Microsoft Bill Gates / Jerry Seinfeld commercial

79 replies
Anyone else seen it? WTF!!! Talk about worthless POS advertising. Perhaps that's the cash cow's way of pumping a few dollars back into the economy. Pay the ad firm and let them circulate the cash. Trickle down effect I suppose.
#bill #commercial #gates #jerry #microsoft #seinfeld
  • Profile picture of the author Carlsbadd
    I liked the ad but I was not sure exactly what they were selling
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    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      I saw that ad today and couldnt help wondering how much they had to pay for that ad.
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    • Profile picture of the author Lance K
      I rest my case.


      Edible computers I guess.

      Really, I guess it's just about Microsoft being excited about the future. And branding I suppose.
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      • Profile picture of the author Carlsbadd
        Oh yea , I guess there was something about computers in the end...my bad
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        • Profile picture of the author daelx
          Let the "Get a Mac" ads continue their dominance...

          At least they're funny.
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          • Profile picture of the author Josh Anderson
            Let the "Get a Mac" ads continue their dominance...

            At least they're funny.
            What you did not think Bill wiggling his butt at Jerry in the end was funny?
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            • Profile picture of the author Jose Delgado
              Haven't seen it, but you should totally put a video on this thread.

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                • Profile picture of the author Jose Delgado
                  Hahaha....

                  Didn't get it but it was quite funny.

                  What where they advertising?

                  Microsoft? :confused:
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                  • Profile picture of the author Josh Anderson
                    What where they advertising?
                    Bills butt and computers made of cake.
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                    • Profile picture of the author Scott Woodside
                      Just one more reason why my last purchase was an IMAC! Imagine, if the same creativity had been put into XP or even Vista? At least we'd all have new shoes. What?
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                      • Profile picture of the author Bruce NewMedia
                        Absolutely one of the STUPIDEST commercials I've seen in long time. Waste of Seinfeld's talent....as the thing ended I really had no idea what the pitch was.

                        _________
                        Bruce
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                        • Profile picture of the author seasoned
                          Originally Posted by brucerby View Post

                          Absolutely one of the STUPIDEST commercials I've seen in long time. Waste of Seinfeld's talent....as the thing ended I really had no idea what the pitch was.

                          _________
                          Bruce
                          HUH? Jerry's got talent? What does he do???? During the whole TV show he had, I NEVER saw him show any talent! HECK, the show even often poked fun at what one would HOPE was his talent!

                          As for the commercial? I think it tried to:

                          1. Poke fun at Bill Gates.
                          2. Advertise Bill Gates.
                          3. Show Bill Gates to be a regular guy.
                          4. Talk of how Microsoft is working with things you might only dream of.
                          5. Try to make Microsoft look like a leader that will soon surprise you.
                          6. Engender expectation and curiosity to get people to watch their "Mojave experiment" series to try to really SELL vista!
                          7. It DID do a good job of tying everything together. And did anyone time it? It seemed longer than normal. It looked like he was in one of Seinfeld's stupid "comedy" sketches! I think it is OBVIOUS that ****THAT**** is why they picked Jerry Seinfeld. They have tied Gates, comedy (ahem, for some anyway), the series, the website, compassion, vista, windows, innovation, etc... all together.

                          Steve
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                          • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                            Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

                            HUH? Jerry's got talent? What does he do???? During the whole TV show he had, I NEVER saw him show any talent! HECK, the show even often poked fun at what one would HOPE was his talent!

                            As for the commercial? I think it tried to:

                            1. Poke fun at Bill Gates.
                            2. Advertise Bill Gates.
                            3. Show Bill Gates to be a regular guy.
                            4. Talk of how Microsoft is working with things you might only dream of.
                            5. Try to make Microsoft look like a leader that will soon surprise you.
                            6. Engender expectation and curiosity to get people to watch their "Mojave experiment" series to try to really SELL vista!
                            7. It DID do a good job of tying everything together. And did anyone time it? It seemed longer than normal. It looked like he was in one of Seinfeld's stupid "comedy" sketches! I think it is OBVIOUS that ****THAT**** is why they picked Jerry Seinfeld. They have tied Gates, comedy (ahem, for some anyway), the series, the website, compassion, vista, windows, innovation, etc... all together.

                            Steve
                            Seasoned,

                            I do agree with a lot of your points.

                            Although this commercial is not obvious (damn those sub-conscious messages), it did go over many peoples heads.
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                            • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
                              For those who didn't get this commercial, you simply don't get marketing.

                              Absolutely brilliant!

                              I can't wait to see what they follow this up with.
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                              • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                                Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

                                For those who didn't get this commercial, you simply don't get marketing.

                                Absolutely brilliant!

                                I can't wait to see what they follow this up with.
                                Absolutely true. Went over everyones heads. Which is also good marketing.

                                Roselle, NJ? - Thats only 20 mins from me. Nice to see fellow warriors close by
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                                • Profile picture of the author PaulSchubert
                                  The only value I see in the new MS commercial is Bill and Jerry reminding people what their faces look like, and which voice it is matched with. Having been in the position to approve such for over 30 years, in my humble opinion, it was a total waste of time and money.

                                  The ad was slow, the message was unclear, there was no direct correlation between the product or service being promoted and the reason why you should keep focusing your attention on the advertisement. It was basically a bad half-hearted attempt to let people know that Bill knows Jerry and visa-versa.

                                  If nothing else, it was dry humor in a mediocre way. It reminds me of the bad advertising Coach Handbags has been pumping out for the last year or so. The company lost its focus on the real market, which is the woman who can afford a $699.00 purse, not the older teenage group who has to ask Mom and Dad for the money to buy the $699.00 purse.

                                  Microsoft is making a similar mistake with their advertising. Jerry is passe, he doesn't have the pulling power todays users pay attention to. They need an unknown who idolizes Bill Gates, sees him in a store, runs in gasping for air because he (or she) is star-struck, tries to ask him a million questions about computers all at once, Bill calmly responds, sees him (or her) as a geek in waiting, and they stroll out into the parking lot talking about the future of computing. You just set the stage for each subsequent commercial. How many people would love to talk to Bill Gates for 5 minutes? You cannot begin to count them all. Thus, every follow-up commercial could be built on the development of the character into potentially the next Bill Gates.

                                  In my humble opinion, I believe they missed every mark on this one.
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                              • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                                Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

                                For those who didn't get this commercial, you simply don't get marketing.
                                I'm surprised to see such a comment from you, Steven.

                                How does this commercial alone (that's whay YOU said..."this commercial") make selling Microsoft's products easier? That is the goal of marketing. To make sales easier.

                                Even if you want to retrace and examine it as part of a new campaign as a whole, surely you would entertain the thought that they could have gotten more mileage out of this initial ad than they did.
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                                • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
                                  Originally Posted by Lance K View Post

                                  I'm surprised to see such a comment from you, Steven.

                                  How does this commercial alone (that's whay YOU said..."this commercial") make selling Microsoft's products easier? That is the goal of marketing. To make sales easier.

                                  Even if you want to retrace and examine it as part of a new campaign as a whole, surely you would entertain the thought that they could have gotten more mileage out of this initial ad than they did.
                                  Um...well...ah...Okay.

                                  It ain't important enough for me to even debate. I got it. I don't know.
                                  Maybe I'm just weird.

                                  Anyway, we'll see how it plays out.

                                  For what it's worth. Microsoft could do a commercial of a dog pooping in
                                  the street and it would generate buzz.

                                  But like I said, I'm weird, so what do I know?
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                                  • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
                                    Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

                                    Um...well...ah...Okay.

                                    It ain't important enough for me to even debate. I got it. I don't know.
                                    Maybe I'm just weird.

                                    Anyway, we'll see how it plays out.

                                    For what it's worth. Microsoft could do a commercial of a dog pooping in
                                    the street and it would generate buzz.

                                    But like I said, I'm weird, so what do I know?
                                    I got it too. Well at least I think I did.

                                    I thought it was funny. After watching it my first thought was that they were going to have a hit on their hands. A series of commercials that highlights microsoft, and takes aim at the famous Mac commercials.

                                    Maybe I'm totally wrong...but that was my first impression.
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                                    • Profile picture of the author garyv
                                      This to me appears to be what I call "hype marketing". I've seen several of the big marketers - good and bad - use it. You dangle some stuff out there to get people talking, but not enough so they know what you're talking about. And once you've created a big enough uproar, you unleash the product. If it's a great product - all of the hype will help to propel it to great success.

                                      The Republicans used the hype marketing method (intentionally or not, I don't know) when McCain introduced Palin. He dangled just enough out there to get the press and media talking about her (some good, but a lot bad). He even cancelled some of her scheduled media ops, which created an even bigger buzz, and helped to build the hype.

                                      Then she was unleashed for her speech - and what would have been probably a lackluster event, turned into 37 million viewers. Brilliant Hype building in my opinion.
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                                      • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                                        Originally Posted by garyv View Post

                                        This to me appears to be what I call "hype marketing". I've seen several of the big marketers - good and bad - use it. You dangle some stuff out there to get people talking, but not enough so they know what you're talking about. And once you've created a big enough uproar, you unleash the product. If it's a great product - all of the hype will help to propel it to great success.

                                        The Republicans used the hype marketing method (intentionally or not, I don't know) when McCain introduced Palin. He dangled just enough out there to get the press and media talking about her (some good, but a lot bad). He even cancelled some of her scheduled media ops, which created an even bigger buzz, and helped to build the hype.

                                        Then she was unleashed for her speech - and what would have been probably a lackluster event, turned into 37 million viewers. Brilliant Hype building in my opinion.
                                        Nice way to compared marketing with politics. You can learn a lot from the way politicians market and advertise..
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                                  • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                                    Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

                                    Um...well...ah...Okay.

                                    It ain't important enough for me to even debate. I got it. I don't know.
                                    Maybe I'm just weird.

                                    Anyway, we'll see how it plays out.

                                    For what it's worth. Microsoft could do a commercial of a dog pooping in
                                    the street and it would generate buzz.

                                    But like I said, I'm weird, so what do I know?

                                    You understand how that ad is going to make Microsoft's job of making sales easier?

                                    As for your dog poop commercial, I made reference to the possibility that Microsoft has an entirely different set of rules. But I still don't see how this type of advertising positions them to make more sales.

                                    Someone said the ad campaign was going to cost $300 million. Microsoft has annual sales of over $50 billion. To break even on the campaign they would need a sales spike of 0.6%. Do you think MS is capable of accurately tracking such an insignificant sales spike back to this or any campaign? So you have just as little chance of proving it effective as I do ineffective. No big deal either way. I'm just offering an opinion.

                                    I don't play by Microsoft's rules. I can't afford to, so I still judge an ad's effectiveness by ROI. And those are the goggles through which I am judging this advertisment. To me it sucks. Big time. But I'm glad that there are those of you who get it. I too get it in the sense that $300 Million is a drop in the bucket to Microsoft. And as long as share price doesn't suffer, the shareholders won't care about ad campaigns without measurable results.

                                    I guess I'm sort of looking at a parallel universe through my own set of spectacles. More in a "what if Microsoft did it this way" type of thinking more than anything. I always like to examine a good "what if" scenario.
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                                    • Profile picture of the author jjpmarketing
                                      Let's settle the mac vs pc vs linux dispute...

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                                      • Profile picture of the author JasonKing
                                        Originally Posted by jjpmarketing View Post

                                        Let's settle the mac vs pc vs linux dispute...

                                        YouTube - South Park Mac vs. PC vs. Linux
                                        HAHAHAHA!!

                                        Love the bit at the end.
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                                        • Profile picture of the author JasonKing
                                          Here's a version of the ad with an alternate ending...

                                          WARNING: You must watch right until the end ...

                                          Enjoy

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                                          • Profile picture of the author trafficwave
                                            My 2 cents:

                                            It was hilarious. I rewound it on the DVR and watched it a few times.

                                            As for branding: Bill Gates = Microsoft
                                            No mystery, there.

                                            It was "out there", for sure and I think it made a lot people do a double take.

                                            Overall branding and promotion of the identity.
                                            Larger companies can afford to do it.

                                            I remember Nike commercials that were nothing more than a no-name jogger running through the park..... some background music .... and fade to the Nike Swoosh. Nothing more than brand reinforcement.

                                            And when you've got the kind of capital that these corporations have, you can do stuff like that "just because".
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                    • Profile picture of the author markaustin
                      Originally Posted by Josh Anderson View Post

                      Bills butt and computers made of cake.
                      Hey Josh,

                      Does that cake have chrome icing?

                      Mark
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                      • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                        Is this a brand new commercial?

                        Must be working pretty well if you guys are talking about it and spreading the word...
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                        • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                          Originally Posted by MaskedMarketer View Post

                          Is this a brand new commercial?

                          Must be working pretty well if you guys are talking about it and spreading the word...
                          I've only seen it once.

                          It will have absolutely no bearing on my propensity to purchase Microsoft products in the future. We're merely discussing (in a marketing forum I might add) what a poor piece of advertising it is.

                          Your assertion of it must be working because we're spreading the word is akin to us talking about how a strung out junkie crapped their pants and how sad it is and you taking it as a plug for drug use simply because we're talking about it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Scott Ames
    Originally Posted by Lance K View Post

    Anyone else seen it? WTF!!! Talk about worthless POS advertising. Perhaps that's the cash cow's way of pumping a few dollars back into the economy. Pay the ad firm and let them circulate the cash. Trickle down effect I suppose.
    POS = Point of Sale , correct?
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    • Profile picture of the author Lou Diamond
      Hello,
      I thought it was very very funny.
      I did not know what to expect next from either
      Bill or Jerry.
      This is what makes a good comercial,
      at least people are talking about it.
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      Something new soon.

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      • Profile picture of the author Lance K
        Originally Posted by Lou Diamond View Post

        This is what makes a good comercial,
        at least people are talking about it.
        What makes a good commercial is an increase in sales. Preferrably a measurable increase.
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        • Profile picture of the author Noah Fleming
          There was an article in FastCompany about this. They hired a marketing company in LA and are paying upwards to 300 Million.....According to the article this is ALL to do with the Mac/PC ads.

          The mac/pc ads have become somewhat as a cultural phenomenon, everyone knows em, everyone knows how true they are...

          Just watched the ad, pretty boring, some funny moments but not very memorable in my opinion.
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          • Profile picture of the author jjpmarketing
            That is what they get for using Jerry Seinfeld for the comic relief. They should have used someone funnier and more current. Like the dude from Ohio in Vince Vaugh's Wild West Comedy tour. That would have been hilarious.

            Jerry Seinfeld's comedy is a little tired.
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            • Profile picture of the author Noah Fleming
              Originally Posted by jjpmarketing View Post

              That is what they get for using Jerry Seinfeld for the comic relief. They should have used someone funnier and more current. Like the dude from Ohio in Vince Vaugh's Wild West Comedy tour. That would have been hilarious.

              Jerry Seinfeld's comedy is a little tired.

              But that is exactly the way Microsoft things in terms of their products, kinda old and outdated. Don't get me wrong. Jerry is great but it's about 5 years late.

              Think... Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Stiller, etc.... Heck even jack Black would have been a little oldschool. Think the superbad guys..

              This ad is really poorly done in getting a strong message across.

              When we watch the PC/MAC ads, even as a PC owner who won't switch, you find yourself agreeing with the points being made...
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              • Profile picture of the author Eric Johnson
                It was pretty lame I thought.
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                • Profile picture of the author jjpmarketing
                  I am the same way. I would never switch... but I would use both. The commercials are hilarious. I don't think it is so much Microsoft's fault as it is the ad agency's fault. That commercial pretty much sucked. It lacked value.

                  John Caparulo would made that commerical funny as hell. What would have been even funnier would be if Justin Long, the guy in the MAC commercials was in the commercial. Steal an OS... or steal an actor from their commercials... lol
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                  • Profile picture of the author Noah Fleming
                    Without getting too much on the topic of which is better... I will say this again, my MacPro runs Windows better than any PC/Windows computer I ever owned.

                    I just picked up another iMac yesterday for my new office.
                    I love the iMac packs a solid punch for $1200 bucks
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                    • Profile picture of the author Chris Monty
                      That was one of the weirdest commercials I have ever seen.

                      I agree. Let's stick to the Mac vs PC commercials.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                    They should have uses Will Ferrell!

                    That said, Jerry Seinfeld has a loyal rabid Star-Wars cult type following. Maybe the demographics match up with Microsoft's ideal customer.

                    I seriously think MS's years of Monopoly type dominance has made them lose focus on what their core competitive advantages are. But at this point I probably doesn't matter much anyway. They have different rules I suppose.
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                    • Profile picture of the author Noah Fleming
                      Originally Posted by Lance K View Post

                      They should have uses Will Ferrell!

                      That said, Jerry Seinfeld has a loyal rabid Star-Wars cult type following. Maybe the demographics match up with Microsoft's ideal customer.

                      I seriously think MS's years of Monopoly type dominance has made them lose focus on what their core competitive advantages are. But at this point I probably doesn't matter much anyway. They have different rules I suppose.
                      Don't forget Jerry used to have an Apple in his apartment :-) He'd upgrade too. It wasn't always the same mac.

                      Microsoft seems to have missed this point put the Seinfeld rabid fans won't soon forget :-)
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                  • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                    Originally Posted by Lance K View Post

                    I've only seen it once.

                    It will have absolutely no bearing on my propensity to purchase Microsoft products in the future. We're merely discussing (in a marketing forum I might add) what a poor piece of advertising it is.

                    Your assertion of it must be working because we're spreading the word is akin to us talking about how a strung out junkie crapped their pants and how sad it is and you taking it as a plug for drug use simply because we're talking about it.
                    Yes, it sure is working for publicity if your talking about it- its also a brand new commercial. Good or bad, your talking about it. Other people are talking about it too, not just in this marketing forum. And I never said it would effect your buying decisions.

                    Do you always talk about every bad commercial you see?

                    Every bad ad you see?

                    Did you watch the entire bill and jerry commercial?

                    Do you always watch every commercial you see?

                    You're mostly likely talking about it only because Jerry and Bill are in it. And consciously and sub-consciously it delivered a message which got people to talk about it immediately.

                    And I have no idea why you're talking about drug use...
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                    • Profile picture of the author cypherslock
                      Bill Gate's version of "let them eat cake!" WOW. I have no idea about windows but I want leather shoes and cake. This is why I'm a linux guy. Mac/PC ads still rule. This was just weird....
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                    • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                      Originally Posted by MaskedMarketer View Post

                      You're mostly likely talking about it only because Jerry and Bill are in it. And consciously and sub-consciously it delivered a message which got people to talk about it immediately.
                      Wrong. I'm talking about it because one of the top companines in the world laid a GIANT TURD with an advertisment. Plain and simple. It won't increase their sales and it has nothing to do with building their brand. At best they exposed people to their logo one more time. It was never revealed what the ad was about until the very end where the logo was flashed for a split second. The word Microsoft was even displayed or mentioned.

                      P.S.

                      The YouTube ad isn't the same as the one I saw on TV. Some parts were edited out.
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                      • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                        Originally Posted by Lance K View Post

                        Wrong. I'm talking about it because one of the top companines in the world laid a GIANT TURD with an advertisment. Plain and simple. It won't increase their sales and it has nothing to do with building their brand. At best they exposed people to their logo one more time. It was never revealed what the ad was about until the very end where the logo was flashed for a split second. The word Microsoft was even displayed or mentioned.

                        P.S.

                        The YouTube ad isn't the same as the one I saw on TV. Some parts were edited out.
                        How do you know there intentions are not to build the brand? Where are your facts?

                        Do you know why at the end the logo was flashed for a "split second"?

                        Its called subliminal messaging. You might not understand it, but it works on the masses (the target audience).
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                        • Profile picture of the author Andy Money
                          This is just the beginning folks. There are going to be a looootttt more of these ads, this was likely just the intro. I guarantee it actually.
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                          • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
                            Originally Posted by mrsleep99 View Post

                            This is just the beginning folks. There are going to be a looootttt more of these ads, this was likely just the intro. I guarantee it actually.
                            I agree 100%. I also believe that this is the first in a series of ads.

                            I saw the ad on TV last night and thought it was pretty funny. I even hit rewind on the DVR to watch it again. Perhaps I'm who they are trying to target, and that's why I "get it"?
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                            • Profile picture of the author dbh
                              I thought it was kinda weird too, and really didn't get the pitch. Maybe I'm just too damn old :rolleyes:.

                              - Darrell
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                            • Profile picture of the author anonymous123567
                              That was pretty funny, I personally have never seen Bill in that way before, its quite cool

                              He should do one with Will Ferrell lol

                              Alex
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                        • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                          Originally Posted by MaskedMarketer View Post

                          How do you know there intentions are not to build the brand? Where are your facts?

                          Do you know why at the end the logo was flashed for a "split second"?

                          Its called subliminal messaging. You might not understand it, but it works on the masses (the target audience).

                          I didn't mean that it wasn't their intention to build the brand. What I meant was that I don't believe it did much for building their brand.

                          Of course I understand why they flashed the logo. I still say they missed the mark.

                          This ad ranks right up there with the Super Bowl ad from a couple of years ago about cat herding as a complete dud compared to what those same advertising dollars could have accomplished.
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                          • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                            Originally Posted by Lance K View Post

                            I didn't mean that it wasn't their intention to build the brand. What I meant was that I don't believe it did much for building their brand.

                            Of course I understand why they flashed the logo. I still say they missed the mark.

                            This ad ranks right up there with the Super Bowl ad from a couple of years ago about cat herding as a complete dud compared to what those same advertising dollars could have accomplished.
                            Maybe you don't understand their brand building strategy.

                            ------------------------
                            Microsoft SVP, Bill Veghte -

                            The overall goal is to inspire consumers and "tell the story of how Windows enables a billion people around the globe to do more with their lives today." This first phase, he says, "is designed to engage consumers and spark a new conversation about Windows - a conversation that will evolve as the campaign progresses, but will always be marked by humor and humanity.
                            ------------------------------

                            Their first mission with this ad, is to create conversation. As I said in my first post, it has been working so far. Not only here, but people are talking about this ad. Undeniable proof.

                            If their ad series is successful, it won't be immediate result in sales. Its a long term strategy.
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                            • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                              Originally Posted by MaskedMarketer View Post



                              Their first mission with this ad, is to create conversation. As I said in my first post, it has been working so far. Not only here, but people are talking about this ad. Undeniable proof.
                              It says spark a conversation about Windows. Nobody here is discussing Windows.
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                              • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                                Originally Posted by Lance K View Post

                                It says spark a conversation about Windows. Nobody here is discussing Windows.
                                Are you serious? Now your just nit picking at nonsense. This is a long term strategy that happened to start only yesterday.

                                And you're right, we are discussing the commercial, which is the first step to talking about Windows.

                                Its getting publicity right now and do you actually believe this is the only forum/board/blog talking about this topic?

                                Again, this is a long term business building strategy. Something Microsoft would have a lot more knowledge and experience then you.

                                Why do you fail to understand this?

                                If the ad series is successful or not no body will know until its over, but so far, day 1, people are already talking about the commercial.
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                                • Profile picture of the author seasoned
                                  Originally Posted by MaskedMarketer View Post

                                  Are you serious? Now your just nit picking at nonsense. This is a long term strategy that happened to start only yesterday.
                                  NOPE, it started EARLIER! I guess they figured THAT campaign was going too slow, or dying, so they moved it to TV as well, and it is now relegated to the SECOND spot on the website. It is clear that THIS one leads into the other. The other is ALMOST as vague, but it is CLEAR what it is doing....

                                  They show people a screen and they say "What the ....", "WOW...","Whoa...", etc.... and I think one even talks about a new version of windows, and eventually it says that they are talking about VISTA.

                                  Here is what M/S says:

                                  You have probably heard about Microsoft's "Mojave Experiment" by now - read about in the news, on a website or a blog, or through friends or colleagues.

                                  Basically the experiment asked: "What do people think of Windows Vista when they don't know it's Windows Vista?" The Mojave Experiment involved 140 participants, who had never used Windows Vista before. They were asked to trial "Mojave", the "next Microsoft OS". What they didn't know was that Mojave was actually Windows Vista in disguise, and the results were very interesting.

                                  Most participants had a poor view of Windows Vista, due mainly to the negative reports they had heard since the OS was launched - but none of them had ever tried it for themselves.

                                  So what were the results?

                                  All participants were asked to rate Windows Vista before they tried Mojave and then rate Mojave after they had tried it.

                                  94% of participants rated Mojave higher than they initially rated Windows Vista before the demo.

                                  No participants rated Mojave lower than they initially rated Windows Vista before the demo.

                                  Of the 140* participants polled: The average pre-demo Vista score was 4.4 (on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the highest). The average post-demo Mojave score was 8.5

                                  *includes both 120 taped and 20 non-taped participants.

                                  The types of users*:
                                  84% Windows XP users
                                  22% Apple OS users
                                  14% Other Windows (Pre-XP) users
                                  1% Linux users
                                  *some users used multiple platforms

                                  Hardware used:

                                  HP Pavilion DV 2000 with 2GB RAM.
                                  The FACT is, in case you are curious, that the bad VISTA press is DESERVED! You can't show that with just average users doing average things with base software, or in a DEMO, so their whole campaign is BIASED and SKEWED in their favor BY IT'S very NATURE!

                                  Even if it wasn't, the users didn't rate the OTHER platforms, so the 8.5 score is meaningless. Isn't the point NOT to simply say you are good, but that you are the BEST!?

                                  What if 100% of the users rated earlier windows a 4, and apples and linux a 9.5?

                                  Steve
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                                  • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                                    Originally Posted by seasoned View Post


                                    NOPE, it started EARLIER! I guess they figured THAT campaign was going too slow, or dying, so they moved it to TV as well, and it is now relegated to the SECOND spot on the website. It is clear that THIS one leads into the other. The other is ALMOST as vague, but it is CLEAR what it is doing....
                                    What I meant was the commercial (the one we are discussing now) actually started yesterday, I do believe?

                                    As far as the campaign, I don't know how long they've been doing this for.
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                                    • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
                                      Future stars will include Will Ferrel and Chris Rock. Source.

                                      And for the record, the company that is running this marketing campaign is Crispin Porter. Anyone with marketing knowledge knows this company does not play around. They are extremely edgy, hip and they produce phenomenal results.

                                      They are the ones that reinvented Burger King recently and launched the Mini Cooper and "Truth" ads.

                                      I've got my eyes wide open on these guys. They have their finger on the pulse of advertising.
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                                      • Profile picture of the author David Neale
                                        Good call Blue Squares. If anybody can help Microsoft reposition itself it's probably Crispin, Porter & Bogusky. Here is a podcast with Alex Bogusky of Crispin Porter that I listened too a few days ago, he is one sharp fellow. They do touch on the Microsoft campaign but Bogusky is not handling the campaign himself.

                                        http://personallifemedia.com/podcast...porter-bogusky

                                        They did one hell of a job for the "Mini".

                                        Not a great commercial too start in my view but it's just the beginning. Apples' campaign is getting a little tired now, I'm guessing they will be watching Crispin Porter closely.

                                        It's very tough to outdo Steve Jobs in this area, he just has a knack for finding the right message for the time. (even if the Apple ads are a crock, they work

                                        Originally Posted by BlueSquares View Post

                                        Future stars will include Will Ferrel and Chris Rock. Source.

                                        And for the record, the company that is running this marketing campaign is Crispin Porter. Anyone with marketing knowledge knows this company does not play around. They are extremely edgy, hip and they produce phenomenal results.

                                        They are the ones that reinvented Burger King recently and launched the Mini Cooper and "Truth" ads.

                                        I've got my eyes wide open on these guys. They have their finger on the pulse of advertising.
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                                  • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh

                                    Yes this is the typical advertising agency ad.

                                    It doesn't actually actively sell anything or have a way to measure response and sales.

                                    The only positive I can see in the ad is making Bill Gates seem like a nice, harmless guy.

                                    But if you wanted to make real money out of an ad like this you'd need Bill and Jerry to sell something specific (a single focus offer) and a call to action.

                                    That'll never happen on Madison Avenue though.

                                    They'd much rather win some wanky award than make their clients real sales and profits.

                                    Kindest regards,
                                    Andrew Cavanagh
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                                  • Profile picture of the author chucknnita
                                    I just saw it last night. I actually thought it was funny, but my first thought was - what does Bill Gates get out of this. When you have a few billion, how much do they have to give you to get you in a commercial? Is the fact that they mention MS that big a deal? Or is it just a chance to hang out with Jerry Seinfield - which I personally think would be a hoot, lol.
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                                    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
                                      Originally Posted by chucknnita View Post

                                      I just saw it last night. I actually thought it was funny, but my first thought was - what does Bill Gates get out of this. When you have a few billion, how much do they have to give you to get you in a commercial? Is the fact that they mention MS that big a deal? Or is it just a chance to hang out with Jerry Seinfield - which I personally think would be a hoot, lol.
                                      I don't know how much Bill REALLY has. I doubt anyone does. But he HAS LOST, at least on a "net worth" basis dozens of billions. This add is an attempt to STOP that.
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                                  • Profile picture of the author seobro
                                    Hasta la VISTA baby! M$ keeps losing market share to Linux and macos. VISTA is so unstable that it constantly gives me out of memory errors and locks up my machine. I and talking about a quad core box with 4 gigs of memory and a 750 gig hard drive.
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                                    • Profile picture of the author jjpmarketing
                                      Linux? LMAO. If you say so...
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                                      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
                                        Originally Posted by jjpmarketing View Post

                                        Linux? LMAO. If you say so...

                                        Linux IS making headway!
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                                  • Profile picture of the author leekhinc
                                    I will never get to see such an ad in my country.

                                    I think Bill gates is trying to market their next generation Windows OS.

                                    My guess: Smarter OS that will enhance user's experience.

                                    Google chrome is already one step ahead of MS with its new "human" intelligent features.
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                                  • Profile picture of the author Max Whitson
                                    can someone tell me what they were advertising and how you got to that conclusion?

                                    thanks
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                                  • Profile picture of the author Joseph Park
                                    Hmm,... am I stupid? I really don't get what the commercial is all about. It seems like it's trying to sell Windows but there isn't really any connection between what they talked about and the Windows. Anybody with a bright mind?

                                    Joe
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                                    • Profile picture of the author chucknnita
                                      Linux has all but replaced UNIX on business server systems. With the recent bad press and constant complaints of MS server products, its taking business away from MS too. No version of Windows can match it for stability.

                                      But as a desktop OS, windows is and always will be the clear winner. Even the UNIX geeks I know sit down at a PC when they want to surf the net or get something done. Bill doesn't have to worry too much about losing the desktop market. But MS is not a leader in the industry anymore. And when I look at MS over the years, they really haven't been successful at much outside of their core business (which supports all of their other failed ventures). Whatever else MS has or does - they are still sitting on about 44 BILLION in cash - yes, that's CASH. That will finance a lot of failure for a long time to come.

                                      So, who knows what Bill is up to. I certainly agree that He is generating buzz.
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                                      • Profile picture of the author GarrieWilson
                                        My two cents...

                                        1. Ads dont always need to sell. They can be used to build a brand or build up to something bigger.

                                        2. With Microsoft, you will soon be able to have your cake and eat it too. That's what I got out of it.

                                        Garrie
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                                      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
                                        Originally Posted by chucknnita View Post

                                        Linux has all but replaced UNIX on business server systems. With the recent bad press and constant complaints of MS server products, its taking business away from MS too. No version of Windows can match it for stability.

                                        But as a desktop OS, windows is and always will be the clear winner. Even the UNIX geeks I know sit down at a PC when they want to surf the net or get something done.
                                        Well, I DIDN'T!!! I used it ONLY to maintain compatibility with some other people. THAT is no longer needed! NOW I run it ONLY because my current job uses a product that requires windows for the client. GUESS WHAT!!!!! The server USED to be only windows and 3 variants of UNIX. NOW, it includes LINUX! The server USED to be character only, NOW it has a GUI! Question.... How long before they support the client on UNIX!?!?!?


                                        Originally Posted by chucknnita View Post

                                        Bill doesn't have to worry too much about losing the desktop market.
                                        Gee, he is running SCARED! There is a HUGE smear campaign against Linux!

                                        Originally Posted by chucknnita View Post

                                        But MS is not a leader in the industry anymore. And when I look at MS over the years, they really haven't been successful at much outside of their core business (which supports all of their other failed ventures). Whatever else MS has or does - they are still sitting on about 44 BILLION in cash - yes, that's CASH. That will finance a lot of failure for a long time to come.

                                        So, who knows what Bill is up to. I certainly agree that He is generating buzz.
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                                        • Profile picture of the author chucknnita
                                          Even with X-Windows, linux is too complicated for the average user. I agree, its the superior OS by far. But people are never going to take the time to learn it. Personally, I came from a UNIX environment, so I have no problem with it. But I think most people will just tolerate Windows.
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                                • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                                  Originally Posted by MaskedMarketer View Post

                                  Are you serious? Now your just nit picking at nonsense. This is a long term strategy that happened to start only yesterday.

                                  And you're right, we are discussing the commercial, which is the first step to talking about Windows.
                                  Bullsh%t. This is a marketing forum and we're discussing the impact (or lack there of) of the approach. As it relates to marketing.


                                  Originally Posted by MaskedMarketer View Post

                                  Its getting publicity right now and do you actually believe this is the only forum/board/blog talking about this topic?
                                  Not even close to the same thing. See above. Aside from that, as far as using humor to spark conversation, I'd be surprised if this ad is the focus of much water cooler talk.

                                  Originally Posted by MaskedMarketer View Post

                                  Again, this is a long term business building strategy. Something Microsoft would have a lot more knowledge and experience then you.

                                  Why do you fail to understand this?

                                  If the ad series is successful or not no body will know until its over, but so far, day 1, people are already talking about the commercial.
                                  WHY DO YOU FAIL TO UNDERSTAND that we're discussing this as marketers and not prospects considering Microsoft's products????

                                  Of course it's part of a long term strategy. One that regardless of how it ends, STARTED WITH A DUD!!!

                                  The only "win" I see out of this for MS (as someone else mentioned) is that now SOME PEOPLE will recognize Bill & Jerry as the cornerstones of the campaign. I'd wager that there are tons of people who won't catch on just by watching the initial ad.

                                  I don't see how anyone can argue against the thinking that there was much room for improvement in this initial ad of the campaign. They didn't get the most bang for their buck. That's my point.
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                                  • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                                    WHY DO YOU FAIL TO UNDERSTAND that we're discussing this as marketers and not prospects considering Microsoft's products????

                                    This is a marketing forum, I understand. Does Microsoft only target marketers for their products? And if we aren't their only target market, why would we not include their target market to see how effective the ad really is?

                                    Why would you exclude there target market? That doesn't make much sense.

                                    Of course it's part of a long term strategy. One that regardless of how it ends, STARTED WITH A DUD!!!

                                    The commercial we are speaking about has only been on air for about a day. How can you conclude it's already dud?

                                    Please provide facts, not opinion, so I can agree with you.

                                    I don't see how anyone can argue against the thinking that there was much room for improvement in this initial ad of the campaign. They didn't get the most bang for their buck. That's my point
                                    .

                                    Since I don't test their ads I couldn't say what can be improved. What exactly should be improved to get better results?

                                    People are talking about this commercial.

                                    The point of the tv ad, is to get people talking about windows, right? So, if people continually talk about this commercial, windows can potentially come up as well- because this commercial is so new, how can you be sure it won't happen as planned? It might be too soon to say weather it has failed or is a success. Does that make sense?

                                    And I'm not saying it can't be improved, its the best strategy, or they can't do something different. What I'm saying is- they want conversation- and they got it.
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                        • Profile picture of the author Andy Money
                          Originally Posted by MaskedMarketer View Post

                          How do you know there intentions are not to build the brand? Where are your facts?

                          Do you know why at the end the logo was flashed for a "split second"?

                          Its called subliminal messaging. You might not understand it, but it works on the masses (the target audience).

                          You guys do know this is part of a MASSIVE ad campaign right? This is one single ad. It wasn't supposed to be selling anything, I thought that was obvious. They're re-introducing two major celebrities so when people see them in shorter, more direct "hard selling" ads it'll have more impact.
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                          • Profile picture of the author Alex Sol
                            To my microsoft failed long time ago... Viste, Zune and many other products - COMPLETE fail.

                            I say that ad is a big waste of money
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                          • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                            Originally Posted by mrsleep99 View Post

                            You guys do know this is part of a MASSIVE ad campaign right? This is one single ad. It wasn't supposed to be selling anything, I thought that was obvious. They're re-introducing two major celebrities so when people see them in shorter, more direct "hard selling" ads it'll have more impact.
                            Exactly... Finally somebody that knows whats going on...
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                    • Profile picture of the author Wild Boom
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                      • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
                        Originally Posted by Wild Boom View Post

                        Just tell us what you really feel, just out of curiousity what are these sub-consciously aspects in this commercials, to get talked about acording to you...

                        Why not aim a tad bit higher than that.....huh?

                        Like making everyone who see's this drive right away to the store and by the latest microsoft gadget, that had been good enough for me.


                        Do you see now why advertising "sub-consciously" is thin air and a myth??
                        Yes they are covertly persuading people for brand loyalty. Thats the purpose of the ad series, they are building their brand.

                        Are you aware branding for long term strategy is NOT to get immediate sales?

                        The purpose of the first ad? Get people talking about it. IT WORKED.

                        A myth? Too bad you don't notice messages being shot at your sub-conscious everyday. Because they work, your conscious won't notice it, unless you know whats going on.

                        The original point of the thread is stating the ad sucked. Since many people do not understand the ad, they might think this. In reality, the mission they set out to accomplish is already being fulfilled.
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