So last night, Microsoft aired the first in a series of ads in that $300M campaign that you’ve heard so much about. Most of the web pundits out there are lambasting the ad, saying that it wasn’t going to sell Vista, or whatever. I had a lot to say about this topic, but CNET’s Don Reisenger said just about everything I wanted to say about it.
Everywhere I turn today, I find a story by colleagues or comments by readers saying that the new Microsoft ad with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates fails on almost every level. Some complain that it doesn't mention Vista at all, which makes it useless, while others say that watching Gates' derriere waggle at the end of the commercial was just a bit too much.
Either way, Microsoft is getting killed from all sides by people that think the ad was nothing more than a waste of time and money. "Apple's ads are so much better!" they say until their hearts are content. "Who would want to buy Vista after watching that ad?" they exclaim.
Do me a favor: sit down, put your MacBook Pro away, and be quiet.
Judging a $300M advertising campaign by its first $50K ad is, to say the least, ridiculous. No one ever said it was a Vista marketing campaign… Windows is about more than just Vista. The “Get a Mac” ads targeted Windows long before they made it cool to flat out lie about Vista. It’s not targeted at techies… we all have our allegiances, and one ad campaign isn’t going to change them (religion is usually like that). It was targeted at everyday people, who think that campaigns like Subserviant Chicken and The King are cool. It took you to a world where the richest man in the world shops at the Shoe Circus in your local mall, and worked ridiculousness, Bill Gates’ mug shot, and hairy legs wearing shoes in the shower, all in one 90 second spot.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Microsoft thinks “Your World Through Windows” looks like. And BTW, congrats on the new site. Good to see you guys using Silverlight. Maybe UltimatePC.com will get the hint.