Microsoft's First Seinfeld Ad Airs: Shoe Circus

[Ploki]

LankyNibbs: your good reply.

If you are an apple fanboy, you cant get it.
its a pre-advertisement. its with jerry seinfeld, its meant to GET PEOPLES ATENTION. and it has (16+ pages), and those people are gonna now there is something at microsoft going on, and the next advertisement will tell us what.

thats it. it has served its purpose.

 

[Markleshark]

I don't know what to say. What actually was the point of that?

 

[tfredvik]

Approximately 400 comments in 4 hours: I'd say this is a very effective add indeed! It got our attention, didn't it? Ok, so I didn't get it at all, but it was weird and special and very far from being a copy of Apple's campaign. And Microbill wasn't that bad either.

 

[Vanilla]

On its own the ad is meaningless, but as part of a series I think it's quite clever. The Seinfeld/Gates interaction is the main theme, humanising Gates in particular and generating a general sense of coolness around the Microsoft brand, subtly connected by the last few seconds logo displays and reversion to corporate fonts. By talking to colleagues about the funny/quirky ad you're quietly reinforcing in your mind a positive connection to the brand and subtly re-positioning your views on Gates himself, which as he is so closely associated with Microsoft (like Jobs) further reinforces that positivity.
Just my opinion only of course.
Vanilla

 

[jbob]

I wouldn't let my kids watch this add

I teach my kids to look each way when they cross the road !

 

[nick9191]

That is the worst advert ever

The only funny bit was the picture on Bills card, which is the same photo of him when he was arrested.

 

[i0Nic]

As a marketing guy I can see what they're trying to achieve, they're just trying to bring some likeability into the brand. Microsoft is seen as some mega corporation, and people are generally not fond of the brand nor it's products. Windows and Office are products they have to use, they don't especially enjoy it. These ads are designed to put a face to the brand, to humanize it using discourse and signs that are familiar to the every-man. Kind of like the Cadbury 'Gorilla' ad, they're not trying to sell a product, they're trying to sell a feeling. A feeling of comfort in familiairity, a warmth to the company. This is in contrast to what Apple are doing with their get a mac ads, which are seen as funny but a bit heavy handed and brash, luckily for Apple John Hodgeman was a good choice.

This ad is setting up the two characters, setting up their relationship. It will be interesting to see the rest of the ads in the series and look at them in context verse the Apple ads.

Personally I think this ad on it's own can't be judged as good or bad. It works as setting up the relationship between these two, and that's all this single ad is trying to achieve. I question the use of Seinfeld, although he's a likeable guy associated with a likeable and well-known product (Seinfeld), most people would be reminded of the mid 90's when they see him now. I question it because I'm sure MS want people to think of the company as progressive rather than sedantary.. BUT it makes great sense using Seinfeld for capturing 'comfort in familiarity' and a sense of likeability.

 

[Ploki]

Approximately 400 comments in 4 hours: I'd say this is a very effective add indeed! It got our attention, didn't it? Ok, so I didn't get it at all, but it was weird and special and very far from being a copy of Apple's campaign. And Microbill wasn't that bad either.

waw, one out of ten that makes sense.

****, you guys, the rods in your asses must have rods up their asses.

FOR EVERYBODY WHO DOESNT GET IT:
first) its a preadvertisement, to GET YOUR ATENTION (and it did. 17 pages and counting)
- it has jerry seinfeld, so you would REMEMBER IT. and you will, i guarantee you that
second) Its not aimed at loyal mac users.
third) you should stop being so zipped up... from time to time companies other than mac make something good too. its good. its called COMPETITION. it will make apple try harder.

 

[aristan]

LankyNibbs: your good reply.

If you are an apple fanboy, you cant get it.
its a pre-advertisement. its with jerry seinfeld, its meant to GET PEOPLES ATENTION. and it has (16+ pages), and those people are gonna now there is something at microsoft going on, and the next advertisement will tell us what.

thats it. it has served its purpose.

So, what you're telling me is that it's an advertisement for an advertisement. It's a teaser trailer for an Ad? It's getting me excited to watch an 30 second spot that will get me excited about a product... but in no way shape or form does it tell me what product I should at some point eventually get excited about.

If you have to advertise the fact you're advertising, you may be doing it wrong.

And saying that it's obviously working because there's 17 pages of trashtalk about Microsoft on MacRumors is about as logical as saying that Microsoft's ad worked because the sun will once again rise in the east tomorrow morning and water will continue to freeze at roughly 32 degrees fahrenheit. It's not an indication of effectiveness, that's just the way the friggin' world works.

 

[Veri]

Bill/Steve actually made some fun ads...

And this one is probably my favourite. Rinse and repeat with a Mac, but instead of the childish "it stinks", find some amusing why-a-Mac's-bad excuse to throw the computer back out - perhaps have them looking back and finding it's wearing a black turtleneck or something, turning back to look at each other to find they are also.

If the goal of this current ad was to be so confusing that it gets Mac people talking about it, well, uh, it worked... but so what? Now we just have the ads on both sides reflecting the belief that Macs are simple whereas MS software is confusing and always needs just one more time to get it right.

The Napoleon Dynamite one is also cute for humanising, and the follow-on (to above) freedom to fail is imho a great dig at using anti-trust law to put down Microsoft instead of competing on merit.

(of course, Apple could just counter with Gates' own words at any stage ;-) )

 

[opeter]

Approximately 400 comments in 4 hours: I'd say this is a very effective add indeed! It got our attention, didn't it? Ok, so I didn't get it at all, but it was weird and special and very far from being a copy of Apple's campaign. And Microbill wasn't that bad either.

Fully agreed. This Topic will have in a week about 1500 responses. You will see. The PR people did a good job.

And about the ad: i do like it.

 

[domain]

If this is an ad for Vista (I guess?) it seems to match the product perfectly:

1.) Doesn't know what it wants to accomplish.
2.) Wasn't very well thought out.
3.) Only leaves us hoping future version will be better.

 

[DMann]

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,

Excellent points! Some more to consider:

1) who doesn't love jerry

"How could anyone not like him?" - Jerry's mom

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.

The mystique has been broken.................

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

However, some of us do remember Steve Ballmer's famous Windows 1.0 commercial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGvHNNOLnCk This probably steered SJ away from ever considering this venue.

4) hes not wearing a turtleneck in august

Perhaps SJ actually needs one to stay warm these days.

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

Surprisingly, he interacted pretty well with Jerry; headnods, eyegazes, and all.

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.

Good point, but would he actually implement them once humbly accepted?

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,

Yes, directing attention to the ambiguous future will surely distract everyone from the painful present.

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,

As Seinfeld episodes have spurred sales for businesses such as Kenny Rogers Chicken, albeit for a limited time.

FURTHERMORE- bills membership card picture was hillllariously on spot.
thanks

The source:

 

[michaellinehan]

So very, very bad

It doesn't advertise anything specific. It doesn't make them look cool. I can't imagine that it will make anyone think, "Wow - Microsoft is sooo the far-out leader for the future."

And the acting was so insipid -- the lines just pathetic. Who the heck wrote it? Bill? !!!!!!

So poor. Love it!

 

[Ploki]

And saying that it's obviously working because there's 17 pages of trashtalk about Microsoft on MacRumors is about as logical as saying that Microsoft's ad worked because the sun will once again rise in the east tomorrow morning and water will continue to freeze at roughly 32 degrees fahrenheit. It's not an indication of effectiveness, that's just the way the friggin' world works.

you will remember it, thats a FACT; and so will 1000000s of others who wont be so negatively leaned towards it because they are NOT mac users.
try to see it from a NONmacs point of view.
a guy:"Did you see that new commercial with SEINFELD?"
2ndguy:"yeah, SEINFELD is funny. i wonder what is it about"

If this is an ad for Vista (I guess?) it seems to match the product perfectly

No, its not an ad for Vista. Vista is dead, and i think MS knows that.

 

[aristan]

If this is an ad for Vista (I guess?) it seems to match the product perfectly:

1.) Doesn't know what it wants to accomplish.
2.) Wasn't very well thought out.
3.) Only leaves us hoping future version will be better.

Just wait til Service Pack 1 comes out for this commercial, it'll add some backstory and also be more stable. Sadly, Windows Commercial SP1 will not be compatible with some hardware... we're not sure which. So um... download it and let us know if it works.

 

[fredsarran]

What the f....k !!! If this ad is to convince people to stay, buy Microsoft stuff, then they got it all wrong. As well, why do they use the old generation ? I did not really get it, as well the acting is poor.

Long live Apple

 

[LankyNibbs]

Okay, some "get" what MS is trying to do, and some don't - but so what.

I think part of the reason for the high post-count is this:

There is excitement we all feel because, for the first time in a long time....


IT IS ON! (I'm reminded of the South Park dance episode, )


Right, though? Apple has finally become so successful that they've triggered an immune response from the omnipotent and untouchable microsoft.

MS is throwing suitcases full of money at anyone who will take it, just to try to check the continuing surge of the underdog company that refuses to make garbage, and refuses to die. I think these ads may be pretty funny, and will possibly bend to the insidious at some point. They hired some reasonably talented guys, plain and simple.

Bring it, William.

(for those playing along at home, feel free to insert your own cliche here)

 

[aristan]

you will remember it, thats a FACT; and so will 1000000s of others who wont be so negatively leaned towards it because they are NOT mac users.
try to see it from a NONmacs point of view.
a guy:"Did you see that new commercial with SEINFELD?"
2ndguy:"yeah, SEINFELD is funny. i wonder what is it about"

No, I've already had this discussion, but it went like this:

[A] Hey, did you see that weird commercial with Seinfeld?
Yeah, I remember when he was funny. I wonder what the hell that was supposed to be about.

 

[Nordichund]

Okay "WTF" I'll tell you, the idea is to get people talking about Vista. One way or another.

IT WORKED!!! This add will get more discussion on MBs and the media than most others, ie FREE PUBLICITY.

Personally I don't think Bill came across very well, neither did Vista, but them I'm a Mac, but people are still talking.

The add certainly wasn't funny. It will be interesting to see what the follow up adds come up with.

 

[ma2ha3]

sir alan sugar will say

SAS will say that this advert is arty farty and you dun know what they are selling, after he seen it.

 

[fewgraphik]

revamping revamping ?

is this not a word when a boat starting to sink ?

 

[Yixian]

I know I'm probably at risk of bias but.. that really was terrible, it neither convinced me to buy anything M$ makes nor did it particularly conjure any sexy new Microsoft image. In fact it just made me cringe, both at Seinfeld's faux enthusiasm, bad script and Gate's awkward, monosyllabic "acting".

 

[DMann]

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.

Actually, the WTF responses seem to prove that this ad was provocatively baffling enough to be really effective - which was surely the underlying intent.

 

[donga]

this ad makes no sense. i don't think potential ms customers like not understanding commericials