Seinfeld Out of Microsoft Ads

Published on September 17th, 2008

by Michael Arrington – September 17, 2008 on TechCrunch

People at Microsoft that I trust are saying that it has absolutely, positively, definitely (really) always been the plan to have Seinfeld appear in just the first few warm up commercials for their $300 million Vista ad campaign, and then move on to the meat of the messaging. And I believe them, with the appropriate wiggle room (like if the ads were super well received, they may have exercised an option to keep him longer, etc.).

But either way, Seinfeld is out, at least for now, after three controversial commercials (first, second and third). Microsoft won’t confirm Seinfeld’s rumored $10 million fee one way or the other. And they say he may be back later in the campaign.

But starting tomorrow the ads go on, without Seinfeld.

28 users responded in " Seinfeld Out of Microsoft Ads "

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# 1 Brian said, on September 17th, 2008 at 8:14 pm

It’s too bad, as they seemed to be getting much funnier…the spot with the family they were living with had some truly laugh out loud moments, and these are infinitely superior to those moronic (and long played out) ‘I’m a mac’ ads.

# 2 Don said, on September 17th, 2008 at 9:32 pm

The problems with the ads were not Seinfelds doing. It almost seems like those mopes at Microshaft were doing these things themselves without an ad agency.

I still don’t know what the message was that they were trying to get out.

I find the Mac/PC ads for the most part to be quite entertaining and devastatingly effective at getting the Apple point across.

Don

# 3 FRAGaLOT said, on September 17th, 2008 at 9:36 pm

not seen the 3rd one yet.. links?

# 4 admfubar said, on September 17th, 2008 at 9:40 pm

hey i could do just as good, if not better job as seinfeld… and i could really us $10 mill….. really why does a comedian/tv star/movie star really need any more cash??

# 5 Springheel Jack said, on September 17th, 2008 at 10:19 pm

Now Jerry can go back to using that Mac SE in his apartment. Oh wait, he never did use it.

# 6 Glenn E. said, on September 17th, 2008 at 11:28 pm

There’s been three of them?! I thought I missed the ad showing them arriving at the people’s home. And only saw the two following that. “You” mean they just left the mall, and then they’re in someone’s home, in the very next ad?! That’s kind of creepy. The last one I saw was of them scraping paint from a door as punishment for taking some dinosaur doll. But it was the kids who set them up, to do their chore for them. Now is that supposed to be some kind of metaphor for Vista/Windows being blamed for problems it doesn’t have? If so, it’s a pretty weak metaphor.

The fact that one has to ponder out these ads at all, illustrates how out of touch Microsoft is with the common folk. I recently saw them repeat their Mojave OS (Vista) ad. So I guess they didn’t have the non-Seinfeld ones ready yet. The Mojave OS ad was dull and really not that convincing, to give Vista a chance. They should have had a wild party, showing people having a wonderful time. And they reveal it was Vista all along. Ok, not a 100% true portrayal. But ads are supposed to be the absolute truth. No more than Windows OS has always been an absolutely pure OS. And not secretly slowing up 3rd party wares. So why is Microsoft suddenly hung up on only making ads that appear truthful, and not exaggerations? But then they allow these “metaphorical” ones slid by. They simply don’t get advertising and being imaginative. Which is why their OS’s features are mostly competing OSes innovations. And the ones that aren’t, are mostly what others wouldn’t have, like DRM (if they can avoid it) and marketing tools.

# 7 JulioHM said, on September 18th, 2008 at 12:38 am

sometimes i tend to agree with dvorak that this was just one huge hoax…

i can see the guys at marketing going: “I bet I can make Bill Gates do the robot on TV”.

then the one next to him goes: “Oh yeah? Prove it!”

# 8 Lou said, on September 18th, 2008 at 2:15 am

Life will go on.

# 9 Hassan Maynard said, on September 18th, 2008 at 4:46 am

Way overdue!

# 10 Stephanie said, on September 18th, 2008 at 5:09 am

Someday Microsoft will fall. Their shiz costs too much and it took me more time to maintain my Windows PC than actually use it. That is sad.

# 11 the answer said, on September 18th, 2008 at 5:09 am

I thought the $10 million was just for Seinfeld’s ego. Let alone the bad acting and writing.

# 12 Atlanta Steve said, on September 18th, 2008 at 5:20 am

I thought the ads were the most bizarre thing I’d ever seen, and my mind could only accept them if they were viewed as some sort of esoteric art. As an advert I found them horrible. And even when they were funny I couldn’t laugh because my jaw was stuck to the floor because it was Jerry Seinfeld and Bill GATES? WTF?

If some hollywood bigshot with a tremendous sense of humor, had, as an art project, shot a short of bill gates and seinfeld invading these people’s home, and shown it in the shorts presentation at SlamDance I would consider it one of the most brilliant pieces of short film I’d ever seen.

As advertisement, it makes my eyes blink and my head spin…but not much else.

# 13 Ah_Yea said, on September 18th, 2008 at 5:24 am

Ok, like I’ve said before. These ads are not about selling Vista, they are about selling Bill Gates.

That’s right, Bill Gates.

Bill Gates is seen as the Emperor Palpatine of the computer world, and Microsoft feels that image is hurting sales.

So, these ads are created to lift up the corner on the “real” Bill Gates. Bill has a sense of humor, Bill can have his feeling hurt. Bill as a person.

Seinfeld was just the opening act, not the main show. The opening act finished his job and has left the stage.

# 14 Eric said, on September 18th, 2008 at 5:26 am

#6:

Sometimes a crappy ad is just a crappy ad.

Don’t read too much into them.

Now maybe they can roll out the real campaign:

Hi. Billy Mays here for Windows Vista!

# 15 Ah_Yea said, on September 18th, 2008 at 5:27 am

Oh, and what a sweet deal for Seinfeld.

A couple of days of work, a little goofing off here and there, $10 million richer…

# 16 MicroEarth said, on September 18th, 2008 at 6:20 am

I love the statement “Someday Microsoft will fail”. Ya, sure, so will the Sun. The ad was awful, but that don’t mean it wasn’t well thought out, planned, effective, and successful in it’s “Act One” in showing what stupidity looks as in when Apple does an ad. The character Seinfeld is stoopid, that’s the point. So now they get rid of him, people talk about it, controversy, bla bla bla, they get more free press. It’s great advertising. Compare to Apple ads & computers which are consistently stupid throughout their entire performance.

# 17 gquaglia said, on September 18th, 2008 at 6:32 am

People were talking about these commercial and talking a lot. Isn’t that the point of an ad, to create a buzz over them. Like tehm or not, you couldn’t go to a website without hearing about the ads. To me that signals a success. I’m not surprised that M$ didn’t understand that. The new ads will no doubt be boring, predictable and nobody will care about them. But I guess stupidity and M$ go hand and hand nowadays. Pity.

# 18 chuck said, on September 18th, 2008 at 7:01 am

My theory:
When Microsoft announced the new ad campaign, it knew whatever it did would be closely examined and criticized.

So the Gates/Seinfeld ads were fake – they were made so that everyone would be able to watch them, see how awful they were, and provide endless material for the bloggers.

Now they can start running the real ads, which will be standard, not very interesting, but provide some consistent message about how Vista is working, and better than ever. Yadda yadda yadda.

# 19 jim h said, on September 18th, 2008 at 7:30 am

I thought the ads were funny and effective. Obviously a lot of people – or at least, posters on this blog, some of whom I suspect are ‘bots – hated them.

I challenge you guys: tell us what a “good” ad would contain. How would you market MS products today?

Do you just want the same old cr@p about “wherever you want to go” and “great user experience”?

# 20 john said, on September 18th, 2008 at 7:35 am

Even if this was their plan, it is a really dumb plan. Makes it looks like their $300 million campaign was a bust so they are quickly backtracking and replacing Seinfeld with…MS employees? Fumbling and stumbling…just like the first year of the Vista launch.

# 21 Pixbird said, on September 18th, 2008 at 8:36 am

“I challenge you guys: tell us what a “good” ad would contain. How would you market MS products today?” Ok, here goes;

VISTA: “I’m Windows Vista.”
TURD: “And I’m a dog turd.”
VISTA: “At least I won’t be found burning in a bag on your front step.”
TURD: “Are you sure about that?”
VISTA: “Hmmm.”
TURD:

# 22 pedro said, on September 18th, 2008 at 9:06 am

#2 I find the mac ads incredibly moronic. Go figure.

#19 I thought the ads were lame.

# 23 Todd said, on September 18th, 2008 at 9:06 am

Microsoft is absolutely pathetic! This is really the worst PR-campaign I have ever seen!

# 24 Mr. Fusion said, on September 18th, 2008 at 9:18 am

#21, Pixbird,

LOL, one of the best commercial ideas yet. Please, take a bow.

# 25 Paul said, on September 18th, 2008 at 9:25 am

The Ads are NOT canceled

http://gizmodo.com/5051682/microsoft-ads-featuring-bill-gates-and-jerry-seinfeld-not-canceled

# 26 edbauer said, on September 18th, 2008 at 9:35 am

LOL at Brian #1: spoken like a true fanboy. This isn’t to say that the Apple ads were world beaters or “hilarious,” but come on already. Obviously the Apple ads are “working,” or else we wouldn’t see any more.

Apparently you’re in the 0.00001% percent that found the ads “funny” and “infinitely superior.” Had they worked, there’d be more, and Jerry wouldn’t have been sh|tcanned.

Lack of Marketing 101 = FAIL

Though I guess when you’re Microsoft, you have money to waste on failed, ineffective ad campaigns.

# 27 deowll said, on September 18th, 2008 at 2:52 pm

To bad if true. I liked them. In fact my data suggests an increasing number of people were starting to like them. Not enough in life is funny.

# 28 brucemlloyd said, on September 18th, 2008 at 3:58 pm

These commercials make me feel the same after I use Windows: bewildered and totally confused.

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