Microsoft has introduced a new advertisement in which the aging former CEO and comedian take up residence with a family, causing infighting and malicious plots by the family members. Although the ad does not mention Microsoft’s operating system directly, it does mirror the real world experience of the company’s products — appearing where not wanted, hard to remove, causing administration headaches, and finally being forced out in hopes of getting one’s living space back.
I like Long’s character and think that the Hodgman character would be much better off if he were a Mac:)
Wow, I’m guessing Matthew Eckstein must’ve been reading that chapter recently. Either that, or he has a mythical photographic memory with perfect recall. Or he’s just smart.
The thing about these PC ads is they’re a lot funnier if you just think of them as comedy shorts, not ads.
Did anybody see the new PC ad last night on Jay Leno/Conan O’Brian? It started with a guy in a white room wearing a brown suit saying, I’m a PC, and I’m a stereotype. The entire commercial was brilliant; just the kind of response Microsoft should’ve fired back in the first place.
Dudes, you forgot that Justin Long was in very NOT forgettable Idiocracy.
Ooh, appealing to my love of Idiocracy. That’s a low blow, sir. LOW!
He was good in that (Dr. Lexus?), but he was also a very minor character. Remember his doctorly diagnosis? You’re fed up, you talk like a f, and your s**t’s all retarded.
This is crazy, but I literally read that section in Code Complete last night. When I first bought that book I read it all the way through in 2 days because I was so fascinated by what was contained within.
Now, I read it for pleasure and am taking my time. How odd that you decide to excerpt the exact words I read before bed last night.
Well, saying that the ‘I’m a PC/I’m a Mac’ ads fail to achieve their goals is not too smart. The reason for advertising is not just to get people talking: it’s to ultimately sell stuff, this is not new. Those ads have been doing a pretty good job for Apple’s sales, haven’t they?
I think one can never underestimate the talent advertisers sport for making people think and feel the way they want. Believing one is immune to that (and also saying that those ads fail because the PC guy inspires more likeness) borders plain naivety.
Having that said, I wouldn’t be eager to tell whether the new MS ads fail or not, simply because I expect this to be part o a bigger plan, one which only the advertisers would really get the whole picture. Or maybe I’m completely off and this will all come back to me : )
To be honest, I hope they succeed: competition is always good, if Apple becomes the next Microsoft, it wouldn’t be fun at all, even tough I chose to own a Mac recently.
The UK Mac/PC ads have the same effect. They use the comedy duo from the sitcom Peep Show. While the PC guy (David Mitchell) is indeed a bit of a nerd, the Mac guy is a drugged up waster. And David Mitchell is a comic genius live, so you really end up rooting for him.
These ads are a long time coming, and I (personally) am laughing at the intensity of the storm they’ve kicked up. On top of that, with advertising being what it is, I’m only predicting the storm to get stronger.
Maybe I’ll even start watching TV again to see what happens…
I think the commercials are funny, and I did like the use of Code Complete. I found it ironically amusing that Gates was reading it. I agree with Coleman… people need to lighten up a bit - stop critiquing the ads as if they were presidential speeches. They are mildly funny, although they could easily be funnier with Gates and Seinfeld. To me, the ads say we [MS] would like to be fun, but we’re not
I think it’s a huge stretch to say an ad is a pack of lies because the actors in the ad aren’t the same as the characters they are portraying. By that measure, every non-fiction TV show and movie is also a giant pack of lies. They’re called actors because they’re acting!
Well, I just watched this new ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkZdkHylJ3w) and it brings a whole new argument to the table. Very nice, and demands some move by Apple, definitely.
(I’m not sure this is new, but I live in Brazil, so I’ve been following these ads online, and this was posted yesterday.)
I’d suggest whoever wrote that blurb about the ads is a raging toolbox, as the average joe who watches that commercial is getting the message, and not going, HEY! JOHN HODGMAN IS WAY COOLER!
(And I hate macs [And windows, for what it’s worth.])
The Seinfeld/Gates adverts were a great advert for Seinfeld, I believe they had a Microsoft logo at the end so were they sponsored by Microsoft? (I suspect this is why they were cancelled)
The PC/MAC adverts (Especially the UK versions) were very funny an memorable and so worked to get people to think perhaps I’ll look in to this Mac thing…
The latest Microsoft ads fail because anyone who knows what an operating system is knows already that Microsoft has a large share of the market and everyone uses it, and those that don’t, don’t care …So who is the advert aimed at?
According to the NYTimes from two days ago, these Seinfeld/Gates spots were just teasers for a more complete campaign making direct reference to the Mac/PC ads. MS is definitely NOT pulling this campaign:
These ads are comparatively well written and amusing. The only misstep being when Jerry asks Gates when he’ll make an edible computer. That made me cringe. I look forward to more.
