“The long, oft-baffling ‘teaser” ads’ by Microsoft Corp. featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates that kicked off two weeks ago are abruptly ending, the company said late Wednesday, as part two of its $300 million Windows marketing rehab campaign begins,” Eric Lai reports for Computerworld.
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft ought to spend $300 million on coding, not ads.
Lai continues, “Carrying the theme ‘Windows. Life without walls,’ the new ads will show Microsoft ‘audaciously embracing’ the phrase ‘I’m a PC’ — which has been so successfully tarnished by Apple Inc.’s ads the past two years — in order to rehabilitate it.”
MacDailyNews Take: In a world without fences and walls, who needs Gates and Windows?
Lai continues, “One of the new commercials will even show a real Microsoft engineer who is a ringer for John Hodgman, the actor who plays the abused PC character in the Apple ads, introducing himself: ‘Hello, I’m a PC, and I’ve been made into a stereotype,'”
Full article here.
Stuart Elliott reports for The New York Times, “Mr. Gates makes a cameo appearance in the new Microsoft spots, along with celebrities like the actress Eva Longoria, the author Deepak Chopra and the singer Pharrell Williams. But the stars are everyday PC users, from scientists and fashion designers to shark hunters and teachers, all of whom affirm, in fast-paced, upbeat vignettes, their pride in using the computers that run on Microsoft operating systems and software.”
MacDailyNews Take: All of whom have never tried a Mac or they’d be Mac users regaling us with “I can’t believe how stupid I was for so many years suffering with Windows! I’m so glad I finally switched!” Our reader feedback and email inboxes are stuffed full with such bittersweet missives.
These former everyday PC users definitely will not be featured:
• Inquirer tech writer switches to Apple Mac: ‘Fed up with the absolute turd that is Windows Vista’ – July 07, 2008
• Intel sees no Vista on horizon; decides not to ‘upgrade’ 80k employees to Microsoft’s Windows Vista – June 25, 2008
• Axel Springer dumps Microsoft Windows, switches 10,000 employees to Apple Macintosh – July 05, 2008
• 25-year PC vet dumps Microsoft’s Windows for Apple Mac, finds ‘digital heaven’ – March 31, 2008
• Oregon’s George Fox University dumps Windows PCs for Apple Macs – March 03, 2008
• Chris Pirillo: 50 Reasons to switch from Microsoft Windows to Apple’s Mac OS X – February 18, 2008
• Microsoft’s Windows Vista, Office 2007 expelled from British schools – January 11, 2008
• Microsoft’s Windows Vista convinces tech writer to buy an Apple MacBook – December 11, 2007
• SMU Cox School of Business dumps PCs for Apple Macs – October 30, 2007
• Wall Street Journal readers endorse dumping Windows and switching to Apple Macintosh – September 17, 2007
• Boom! Largest automobile processing company in North America dumps Windows PCs for Apple Macs – July 16, 2007
• US National Institute of Standards and Technology bans Microsoft Windows Vista – March 12, 2007
• Windows expert dumps Windows, switches to Apple’s Mac OS X, finds software plentiful – March 12, 2007
• US DOT, FAA ban ‘upgrading’ to Windows Vista, Explorer 7, Office 2007; looks at Macs – March 02, 2007
• Wilkes University to dump all Windows PCs, replace with Apple Macs – February 22, 2007
• Computerworld: Windows expert dumps Windows, switches to Apple’s Mac OS X – February 08, 2007
• Windows sufferer spends six hours trying to ‘upgrade’ to Vista, says: ‘I should’ve bought a Mac’ – February 07, 2007
• Windows Vista woes push BBC News editor to regret never having ‘defected’ to Apple Mac – February 06, 2007
• Windows Vista disappointment drives longtime ‘Microsoft apologist’ to Apple’s Mac OS X – January 17, 2007
• Top Windows developer dumps Microsoft’s ‘pile of crap’ for Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2006
• Sophos Security: Dump Windows, Get a Mac – July 05, 2006
• Sydney Morning Herald Tech columnist dumps Microsoft Windows, switches to Apple Mac – June 13, 2006
• Japan’s Aozora Bank dumps 2,300 Windows PCs for Apple Macs – April 03, 2006
Elliott continues, “Among them are more than 60 Microsoft employees, who are accompanied in the ads by e-mail addresses — even Mr. Gates’s ().”
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft employees affirming their pride in using Windows? That’s convincing. By the way, send Gates massively large images of canned ham; he loves that almost as much as getting leaked code from the next Mac OS.
We guess these guys aren’t in the ads:
• No one’s immune to Microsoft Windows hell – not even Bill Gates – June 25, 2008
• Microsoft executives’ internal emails highlight Windows Vista discontent – March 10, 2008
• Even Microsoft’s top execs ‘burned’ by Vista problems – February 29, 2008
• Microsoft’s Steve Jobs-wannabe J Allard has 9 iPods and uses an Apple Mac – November 28, 2006
• Microsoft Windows Vista developers used Apple Macs for inspiration – November 27, 2006
• Microsoft CEO Ballmer spends two days unsuccessfully trying to clean Windows PC malware – June 05, 2006
Elliott continues, “A giant advertiser responding to the disparagement of a smaller rival can be fraught with peril. Consumers may see it as a validation of the claims, or even bullying. On the other hand, ignoring the taunts can damage images and sales.” Rob Reilly, partner and co-executive creative director at Microsoft’s ad agency, Crispin Porter & Bogusky said that Microsoft’s “celebration of PC users is intended to show them ‘connected to this community of people who are creative, who are passionate.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Is it really a winning sales tactic to celebrate the fact that hundreds of thousands of Internet traffic-clogging Windows PC spambots are connected via TCP/IP to creative, passionate Mac users?
Elliott continues, “The theme of ‘Life without walls’ was the concept for the Microsoft campaign ‘from the beginning,’ he added, because it declares ‘that the goal of Windows is to help remove the walls in your life, now and in the future.'”
MacDailyNews Take: How does shackling yourself to Microsoft “solutions” from which they strive to make it nearly impossible (Outlook, for just one example; by the way, use Little Machines’ Outlook2Mac) to extricate yourself or your business help “remove walls in your life?” It’s just total hypocrisy: Microsoft’s entire business is based on is constructing walls to keep the sheep penned in now and in the future.
Elliott reports, “Coming magazine and outdoor ads focus on how Windows can be used for mobile devices, TV sets and laptops along with PCs.”
MacDailyNews Take: Another one who didn’t get a callback:
• Microsoft sycophant Mary Jo Foley: Windows Mobile is awful; avoid it like the plague – May 08, 2008
Full article here.
“Microsoft ought to spend $300 million on coding”
They did. And that’s why their Minesweeper and Solitaire games are so freakin’ snappy!
Not surprising, however being a fan of Jerry Sienfeld I was getting a kick out of them.
So these are Microsoft “Switcher” commercials?
That’s what they sound like.
“My name’s Bill Gates, and I didn’t Switch.”
“Macintosh. Life without wails.”
The death throes of M$ are in the air. Have been for some while.
Grappling desperately to change an image that has taken hold of the public by storm; Windows is poor programing.
M$ needs to take the plunge that Apple did with the switch to a new code for its OS.
The giant needs a complete rewrite. It’s much flaunted corporate stranglehold is now the one that is stopping M$ from true innovation. It is caught in its own trap and greed.
Seinfeld is the smart one and the winner in this…for what?…just two commercials shot…just how much money did Jerry make?
For him, I would smile with an additional pocket of dough, enough to supply his house with an Al Gore sized Mac network, and move on to his next image re-invigorating project.
@Modbus
Lol!
If I were to remove the walls in my life that form my house it would fall down.
“Mr. Gates makes a cameo appearance in the new Microsoft spots, along with celebrities like the actress Eva Longoria, the author Deepak Chopra. . . “
Chopra?? That quack? They’re using HIM to help bolster their image? Cripes.
I can’t believe that they are going to go with “I am a PC”. This is another example of how they don’t get it. One of the pillars of the mac/pc commercials is the contrast – not the absolute. Just saying that PC is better than you thought, still doesn’t change the fact that Mac is better than PC. In fact, it sort of reinforces Hodgeman’s premise of saying “I AM COOL! I AM COOL! I AM! I AM! I AM! WAAAH!”
M$, you need to learn that cool does not depend on the suit – it depends on the soul!
Oh!
I need a Microsoft PC…
Anyone know where to get one???
Does Microsoft make computers???
Oh NO… What’s up with that???
This is truly the issue with the Microsoft ecosystem…
or lack there-of.
Get a Mac…
Have a life…
Architecture: no walls = no windows! This is very clear to everyone exept MS’s managers… MS is doomed! This also might get clear for most of mankind…
Redmond start your copiers. Wait, you just did…again.
M$ is just wandering around dazed and confused. This is shameful and won’t fly with the public. It’ll be seen as a cheap copy.
What walls are they worried about? The only time I hit a wall is when I work with Windows.
The level of panic at Microsoft and the Windows PC world is awesome and growing. Bad Vista OS (like tight shoes in the shower) is being trasher for XP or programed over. HP is developing their own OS. Dell is shutting factories down. etc. And Apple is growing 60.6% from 6.6% to 10.6% in laptop market share Q207 to Q208. New Apple Stores. New countries. New innovative products and services. etc.
This Q308 will blow them all away!!!
almux beat me to the punch. It seems like the WORST possible concept to use
“actress Eva Longoria, the author Deepak Chopra and the singer Pharrell Williams”
Let’s see: a C-list actress, an esoteric healer, and Britney Spear’s producer. These people couldn’t talk me into visiting the john, even if I had cholera.
“One of the new commercials will even show a real Microsoft engineer who is a ringer for John Hodgman, … introducing himself: ‘Hello, I’m a PC, and I’ve been made into a stereotype,'”
Wow. That is SOOOooooo easy to counter with a Mac/PC ad: The Real Deal John Hodgman stands next to a “poor copy” of himself spouting buzzwords and babbling incoherently. “Who’s that?” asks Mac. “That’s just that guy who’s going around pretending to be me – kind of how I want to be like YOU, Mac”
M$ = Crash infusion
Every time one of the Apple ‘Get A Mac’ ads is mentioned, it is described as the schlump of a PC guy getting mocked by a hipster, as if the Mac were abusing the poor PC. The Mac hardly says anything at all, let alone anything insulting or derogatory to the PC. The PC guys are certainly reading a lot into the ads.
@LOL
You are exactly right. Microsoft needs to stop supporting all the truly ancient hardware and rewrite Windows from the ground up if they are to have any hope of surviving. That is what Apple did. They saw that OS 9 couldn’t go any further and had to be abandoned. Microsoft’s business model of putting their OS on any POS hardware is now biting them in the ass.
Wait a minute …
If Each of these new ads will focus on a “real person” and their experience with Windows, and start off with the phrase “Hello, my name is <blank> and I’m a PC” ….
Doesn’t Apple just have to pull it’s original ads to kind of make the whole campaign look stupid and unintelligible? The PC in the Apple ads is a computer, not a person. If MS has a bunch of people saying “I’m a PC,” they will just look like idiots, especially if Apple removes the original frame of reference.
It seems the height of stupidity to start an ad campaign based on how your rival is characterising your product. It gives all the control to Apple because all MS is doing is attempting to redefine Apple’s terms.
They need to redefine themselves, not try to redefine what someone else has defined them as. Tres Stupid.
Once again, it’s copy and steal. So Redmond noticed that Steve Jobs sometimes answers his email? O O O O O goodie let’s have Billy Goat advertise his email so he’s like Steve Jobs! Copy copy copy subvert twist crappily imitate and on and on and on.
Billy & Jerry’s gay adventures were a more interesting morbid train wreck.
They are just making things worse. The largest tech company can not even get it’s own ideas together to promote it’s products.
Steve Ballmer is Apples best employe, as a mac user I’m happy about that but in all honesty he has got to go.
Hopefully after apple has 25% share back (US)!
Is it really the 1st of april ?? How is it even possible ?
If Apple would be nasty there are just sooo many ways to flip this in their “Get a mac” ads…
Good job, MS. Looks like you’re taking another play from your “R&D;South” playbook, only this time, it’s not a small-time company anymore.
♪♫ Everyone associated with Microsoft is a moron. ♫♪