Microsoft debuts Seinfeld and Gates ad on US TV

by Staff, Brand Republic 05-Sep-08, 09:05

NEW YORK - Microsoft's much anticipated $300m (£170m) ad campaign, featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld and the software giant's chairman Bill Gates, aired for the first time last night in the US during National Football League coverage.

The 90 second ad, created by Miami's Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, is designed to counter Apple's "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" campaign, which features a geeky PC guy unable to keep up with the "hip Mac user".

The ads were remade for the UK with comedy duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb.

The Microsoft spot shows Seinfeld trying on shoes with Gates in a discount shoe shop and doesn't mention any specific Microsoft products, such as the much criticised Windows Vista operating system.

The immediate reaction to the ad on the web has been fairly negative. A blogger on ZD Net posted: "I don't get it. And seeing how the punchline was, ummm, Bill Gates adjusting his shorts, I don't think I want to get it."

Some YouTube users were left equally baffled by the ad. A user called AnimeZombie91 said: "I don't think I'm fully getting this ..." while x7c went simply with "WTF ?!".

The blog Crunch Gear said: "While the ad doesn't really tell us anything about Microsoft or its products, it does tell us that someday computers will be edible. So there's that. Gates is kinda funny too."

Comments

Richard Hayter - 05/09/2008

I like the "Is that your toe?" bit. And it's a very different tone for Microsoft. I guess time will tell if it works.

Jacquie Bowser - 05/09/2008

I like it. Made me smile - Seinfeld always does!

Susan Billinge - 05/09/2008

What a great ad - How come the Americans didn't get it?

Mark Johnson - 05/09/2008

You have to try pretty hard to like it. And it looks like they are trying pretty hard to be wacky. Not working for me, sorry. Mark Johnson, researcher and planner, who can be found at www.manwith3heads.com \(an SEO experiment of sorts underway here, as you may gather)

Amod Munga - 05/09/2008

Not feeling it. Watched it 3 times. Still don't get what the big fuss is about. But then if you're making money like Gates you can afford to blow $10 million on starring in your own commercial with a celebrity. Retirement does strange things to people...

joe woollen - 05/09/2008

Eh? I can only assume it's part of a bigger, longer running story \(I hope). Beyond that, a great ad, and if they had a "shoe circus" in the UK I would shop there too!

joe woollen - 05/09/2008

Not sure about Microsoft making cakes though!

A DIAZ - 07/09/2008

The message is obvious - some time in the future they will get round to fixing Vista

Chris Gregory - 08/09/2008

Jerry Seinfeld proves here that he is still a funny funny man! Odd adert but it will grow on people and it's obviously not a stand alone advert

Clare Deans - 08/09/2008

Definitely different to Microsoft's usual approach, it seems they are trying to make Microsoft more personable, putting Bill at the forefront of this entertaining campaign that has no mention of technology, features or innovation. Quite a bold step, but one that needs to be taken. We want to be entertained - and the ad attempts to achieve that rather than so blatantly pushing the Microsoft brand and its products. However, I am not sure they have yet successfully tackled the negativity and geeky image that was amplified by Apple's 'I'm a Mac, I'm a PC' campaign. Still some way to go.

Dave Roberts - 15/09/2008

Blahdy Blah Blah Blah blahar. Here an explanation for all of those people reading this blog that aren't form the ad industry. Oh, yes, everyone reading and writing on this blog are from the industry so what a waste of my time when I could have been doing something productive with my life. Maybe I'm A PC, OMG!!!!!