 or size 9.5. The situation warrants making the leap to a new and different size, but rather than do that, he wants to hold on to his old shoe size, simply because all his old shoes also happen to be a 9 or 9.x size. He's unsure if he'll be able to still wear his other shoes on occasion after he buys size 10's or if he'll be forced to discard them all and start over with size 10.

What we have learned that Bill Gates is afraid of change and can't deal with the fact that his feet may have changed from what they were 20 years ago.

That's hysterical! Good work.

 

[LankyNibbs]

After surpassing 200,000 members as of Feb 2008, and receiving over 3,000,000 hits per month, there seems to be a much larger audience here than 500..

Hey there, demi-god, no one's demeaning the site - I've been a reader for many years.

The response was directed at the "clever" observations of "the marketing is working, wink, wink". Any membership/unique page view stats you quote are fractionally tiny compared to the viewers of that football game. Sorry.

Ironically, those on these forums constitute a demographic which would actually be far more likely to relate to these commercials than most others ever would.

Yes, that is ironic/interesting, but the point was that the comment "aha, looks like the ad is working, MS has created this buzz on macrumors" isn't really accurate.

There may be some (or much) demographic crossover between their target and the general demo/psychographic make-up of your members/readers, but you can be sure MS was NOT targeting the first vitreolic 15 pages of "WTF???" posters. Guys like that are loyal to Apple, and wouldn't be swayed if Jeri Ryan popped out the TV and performed some "service" on them.

I thought the ad was kind of weak, and I also have fanatical loyalty to Apple, 'cuz they make better siht.

but I "get" what they're doing. There is no WTF.

So you know where I'm coming from, I've been using the hell out of everything Apple since my Duo 280c and my Quadra-frickin-650 in 1994, and I'm typing this on a MBAir.

 

[jennyp]

What does it mean?

 

[localoid]

Hilarity ensues in the next Microsoft ad as Moe (Gates), Larry (Seinfeld), and Curly (Ballmer) take up jobs as shoe salemen and crash a high-society party and a football game in an attempt to sell shoes. After their plan runs amok, our wacky threesome escape a firing squad with the help of three beautiful female "Windows gurus" from a nearby Best Buy store.

 

[sjw]

Surely one of the most pointless ads I have ever seen..

 

[LankyNibbs]

Well, my previous post sounded harsh. Just defending my point.

We now return you to the humorous comments!

 

[kockgunner]

I don't get it.

 

[camsoft]

I actually liked the ad.

I don't think the Ad is aimed at Mac users so don't worry. It not about selling a product it about company image. I thought the Ad was good and light hearted, I do believe this will be part of a series and will make more sense in the long run.

Can't imagine seeing Steve Jobs in an Apple commercial.