Discuss this Article 87
So Paul? What do you think? I think, or hope actually, that this is just the beginning and is a teaser because if not, MS should just go with the "Mojave Experiment"
The part with the leather and Gate's toe was hilarious.
I also like the part at the end
"Give me a sign with your shorts"
I'm interested on how the story their telling plays out.
Obviously, it's just the first of many. It's cute, not great, not horrible. But the best part is that it's not obnoxious like those ads from a certain other self-infatuated company. :)
The add is funny, and it clever in that it does not take a direct swipe at apple, instead the aim is change peoples perception about Microsoft (at the moment not windows) as a company. I think this will work.
Kinda dorky...but that is what I expected from Jerry Seinfeld.
I think that I saw a Mojave commercial on TV last night. I guess that thye are going to use it that way. Makes sense...
--tayme
I really like this. It is a VERY good start. Can't wait to see the rest of them.
As someone who loves Windows, but also loves the Mac ads, I have to say, I thought this was funny, but...this is supposed to change my perception of Windows?
The Mac ads directly take on issues people have questions about and whether you agree with their take or not, they give you a takeaway value that more often than not people believe to be true.
After watching that, all I think is, "So Bill Gates buys shoes at Payless?" Seriously. I don't get it. I'd believe it if that were an in house spoof video. But a marketing campaign designed to "fight back" against the Mac ads? I don't think Microsoft gets it, and that makes me sad because I prefer PCs.
I would like to remind everyone that this only the first add. It seems apparent that Microsoft are going to tell the "story" progressively over many adds in the next few weeks. Also if you didn't notice the intended message this is it. "Windows PC's are cheaper than Mac PC's but can do the exact same things and more" = Bill Gates buying shoes at Payless. "You can make Windows PC's do what you want because you can install what you want on them" = Seinfeld's reference to Microsoft making computers soft as cakes so that you can eat them.
@alamfour
"Also if you didn't notice the intended message..."
Nobody noticed.
@alamfour, you are dead on with the meaning however I think 90% of people that see this wont get it.
Its not bad, not great, had some funny stuff in there, but on its own its pretty meaningless to joe user. Hopefully it will build, but the danger to that is if you miss parts of it, you might not fully get it.
The Apple adds, get right to the point of the average Windows users frustrations with computers. I have never agreed with the attacks they make, but people get them, and get them from just one commercial.
We shall see.
I like this spot. This is a good start. A big, corporate monopolist has a very different problem they need to attack in their advertising than a computing underdog in a market competing with a monopolist. This is a great use of Gates in his human, self-deprecating best. Humanizing is what Microsoft's brand needs. The product isn't going to be helped with 30 seconds of heavy-handed pitching. This is the kind of campaign that hopefully (for Microsoft) will get people talking about them in a different way.
It is a little bizarre and a little soft. But it's the right approach I think. A monopoly can't come out swinging and expect people to like or buy it. Microsoft doesn't need to address Apple. They need to address their image and the reasons why Apple's ads resonate.
Apple, on the other hand, has a different objective with the Mac ads. They are trying to convince the Windows users with problems that the Mac is solution that is safe and works. In computing, they are the "other"... the underdog. Notice that the iPod and iPhone ads are not competitive oriented. This is obvious stuff. Nobody here can seriously ding Apple on branding. They are the masters and the consumer surveys confirm their success.
On the other hand, they are running Mojave ads on TV. They play just like folgers chrystals ads only don't really make sense. My mom saw it and had no idea what was going on. The Mojave "Experiment" is garbage.
I think this is a good start.
Mike, were you really under an NDA?
OT: Favorite relatively recent book about MS and or Bill Gates?
JuryDuty said:
As someone who loves Windows, but also loves the Mac ads, I have to say, I thought this was funny, but...this is supposed to change my perception of Windows?
The Mac ads directly take on issues people have questions about and whether you agree with their take or not, they give you a takeaway value that more often than not people believe to be true.
After watching that, all I think is, "So Bill Gates buys shoes at Payless?" Seriously. I don't get it. I'd believe it if that were an in house spoof video. But a marketing campaign designed to "fight back" against the Mac ads? I don't think Microsoft gets it, and that makes me sad because I prefer PCs."
Seriously, is it possible for people to talk intellegently about this?
My mind cannot wrap around these absurdly silly comments I'm seeing.
"is this supposed to change my mind????"
No, genius, ONE ad isnt supposed to do that. One ad has never done that. Why on Gods green Earth did you even believe for a second that any ad would do that. More so after having articles that spelled out what they were doing.
It's almost like people have no logic skills anymore. They just run off at the mouth and hope it strings together into a solid thought.
The people who make these ads are professionals. They don't just toss something together for the heck of it.
This is the first commercial, but I have to say that if I didn't know what this ad was about, I wouldn't know what this ad is about. It best get better than this 'cause otherwise it'll fly over the heads of people not familiar with what Microsoft is trying to do.
Also, I don't think the commercial was neither "fun" or "cool" and people might tune out.
I do give props to Microsoft for making a commercial that isn't smug, arrogant, "I'm better than you" type that Apple has written then book on.
>>"Windows PC's are cheaper than Mac PC's but can do the exact same things and more" = Bill Gates buying shoes at Payless. "You can make Windows PC's do what you want because you can install what you want on them" = Seinfeld's reference to Microsoft making computers soft as cakes so that you can eat them.<<
No.
>>the aim is change peoples perception about Microsoft<<
Yes.
I didn't think Gates would be good at this, but so far so good. They should team Paul Thurrott up with >>who<< to sell the Zune?
It was funny - not great, but funny. Thank God they didn't go after Apple, but we knew they wouldn't, didn't we?
"This is a great use of Gates in his human, self-deprecating best. Humanizing is what Microsoft's brand needs."
I agree. Mary Jo Foley had made a comment some time back that she hoped the ads weren't like some of Bill Gates' "dorky" internal videos. I actually liked them because they humanized Microsoft. This ad was a pretty good start, in my opinion.
I think this'll get people talking. And I think that's the point. Its a little weird, no obvious point. But it'll get people going "did you see that latest Microsoft commercial? wtf was up with that?" and so then when the next ad comes on, they'll be paying attention.
Guess I'll have to watch these more closely. Andy Ihnatko points out that they used Bill G's actual arrest mug shot for his photo ID. That would have been my favorite part had I noticed; since I missed the mug shot, the toe/leather bit was.
Decent start. Hope they continue to appear on YouTube: I don't watch enough TV to catch them (or the Apple ads) there.
Ocean
You really think anybody's under NDA about moist and chewy computers?
I knew you were gullible enough to believe any Windows-bashing article you post but this is amazing.
Ocean
Serious reply to your OT request
The only decent history of MS or Bill Gates I've ever seen isn't recent but it IS accurate:
Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry--and Made Himself the Richest Man in America
By Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews
http://www.amazon.com/Gates-Microsofts-Reinvented-Industry-Himself/dp/06...
Of all the Microsoft or Bill Gates history books, this is the only one I ever read that when it got to events that took place when I was at Microsoft got a reaction of "Oh, yeah. I remember that!" rather than "Wait a minute, that didn't happen".
Why can't he just give is what we all want which is ballmer kicking dumb apple guy into a near bloody pulp and then doing the monkey dance???
Now THAT would be entertainment!!!!!!
Funny, but what the heck did it have to do with Windows Vista? I'd watch it if it was a buddy sitcom, but I don't think it makes a very good computer commercial.
Pretty good. It was funny and memorable. It doesn't yet make any obvious points, but it could build them over time.
@mike - I think ocean was wondering if you were under nda about the content of the commercial.
John
If you mean the indy film or the book on reducing crime via urban cleanup, no. If something else, then still no but I also don't know what you mean.
kellymjones
I guess that's another possible interpretation (but less fun!).
I am under NDA for quite a few things but not about either the commercials nor a Microsoft plan to make computers moist and chewy.
If I were under NDA for the commercials, I probably would still be about all but the first episode, since an NDA is typically in place until the information is made public by the company.
>>You really think anybody's under NDA about moist and chewy computers?
I knew you were gullible enough to believe any Windows-bashing article you post but this is amazing.<<
You can be a real jerk sometimes. Anyway, I thought maybe you had something to do with the commercial development somewhere, somehow..
""is this supposed to change my mind????"
No, genius, ONE ad isnt supposed to do that. One ad has never done that."
Sure they have. But usually for the worst. Especially when a company takes an old classic song and then makes their own version of it so it's recognizable but not the same, so they don't have to pay. I never buy any products advertised with rip-off songs.
"The people who make these ads are professionals. They don't just toss something together for the heck of it."
It's still not that easy. It takes just one person with a wrong vision and another who can't open their mouth to ruin a campaign. It gets worse when there are more people involved, each saying something to the tune of "can't you make it a little more yellow somehow?".
There's a larger, clearer, smoother version at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/
Ocean,
To vindicate your NDA comment, the new Retail Experiece Center was announced as part of the campaign at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/windows/featureStories.aspx?story=660... and I have been under NDA about that for a few months now.
If this commercial is what Crispin's campaign is about, Apple has nothing to fear. This is just awful.
As a fan of Seinfeld (the show and the comedian), I'm not sure what to think of this first video.
I don't think they are going to take on Apple. It seems to me they are going to do their own thing. That is probably a good thing.
Wasn't bad, but I was certainly hoping for more.
Couldn't help but notice that the words Vista and Apple were never mentioned, but I didn't expect MS to attack Apple at all....they are better than that.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen an Apple ad that doesn’t mention MS or Vista…that should be their next ad challenge…make an ad about Apple, not about MS.
Would love for MS to do an ad campaign that showed people using their products...have a camera swooping around a town, into a large business with a cube farm and have a bunch of logos appear as people turn their machines on, have it swoop into a gym and show people working out with their Zunes on, show a person working from home on a PC, show someone driving and using Synch, just stress how widely used the products are.
These “image” ads are what Apple is known for…style over substance.
BTW, I saw this ad run during last night's Giants/Skins season opener...I thought that was a good time to run it.
"If this commercial is what Crispin's campaign is about, Apple has nothing to fear. This is just awful."
Then again, I'm sure the aim of the commercial was not to induce fear in anyone.
The ads remind me of that video Bill Gates did with the Napolean Dynamite guy.
fzanes
People do seem confused. They think Redmond is in Cupertino's orbit rather than the reverse.
The ads aren't to hurt Apple, they're to help Microsoft.
Some reactions to the ad. I don't think anything Microsoft does will be good enough for the blogosphere. I think people don't get the concept of a teaser. Either that or the blogosphere just doesn't like Microsoft. I think both reasons are partly true.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10033375-56.html?tag=newsFeaturedBlogA...
""Absolutely pathetic" and "really bad" were some of the phrases I saw on Twitter.
Among other posts on Twitter were "You're kidding me right? THAT is what they think will be better than mac vs PC ads? LOL," "what the hell was that?" and "OMJ the new Microsoft / Seinfeld commercial is so LAME!"
While most of the reactions were negative, it did garner a smattering of praise. "Wacky and very funny actually" wrote one poster on Twitter. "
fzanes
"Would love for MS to do an ad campaign that showed people using their products [...] just stress how widely used the products are."
To see a Microsoft video like that, go to http://preview.microsoft.com/video/videoDetails.aspx?video=0982c703-4208...
to see the "Your Digital Lifestyle: Girl from Mars" video
@mike that link was much more clear, and did not require silverlight:)
fzanes said:
Wasn't bad, but I was certainly hoping for more.
Couldn't help but notice that the words Vista and Apple were never mentioned, but I didn't expect MS to attack Apple at all....they are better than that.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen an Apple ad that doesn’t mention MS or Vista…that should be their next ad challenge…make an ad about Apple, not about MS.
Kinda like having Paul write a blog about Microsoft rather then Apple?
***************************
Its quite amusing to listen to the comments that Apple is deserving of a great an mighty smack down (implied by many) for their "hubris". As if angels single when Microsoft "gifts" something to the computer world...
And "better then that", MS is violating Marketing rules 101- "You neve rmention the #2 brand.
Next I also find the mental exercise that Apple is so small they don't matter (in computers) amusing, but yet they have such a major influence that mighty MS is concerned about it. No better example then teh lead up to this whole campaign. So which is it? Apple doesn't matter or do they?
Paul himself is guilty of this, taking extreme glee with his fixation on world-wide market share for Apple; you see the delight as he points out Apple's market share. But yet at the same time he points out he is glad that MS is going on the offensive against same minuscule market share? Which is it? They matter or they don't. Of course many have pointed out time and again that old chestnut
And if all the negative press is just hype surrounding Vista as a non-issue, then explain to me why businesses (a core strength of MS sales) are staying away from it? Because the CIO of some company saw an Apple ad? Why did Intel announce they weren't moving to Vista....? Apparently for such a minuscule market share, for such a small company they seem to have a lot of influence or don't they? The contradictions on this seem pretty apparent to me.
The commercial is well put together, Bill Gates is self-effacing, not a bad idea. However the American public has they attention span of a gnat. If the idea is to build on the previous ad its a dubious premise, because it relies on the viewer having seen the previous one. Better to have each one sell contained. For us her and the tech world we get the point of it. For 95% of the general public they are going to go "hey look its Jerry Sienfield with Bill Gates"
Also they are telling the viewer, its all about price? That what you pay is all that matters? If that is the case we would all be driving Yugos, or better yet why buy a car when you can rent transportation on the bus (sort like who MS wants you to rent Windows...) sorry you can take the bus, and if Apple ever pulled that I'd call them out on it too.
In short I'll be watching this closely. I would say in order to be successful in Advertising you have to hit it out of the park at the first at bat, not your 400th appearance at the plate... This isn't software, you don't get "Do overs" in Advertising and public perception, as MS is now painfully aware.
And as a follow up. They might not be mentioning Apple directly but the oblique reference is hard to miss.
MS best chance at this is to talk about MS and avoid Apple even indirectly. We'll see how it unfolds.
Lindy
The reason the video on http://www.microsoft.com/windows is so clear is because it's Silverlight streaming content.
Unfortunately, I don't know of a nice hi-def Silverlight version of the "Girl from Mars" video.
@ richardfrisch: "If this commercial is what Crispin's campaign is about, Apple has nothing to fear. This is just awful."
That's what I thought when it came on during the Repuglican convention. A minute-and-a-half of my life I'll never get back.
Lame, unfunny, and head-scratchingly obtuse. Only a raging WinJihadist could look at that ad and find anything remotely interesting (with the possible exception that Gates still has that damn Harry Potter "no matter what I do with it it still looks like a mess" haircut).
Hmmmm, this just popped into my head...aren't several varieties of the Apples that grow on trees moist and chewy?
--tayme
@Master3
I think you are so right. One thing that bothers me about all the articles hammering this ad is that people are forgetting that this is just ONE ad! It's not going to change your perception. A lot of damage was done by this company to their perception. Therefore, if they are going to take control of the larger story about the company, a good way to do it is by creating a campaign that tells a different "story".
I am pretty sure most people on here would agree that one Mac vs PC ad did not change their perception mac or vista.
It takes time.
@Dude1313
"Also they are telling the viewer, its all about price? That what you pay is all that matters?"
I think what they are saying there is that you don't have to overspend to get a useful, quality product...Price does not always equal quality.
So many people out there have that mindset. They see the cost of a MAC vs. a PC, they don't have the background knowledge that most tech people do, so they automatically think that the MAC must be the better product based solely on the inflated price.
"That's what I thought when it came on during the Repuglican convention. A minute-and-a-half of my life I'll never get back.
Only a raging WinJihadist could look at that ad and find anything remotely interesting"
First of all, great job mixing your political views with the comment about Microsoft's ad campaign. (Unless "Repuglican" was a typo.) Secondly, only a raging iCabalist can think this was an attempt to scare Apple. Hopefully reading Paul's next post will help you. I doubt it, though.
"Only a raging WinJihadist could look at that ad and find anything remotely interesting"
Hmm, are you calling John a WinJihadist??? ;) <- wink, wink
Actually, I agree with John here with what he said, and coming from the media world, he has some knowledge of these types of things (outside of the thought of MS being a monopolist, as I don't think the general populace knows or cares about such a thing).
Really, I think everyone needs to take a breather here. It is only one ad, and what is the first of many. They didn't spend $10 million to get Seinfeld for only one ad. It was a cheeky and light-hearted ad, which is what MS needs, especially for the first salvo on a long road ahead if you will. It establishes the conversation. Seinfeld is great for this type of commercial, and plays to his image well.
That's pretty useless. They'll have to do better than this. I am reminded of an early commercial for the Infiniti cars, which showed streams and sky and lots of zen-like tranquility....and never showed the car. The overall reaction was "Huh?" and that's how this MS ad strikes me.
