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I with those who agree that this ad was horrible. I didn't find any of it funny at all and it didn't really seem to relate to computers that much either. I don't know how a consumer who sees the ad on TV is supposed to know that it's advertising a Windows product. The only way I can see it being related to Windows is because of Bill Gates and obviously the Windows symbol at the end. It was just poorly done and wasn't funny IMO.
 
Did you ever consider that something isn't necessarily garbage, just because you don't like it? Personally, e.g. I don't like electronic music at all, but that doesn't mean it's all garbage for idiots stupid enough not to notice - it's just not my cup of tea.

More to the point: One can like "The Office" (as I do) and still dislike the ad. Just because you happen to hate both, doesn't mean they're one and the same. And it's not because the ad has Seinfeld (I happen to like him, too) or Bill Gates in it - it's because it's a poorly written attempt at comedy.

"The Office" has punchlines and structure, even though they're not as easily recognizable as in "classical" sitcoms and may not suit everyone's tastes. "Seinfeld" may have been billed as a sitcom about nothing, but it actually had very clever stories and gags.

This ad, as far as I can tell, has absolutely no punchline or point to it at all. It seems to be a feeble attempt to make Bill Gates look better, but doesn't add up to anything. And had it been Steve Jobs in there, it still would not make any more sense.

Bill has made several videos/parodies of himself which resemble this ad in nature: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HA4lSUhlbw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKbb1qY5ON8

This ad seems to fall in line with this style of documentation; "A day in the life of BG." It hardly seems a good idea to utilize this model to sell a product which is at all to be taken seriously.
 
Hmm, I still think it's weird that they chose Seinfeld for this.

Exactly. Why Seinfeld. He is so 90's and doesn't represent anything new and forward-thinking. Anyway, it's unbelievable to me that MS is so bad that they can't even produce a decent commercial.
 
Exactly. Why Seinfeld. He is so 90's and doesn't represent anything new and forward-thinking.


You just said it right there!!!

Thats why he represents Apple!

Thats why he is somewhat of a dolt in this commercial doing stupid things like taking a shower with his clothes on- to challenge Apple's "Think Different" BS!

And while Bill is trying to get his "work" done, Sienfeld is up in his face being an idiot.

As for the rest of the commercial:

Take a look at the name. Discount shoe store? "Quality Shoes at Discount Prices, Why Pay More?" hints to the fact that (MS thinks) that Win Boxes are of equal build quality as Apple Boxes for a lesser price (but we all know thats debatable :) ). Bill Gates is obviously in the store to illustrate Windows being in this mindset.

But thats pretty much where the logic stops :D

Great job MS. Now if you can only convey that to the rest of the world.
 
Microsoft not taking themselves so seriously will go a long way for them.

Good thing Ballmer didn't play Bill, else he would have thrown a chair through the window at that Hispanic family and yell "What the f@#k are you looking at!?"
 
Apart from Gates himself i'd say nothing

Bill: Jerry here's $10million we want you to bring your show's comic stylings to our ads.

Jerry: OK, Bill, let's do a series of "ads about nothing", that's my schtick, the people love it!

Moral: you get what you pay for.

Let's face it, Microsoft wants to personalize themselves to counter the Apple ads. Bill Gates is the personification of Microsoft. So turning him from the "world's richest geek" to "a pal of Seinfeld's" might be all they are trying to accomplish. I mean, they aren't REALLY going to try and sell VISTA now are they?
 
This ad is absoulutely horrible. The consumer market is going to see this and say "What. The. &*$%"
 
Ha, this Macrumors article has the most negative votes that I've ever seen... and well deserved.

But let's all remember: There is no such thing as "bad publicity." This pitiful attempt however, reinforces the fact that no matter how badly a corporate image has been tarnished, there is always room for more. Even if the entire global community were to talk about this ad, MS, and Vista, this would do little to coerce people into meddling with something which has been so vehemently condemned by so many computer users; PC, Mac, Linux, etc. If anything, it will convince those who are currently on the fence to abandon Windows altogether and consider other options. Public awareness of MS may grow considerably, as will public discretion to steer clear of products offered by them. Negative public awareness does not always equate to advertising success, especially with the absence of a product to rescue its negative association with the Mojave experiment.
 
You just said it right there!!!

Thats why he represents Apple!

Thats why he is somewhat of a dolt in this commercial doing stupid things like taking a shower with his clothes on- to challenge Apple's "Think Different" BS!

And while Bill is trying to get his "work" done, Sienfeld is up in his face being an idiot.

Great job MS. Now if you can only convey that to the rest of the world.

Greg: Oh Darla, get off that couch
Darla: NO! Why don't you come up here!
Greg: Oh Darla, your such a free spirit!
 
After seeing it the 2nd time, I finally understood the message ...

If Vista twitches, you just ought to buy a bigger PC, or at least twist it a lot... :)

Well, I don't know... I don't find the Get a Mac commercials all that good, but John Hodgman gives them more bang for the buck.
 
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