Microsoft’s New Commercials With Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld
Written on September 6, 2008 at 2:18 pm, by Lain
Microsoft and house museums share the same problem. They’re (perceived as) boring. Super boring.
Unlike most house museums however, Microsoft has some pretty deep pockets. They addressed the problem by hiring the same firm that brought back the King from Burger King.
And behold! They made Bill Gates funny! With impeccable timing!
I suppose you could say that Microsoft’s Seinfeld commercials are a little bit like the Wren’s Nest blog–a little awkward, sometimes confusing, oddly funny, and a direct response to a problem (of being branded a snoozefest) outside of our control.
Oh, but ours cost $300 million less. …and reaches approximately 300 million fewer people.
Thanks, Epicenter.
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Amber Suitt
Program Director
Lain Shakespeare
Executive Director
2 Comments to Microsoft’s New Commercials With Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld
Uh, I think the WNB does a far, FAR better job than this new commerical. It makes no sense. It is suppose to be in direct response to the “I’m a Mac, and I’m a PC” ads by Apple. But Apple’s ads are funny, and still make a point about why to get a Mac verus a PC.
This new Gates/Seinfeld commerical is just still and pointless. Plus, do kids these days, or younger folks, still see Seinfeld as relavant?
Deb, you’re right, Jerry Seinfeld isn’t hip or cool or really relevant. And certainly neither is Bill Gates.
The problem is that Microsoft’s brand has been defined by Apple. If they portrayed themselves as uber-cool they certainly wouldn’t live up to Apple’s coolness standard and would end up falling on their face.
By fashioning themselves as nerdy, off-the-wall, and (debatably) funny, they’re recreating their brand and not letting Microsoft be defined by their competitor. That’s all I’m saying anyway.
But yeah I see your point, and thanks for the kind words!