I MUST know what you think of this Bill Gates and Seinfeld campaign. Please scan this short article on the Huffington Post, and watch the clips if you haven’t. Then comment below, but be specific. Why do you like or not like them?
Then, and only then, are you allowed to peek at the “more” section where I offer my opinion.
You hated them, didn’t you? I don’t understand why this campaign is geting ripped. I’m no Microsoft fan, but the company has some of the most boring ads in history. Along comes something interesting and people attack. It’s perfect- put Seinfeld (who is everyone’s buddy) with Gates (who needs some help) and have the duo hang with regular people. It’s loaded with silly, self deprecating humor. It’s quirky and novel for Microsoft.
I can’t help but think what people really hate is Microsoft and an interesting campaign is the lightening rod for that disdain. This is very good advertising, and repositions Microsoft in an important way.
I am going to be very interested in seeing why other people abhor the spots.
I liked them! The grandma rocked and Bill Gates doing the robot?! Holy cow that was awesome! I thought the first clip was extremely well done. It was 4 min plus and I watched the whole thing without thinking when it was going to end. It had one intersting moment after another. Bam, bam, bam, bam. The second, not so great. Drug on awhile before I got into it. Although, the shorts adjustments was funny. Honestly, if I would have watched the 2nd clip first, I probably wouldn’t have watched the other one.
Why are they getting pulled…did I miss that somewhere in the article?
I see it as a desperate attempt to make Microsoft hip. And the thing that destroys the hipness to anything quicker than anything else is trying to be hip.
Regardless of the person, product, or service.
Sorry. Couldn’t watch either one all the way through, although the old lady in the first one reminded me of my momma.
I don’t want to watch ultra rich limousine liberals pretending to be regular people. I don’t. Don’t wanna. Ain’t gonna.
And Gates looks stiff. Like a stiff. A stiff stiff. With a turkey neck.
I like it and hate it.
I like it. The idea of these two very real live filthy rich wealthy people, who are clueless and insensitive to the lives of everyday struggling average folks is funny!
I don’t like it, The idea that these two very real live filthy rich wealthy people, who are clueless and insensitive to the lives of everyday struggling average folks is not funny!
Bill’s infamous poor timing hits the paradox dead center once again.
People are losing their jobs, CEOs walk with even more, the economy sucks, we have war, etc… Add all that to the Bill Gates hate factor and what do you get?
Bill has a piss poor reputation that no matter how much he gives to Africa, disease, high schools, etc.. people remember what an arrogant bully he is. This insensitivity, to play and be funny, during hard times just confirms in the minds of many that he’s a big fat douche!
….
Ok now let’s see what you said….
“This is very good advertising, and repositions Microsoft in an important way.”
It’s like KFC, only they have to loose the face.
I saw the shoe store one. Maybe the others were clunkers but I liked it – I lol’d for reals, yo. I think people just like to root against the “big bad guy”. Rather than spending $300 million on an ad campaign for a piece of shit OS like Vista, MSFT should come back with killer products with great value. Customers might like that. (from the “No Der” Dept.)
I somewhat like it. I’m looking forward to what microsoft does with it’s “I’m a pc” thing.
but that’s because I want to see what’s sent in because I know a lot of people who have never not used windows, and about 99% of those people hate windows. of those who have tried a mac, 100% want macs.
I like them specifically because people hate them so much! It makes me giggle. 🙂
^ That defines you as a reactionary.
Seinfeld and Gates are old people trying to be hip. It was embarrassing. Like watching your parents dress up like hippies to go to a teenage hip hop rave. They don’t belong there.
These are too long. They look like they were edited by a guy too wedded to his own ideas and can’t bear to cut anything because he thinks they’re all so funny, so the video drags on a little too long, leading people to comment ‘not your best work, man” or “you’re losing yout touch” or “unsubscribed” or “U SUK”. You know that type of guy, don’t you?
I’ve seen some other Gates/Seinfeld ads on TV that were better, but I did enjoy the robot and shorts adjustment.
I didn’t read this. Or watch it.
But.
Happy Anniversary to you and Jo.
🙂
I can imagine the writers spit-balling this one
“Oh Oh Oh! I got it! Who can we get to make Bill seem interesting?”
“Who?”
“Jerry Seinfeld!”
“Oh man that is pure genius. We’ll put the richest man in the world in commercials with the richest man in show business….. And who is more boring than Bill”?
(both) “JERRY SEINFELD”
“That’ll bring ’em both down to earth and make Bill seem less the antichrist”!
“And we’ll put ’em in all kinds of zany situations like….living with an ‘average’ American family” (winks) (air quotes)
“and maybe we can do one where they are flying a airliner or working on a garbage truck or…. ”
“Oh man Americas’ gonna love this. It’ll make Microsoft cool again”
“Were we ever cool”?
(dumb looks)
(laugh track builds) (fade)
If the crazy old granny in the ad got her own YouTube channel, I’d subscribe. I’m torn between liking the idea, and thinking it’s a bit too much of a trying to be cool thing, and not actually being cool.
And in regards to the commercial, what real couple still has $1800 in their account their spouse doesn’t know about? Heck, I’d settle for a free and clear $18 these days.
Maybe they would be ok if they actually talked about useful things, or even better, just talked about anything interesting. All I remember is Seinfeld asking Gates about moist cake. What?
Seinfeld and Gates are SO 90’s. It’s like the Clintons–Everyone is sick of them.
I agree with you there, Mike.
🙂
Ha! Thought you would.
I actually liked them. My husband didn’t understand the point of them, which I thought WAS the point. They never aired in their full length on TV.
I applaud Microsoft for at least trying something new. Their commercials have always been rather boring. These I actually liked, and I’m the first one to hit the mute button when a commercial comes on.
@18,
I liked the actual commercials too. They were amusing.
What I didn’t like was the feel of “Let’s show those youngsters we can be hip just like them!”
Maybe part of that has to do with the fact that Bill gates is the underlord of the evil one, and rarely pops his horned head up out of the 6th circle of hell except to let us know that “We’ll be addressing that issue in our next service pack”. When one this evil surfaces, and then films several minutes with a hilarious (though a little dated) comedian who everyone more or less likes (or at least doesn’t hate), you know somewhere in your mind it’s not real.
Bill Gates doesn’t hang out with Jerry Seinfeld, he hangs out with Warren Buffet (I can confirm that – I saw the two together while having dinner at one of the nicer restaurants in Omaha -Buffet’s home town. Unfortunately my party left too soon for me to see what sort of tippers those two are.)
I think that’s the problem with the ad. If it were Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, it would probably work (it would probably be more amusing. I giggle just picturing Buffet in a shoe store!). If it were Jerry and Kramer (or even Newman!) it would probably work. I just don’t see those Bill and Jerry as being bosom buddies. It’s breaking down the fourth wall before I can even establish it.
I think Microsoft is on the right track. They’re just not quite up to the right train, yet.
And I think anyone will agree – Apple’s “Hi, I’m a mac. And I’m a PC” commercials are a lot more amusing, and have a lot better branding power.
@19 — Agreed. The Apple ads are better ads, because they do more to promote the brand and change peoples’ opinions and/or actions about the product.
I tell my clients, “If people REALLY like your ad, great. If they really DON’T, that’s okay too. What you don’t want is indifference. Your ad should elicit some sort of emotional response to be effective.” The Bill & Jerry ads, for me, didn’t. They were just kinda “there,” and even after all the hype and discussion – pro and con – about the ads, I still feel the same about Microsoft.
On the other hand, I, a PC guy, just bought a Mac. There WERE other governing factors that led to my decision, but I must admit, Apple’s branding, buzz, and advertising HAD made me curious.
I have to admit, that’s part of why I got an iPod. Apple just has a great ad campaign. If I had the spare coin (and if I hadn’t spent thousands of dollars on PC-based video editing and effects software for my business), I’d own a Mac in an instant.
The ads were amusing, to be sure, but they didn’t have that “pop” that makes you go “Wow, I like it”
…at least to me 🙂
I like the spots because anything that makes Bill Gates look uncomfortable is a “feel good” moment to me.
I agree with your point Nalts. I think people are too negative.
Have you seen the new ad – i’m a pc and i’ve been made into a stereotype”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWk8ouioXgE
i love it