Seinfeld ad branded a dud for Microsoft

News Type: Event — Seeded on Sun Sep 7, 2008 12:38 AM EDT

Article Source: theage.com.au

technology, microsoft, advertising, bill-gates, jerry-seinfeld

No soup for Microsoft?

The software giant's new ad starring Jerry Seinfeld has drawn largely negative reviews online after premiering Thursday night during NBC's broadcast of the National Football League's season kickoff game.

The ad was the start of a highly anticipated $US300 million advertising campaign that Microsoft is launching in attempt to rebuff Apple's popular TV commercials, which have portrayed Microsoft and PCs as uncool.

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2.7

{"commentId":2802714,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

Those negative reviews are well deserved. The ad was dull and pointless.

{"commentId":2802714,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

3 votes

#1 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 12:39 AM EDT

{"commentId":2803383,"authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

lauhal

The first time I saw the ad, I wondered WTF? I saw it again & chuckled, but I think it was because it was soooo bad.

{"commentId":2803383,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

3 votes

#2 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 2:18 AM EDT

{"commentId":2803549,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

It really is unbelievably bad. And a massive waste of money.

{"commentId":2803549,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

3 votes

#2.1 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 2:42 AM EDT

{"commentId":2803560,"authorDomain":"divbyzero"}

Division by Zero

I saw it and I gagged. Surely they could have come up with something better.

{"commentId":2803560,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"divbyzero"}

2 votes

#3 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 2:44 AM EDT

{"commentId":2803720,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

Trained chimps could have come up with something better.

{"commentId":2803720,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 3:13 AM EDT

{"commentId":2803872,"authorDomain":"tacitus13"}

Tacitus13

I saw it and I gagged. Surely they could have come up with something better.

In Microsoft's defense, look at the OS they had to work with (Vista!)

{"commentId":2803872,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"tacitus13"}

2 votes

#3.2 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 3:58 AM EDT

{"commentId":2803897,"authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

lauhal

Trained chimps could have come up with something better.

Are you sure you didn't want to give a shout out to untrained chimps?

{"commentId":2803897,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

2 votes

#3.3 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 4:08 AM EDT

{"commentId":2803996,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

Are you sure you didn't want to give a shout out to untrained chimps?

Sorry, my mistake.

{"commentId":2803996,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

2 votes

#3.4 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 4:53 AM EDT

{"commentId":2804554,"authorDomain":"SthPacific"}

SthPacific

I did not even bother watching it. When I saw him SF with Gates I just thought, a tired old comedian promoting a tired old software company. *Yawns*

{"commentId":2804554,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"SthPacific"}

3 votes

#4 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 8:23 AM EDT

{"commentId":2805044,"authorDomain":"alistairbrown"}

Alistair Brown

I actually quite enjoyed it, though I've no real idea why. At the very least it didn't feature anyone as annoying as the guy that plays the Mac in the American versions of Apple's ads.

{"commentId":2805044,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"alistairbrown"}

1 vote

#5 - Sun Sep 7, 2008 9:52 AM EDT

{"commentId":2813898,"authorDomain":"GreenBone"}

GreenBone

if anyone recalls Jerry always used an Apple in his apartment. great product placement on his desk. i wonder if he uses an Apple in real life? it is rumored that Gates has an Apple with Linux installed. if they were to make a tough laptop i probably own one. instead i own a Toughbook.

it may have been easier than it seems to the ad agency on how to beat Apples verse. in the Apple ad they seem to imply that all pc are equipped with Windows and there is no other choice. the Gates ad perhaps is trying to say choice.

i have to agree. trying to promote Vista must be hard. if only they would make an a la carte OS like some flavor of a Debian Linux they could make a go of it. they could call it Winux. i am also surprised that they do not make a live disk such as pioneered by Knoppix.

yet with all the difficulties, (i did not or ever will buy Vista), with Vista they still want to promote the whole package. it sounds like another big company called GM thinking they can tell us what kind of car we should like. this applies to Apple as well.

Open Source Rules

{"commentId":2813898,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"GreenBone"}

1 vote

#6 - Mon Sep 8, 2008 2:13 AM EDT

{"commentId":2821812,"authorDomain":"gregjarvis"}

gregjarvis

i thought the commercial was great

{"commentId":2821812,"threadId":"351320","contentId":"1836750","authorDomain":"gregjarvis"}

#7 - Mon Sep 8, 2008 3:35 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"351320","isPrivate":false}

RED WOLF

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Seinfeld ad branded a dud for Microsoft

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