I for one like this ad. I like the classic jerry seinfeld. I like the subtle humor. I like the simple mall setting. Heck I even like bill gates. I still hate windows though...

tintinto

Good start, it's going to have to be a long champaign and I think the previous poster had it spot on, need to have a human connection first; that takes a while. I'm going to give it some time before I call fail.

rrogahn

I saw the ad. Girlie thought I was crazy for rewinding the DVR to watch an ad.

Love,
mbaronny

OMG! Ponies!

Amusing, but a terrible ad.

.endejas.

I liked it. I think people bitch too much. Bitches.

MastaFalse

DONE!
[coolest-birthday-cakes.shippony.com]

chrisaroz

@se.blackheart: Oh, and you guys spell "cheque" wrong....

Mandatory_Field

I think it's awesome, but a terrible advertisement. I've still watched it a couple of times.

mhlaxp

Seinfeld is soo Windows 95.

sos10

@se.blackheart: Check your math dude: I may be a Canadian, but I can still tell that means you Americans would only get a $1 cheque....

Mandatory_Field

I thought it was awesome. I love that everyone has a general knowledge of the conquistador for some reason.

Daversa

so uh, there are 300 million people in the US and theyre spending 300 million on their marketing campaign...i can think of a better way to spend that money. sorry Canada and the rest of the free world, no million dollar check for you.

se.blackheart

Maybe the message was that if you wear your computer in the shower it will expand?

HellTempest

Damn, you guys are fast, i literally just watched that on tv!

ryanobo66

It's like Nissan's commercials in the early 90s. No relationship to the product, poor execution. Too much of an inside joke/story. Nissan nearly collapsed. It's better now.

maybe we should come back to M$ in 12 years. Good luck, that.

Slappy McSlapp

For some reason I expected the ad to be more about computers and less about astrology.

Nexcidia

The mug shot on his ID was the best part, the rest was delicious? Otherwise, it was more pointless than most other ads. The only thing I got out of it, was that he mind melded with the rest of Microsoft. Whoopee.

Please don't shake that anymore in my general direction.

djtripp

For the richest guy, Gates always looks like he just woke up from a sweaty nap.

Late_Night

Did I skip something?

Am I not smart enough to see some hidden snarky message?

Was that a nod at Seinfeld™ by being a commercial about nothing?

Was I not paying attention?

That was DUMB.

They could have given me the production money for that commercial, and I'd say nice things about Microsoft to everyone I meet for a month, and reach more people and make more sense than that commercial!

DustyButt

And yeah, Bill should have spent more time on an elliptical Trainer before shooting started... :-)

Mandatory_Field

I think that it was an excellent start. It seems as if what they're trying to do first off is give Microsoft as a whole a more human(e) face. That's a bigger job than just fixing public perception of Windows, and definitely worth way more than the $300 Mil cost. I found it to be worth a genuine warm chuckle or two; which is actually harder to pull off than a cheap guffaw or belly laugh....

Mandatory_Field

I want a churro now.
That's what they were going for, right?

Dunny0, Team T/A

after the third time watching it, i like it. the shoestore setting is cool, though i think they could have replaced seinfeld with someone else...

dedalus987

Didnt anyone at Microsoft watch this and ask, "Where's the funny? How much did we pay this guy?"

Late_Night

What. The. Fuck.

Dooosh

oh i get it, it can send an MMS. Take that apple.

broken5hift

This ad excited me so much, I have a bonner. Yes, a bonner.

MBPro

And the point of that commercial was??

Sandtiger

... I don't understand... I think it means that Windows is the same thing except it sounds funny and is cheaper... The ad still makes me want to buy a Mac.

thehackerdude

Fail.

Damnit.

As a fan of Vista (yes, it's worked excellent for me since launch) and a staunch Apple opponent, I'm horrifically disappointed.

Hyperplasia

My guess is that they're setting up for something. I just hope the payoff is better than the journey.

homerjay

Anyway, this PC is great. It's so delicious and moist.

PC+Mac Coexist

That was just weird. I thought they were supposed to be going after the "I'm a Mac" ads. They only went after churros.

2-7offsuit

It kept me entertained, I don't really pay attention to commercials so it did better then any other commercials that I turn away from.

lilkeith7

I think Windows is a poor operating system at best but I liked this ad.
Hmmm, now I'm worried that I got it.

Buttertoad

I was kinda hoping they would just make fun of Justin Long for 30 seconds.

unibrow4o9

This is the softest sell I have ever seen (apart from the car ads that didn't show the car). There doesn't even appear to be any sort of MS tag or graphic to clue you in. This has to be part of a larger campaign but it doesn't lead you to tell you what. It's also only fitfully funny.

AdmNaismith

We're discussing an ad. Ergo, the ad was successful at some viral level.

OMG! Ponies!

I just saw it on TV, it was terrible.

I didn't get it and I still don't, but Seinfeld is funny.

jakebathman

@frigg: mwahahahahahahaha

tintinto

I think they were making fun of an Apple Store? i dunno...didn't say anything to me at all. =(

vgart

Mojave.....Conquistador.......tequila???

taylors_dad

Pretty horror.

Strider-No.9

I would get my money back if I was Microsoft.

Paradise

I liked the line about hockey moms being like pitbulls with lipstick.

frigg

@MBPro: what is a bonner?

the id was awesome -- plus i'm a seinfeld fan and thought it was a classic ad -- so what if it didn't have to do with anything -- isn't that what seinfeld is? plus you have two uber-rich guys buying shoes at a payless-equivalent store.

ng12345

I really liked it. It had my complete attention during the Redskins-Giants game... mostly because these have been so lauded by MS and tech blogs. It may not target any specific product, but they do remind the world of how smart Gates is and how they have changed the face of computing forever, while still having a little fun. I give it a thumbs up.

ezman

Also, ads are getting dumber.

This commercial was followed at the next ad break with a 3 minute minisode involving some carpool of women. At the end, the ad fessed up that it was advertising Match.com and Revlon.

Imagine Sex & The City meets The Office but with terrible terrible writing and a throwaway shoutout to Match.com.

OMG! Ponies!

I think it's appropriate how these campaigns reflect their respective operating systems: Mac vs PC is user-friendly and to the point. Gates & Seinfeld is convoluted and confusing.

What have I done...?

Trocar Jockey

Strange choice, as Jerry usually seemed to have Apple computers in his apartment.

Tommasta

Well, it got my entire family to stare at the TV in utter confusion and silence, which is more than most commercials do.

The Sword Master

I was entertained.

Let's face it - in this "Mac v PC" war, there is no way a TV ad will turn one from one camp to the other. What the Mac ads successfully does is to preach to the choir. It massages the egos of the Mac users, reassuring them that they have done the right, smart thing. The strategy is not to sell here but to pour out goodwill to those already on your side with compliments.
The Windows ad here has caught on and it is taking the same direction. PC users will watch this and feel good. They will feel good about liking Bill and Jerry. They will feel smart and witty for being on the PC camp where they have such likeable light-hearted characters.
This ad and presumably the next in the series will continue to defuse the "uptight" image that the Mac ads give to the PC user. It gives greater levity and fun to the image and that is exactly what it's about. Image, attitude, and preaching to the choir by doling out ego-boosting, happy-feeling skits.

dbx

As a Mac user, I love Bill Gates, I'd love to meet the dude someday. Probably one of the smartest guys out there when it comes to going from nothing to billions. His personality is pretty 1337 too.

This commercial isnt bad, it just shows how random Bill really is. Although it doesnt advertise Vista worth a crap. Still cool though. Good job Bill!

Jon B.

crap... the video is dead...

ACEzWILD

i thought it was great! im a die hard fan boy, and bill keeps getting point after point in my book.

what is the problem with MS image right now? bland, nothing unique. same old same old. upgrading to vista only brings problems. what is this ad? weird, quirky, not very straight forward, (is it even forward at all?) that comes on, people are like, this is weird, i dont get it. then the windows logo comes up. makes people think/feel like Microsoft is going in a new direction, may i say... thinking different? and that is what they want, and honestly i think they are. MS labs has great stuff, the surface is very interesting, their long term road map is different and i think a wonderful pan. kudos bill.

andalinmicphew

It makes no sense, just like the show Seinfeld. This is why it was great.

Stacky Botrus

unexpected, I will give them that much.

dysthymia

Sadly, it was still much more interesting than the Redskins pathetic attempt at creating an offensive presence.

rcast1986

LOL! Nice!

Evangelion

I thought it was okay but my only problem is that it seems to still be appealing to the older demographic. I do think it will help move more Windows product though, Seinfeld is good. I also liked it more than the recent Mac ads. I'm so sick of those now and I hope they change their campaign.

kylo4

and there you have it, exactly why MSFT is going down he toilet. It doesn't even know what's funny anymore. Perhaps it never did.

Noobs-R-Us

Whats wrong with Justin Long? He's a dork but it seems to me he's livin' the dream... sort of. Besides he's in Galaxy Quest and that movie deserves "Cult Status".

RoboChop

Well I think I get what the commercial is about, and it's a bit of metaphorical weirdness. The shoe store is a PC store, and the shoes at the shoe store are PCs. The message of the commercial is that a Vista (or future Microsoft OS) PC is like a new pair of leather shoes. They aren't flashy, they may be uncomfortable at first, but you'll get used to it and end up appreciating their flexibility.

generall

I think there is a terrible fact that most Apple fans don't realize...

Apple has doubled their market in the past few years and will likely sell 10 million computers in 2008...

Microsoft will sell 280 million, these companies don't compete for the same dollars.

If Microsoft were to come out and "correct" some of the inaccuracies of the MAC vs PC ads, they would only lend credence to the original AD campaign.

Microsoft has produced several "internal" marketing videos over the years which humanize this massive corporation in entertaining and provocative ways. These are the types of ADS that need to be public, and I think the Gates/Seinfeld interaction is very reminiscent of the "internal" videos from years past.

As a final word to all the critics and haters...
OSX is just an operating system. It's a good one too, but is it better than Vista? At some things, maybe. Is it flawless? Not even close. If the Mac could do what Windows could, you'd see it in Office rather than in the Design Studio.

All Microsoft would have to do to make the Mac irrelevant would be to release a separate version that only runs on 5 laptops and 2 desktops where they controlled what hardware was in them, they wrote all the drivers, and had no backward compatibility with any older software. Sound familiar? It should, it's called the Apple Mac.

Dyltone

visa is like wearing a puffy shirt

Digitallysick

Um...what? To me this was boring and pointless.

RE-L

Seinfeld was about nothing. This ad is about nothing. Seinfeld the show is funny. This ad is not funny, unless your the type of person who watches and enjoys "Golden Girls" reruns. Oh MS , you never let me down, so lost.

BiZarRroBALlmeR

héhé

j1234

More proof that Microsoft needs to fire there entire marketing team if they wish to continue to grow market share in the future.

Neodiablo22

Um... let's see.. apple manages to create ads which both explain their products and features AND create rabid cues of fanbois to buy their products and Microsoft manages to create ads that... don't advertise anything? So... is this supposed to make me miss seinfeld because it wasn't funny.

And they're spending how much on these again?

zamafir

@Tommasta: It's amazing what money will change.

No it's not.

thebigcheese

They should do an ad where Jerry Seinfeld is having trouble doing something mundane on his computer, and Bill Gates totally comes to the rescue by hacking Jerry's Windows registry to make it work better. At the end the trick could be changing some obscure integer value to "10" and Bill Gates could declare "that's a 10, guess what Jerry you're a 10!"

PS. I liked the ad (much to my surprise).

getgreg

Suddenly, I think they should have hired the brains behind his farewall video instead of crispin.

WTF. Indeed.

bougatsa

It was a little different, yet funny. I can't wait to see the next set of ads.

Sam_Zebian

@Mandatory_Field: gimme my 1 dollar cheque!

se.crhome

@Mandatory_Field: sorry, i was using excel. muwhahaha.

se.crhome

I don't like this at all. Are they comparing Windows to a shoe? Is the point that you have to bend and alter the shoe to make it work for you? If that's the case, this ad makes me want to go out and buy a Mac.

CJCS

I thought it was pretty interesting , heres my take on it. Most of the script was pointless like the Mac (Yes I said it). Do you get the whole iPhone Conqestodor connection, I did. At the end when Jerry and Gates were walking and talking they were talking about an upcomming windows product. No too hard to figure out right.......right.

Justapspfan

Hm, looks like Mr. Gates has been taking notes from his pal Mr. Buffet. Dance monkey dance. Ow, we both know I'm jealous of your 40 billion dollars. Just give me this. . . please.

taciturnforsale

How such a guy made some money in his life??, look at that video man, something is worst here than michael Jackson

mweege

greatest fuckin commercial ever

rezin khanz

I actually love the ad... If you all take a second, we all don't live in some hyper-sensitive computer world like the Mac v PC ads make you all think.

This ad campaign is smelling like it's going to be a slice of reality, and not some smug, in your face campaign like Apple's...

ACEzWILD

I think it was a great commercial. Well, a conversation that could've taken place on Seinfeld. It seems that Vista was not mentioned, but The Future is coming!!

mykalt45

@Late_Night: He's not the richest guy that title goes to Warren Buffett

utube2007

@zamafir:

"Um... let's see.. apple manages to create ads which both explain their products and features AND create rabid cues of fanbois to buy their products and Microsoft manages to create ads that... don't advertise anything?"

I'd rather see an ad about nothing than an ad the spews lie after lie and yet somehow still manages to get credit from people like you.

Oh no I dizzant!

generall

haha, Jerry's the man.

Glare

It's a commercial about nothing!

Kareem King

I thought it was alright, and for your information, I loved the Seinfeld and Superman ads. Those were great. I think this has potential.

Platypus Man

hilarious!

nuance

@generall: lol. So the churros must be a manifestation of Microsoft's latent oral fixation!

mmmm pc's.

aznxenocide

i laughed.

Sticky230

@Dooosh: My thoughts exactly.

LoganAdams

i like it, i mean its not the best way to promote vista, but at the same time, its a commercial you wouldn't change the channel for and you'd actually watch it to see where it goes and everyone knows bill gates so they will know its talking about microsoft....

kickace

It's just like vista. Let's take all idea's and just pile it into one thing. What do you get? The worst thing to ever be released. What else is new.

But if you think about it, they are trying to show how they are not just buissness Jerry is supposed to be window's and it will fit to whatever your lifestyle is, where Gates is supposed to be the pc user.

Jamaces

So they say they will be awesome soon, but give no details except that it will be as epic as a computer that tastes like cake...

mferrari

WTF? I thought Micro$oft made and sold software, not cheap shoes!

WTF!

jblaismacfan

Hmmm churro

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

it was pure Seinfeld esque, I sorta liked it. It was a teaser for "the future". I'm guessing we'll be seeing a lot more of these.

westonalan

Saw it twice. Chuckled twice.

Honestly? I don't think it needs to be about anything. Apple's get a mac ad are way to smug for its own good. These are just good fun. I want to see more.

NeoXY

@Jon B.:
"Probably one of the smartest guys out there when it comes to going from nothing to billions."

Actually, his dad was (is?) filthy rich.

@Tommasta:
"Strange choice, as Jerry usually seemed to have Apple computers in his apartment."

For the right paycheck (huge), I'm sure changing wasn't an issue. ; )

My take on the commercial is that they're implying that Windows is like a pair of new shoes, fine until you step in a steaming pile of dog crap.

MyPetFly

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........

MINI Driver

Have you ever seen Seinfeld? What makes it great is that it's about nothing.

One of the best things MS can do is appeal to 'normal' people (ie not nerds like us). My mom would love that ad. I love that ad. Who gives a crap if rabid apple lovers like the ad? And, btw, I'm actually a rabid apple lover, but the point is that people who buy most computers (yeah, they're already windows users) would love this ad.

Seinfeld reinforces his everyman image, Bill Gates continues to be that lovable dork we all want to just hug and Windows loses a bit more of their evil empire image. Great ad.

Robyn Tippins

I want a refund for the fossil fuels I wasted watching this pile of cr@p!

MINI Driver

I liked it. And as a few other comments pointed out, it's obviously about making a connection and setting up for something down the road.

Plus, I believe that Bill's buying the conquistador shoes cause he's gettin ready to step all over some muthah's feet...

kangaroo

@MBPro: I live near a Bonner Road. I can't say I ever had one though (I'm not sure what that means...unless you meant boner).

Kharnellius

@generall: I agree completely.

smartboydan needs to stop watching the Watchmen trailer

Man, the only interesting part of this
video is reading about all the reactions it got in this thread here at Gizmodo.

Some people may get it, some think they´ve got it and the rest of us are just clueless.

Weird!

JoOngle

I think it'll go down in dictionaries under the word "MEH"

media_lush

This is the point where I would jump in and say nasty things about gates, microsoft and seinfeld's (current) lack of comedy genius: I shall abstain from doing so as the steaming pile of crap that is this ad says it all.

Ednonymous

@funtasticguy:

"Can't wait to see more!"

It could be interesting to see where this goes. We could end up being pleasantly surprised.

MyPetFly

I loved it. I actually cracked up! Can't wait to see more!

funtasticguy

Wow thank you!! now i am certain i want a mac. Thanks Bill.

cskelldog

That was so funny, i can't stop laughing, but has to be 10x

+ Watch video

snitch29

I saw this on tv twice tonight during the football game. Both times i was like "maybe i wasn't paying attention and missed something". it's seriously just like a clip out of the Seinfeld show. Literally, a commercial about nothing. I would hardly consider it advertising, till the very end when they show the windows logo for 2 seconds.

wtf

wolfenstein-3d

@jblaismacfan:

That's the next MS product... Digital shoes.

God help us all when the latest patch for the digital shoes causes the laces to tie so tight it cuts off the circulation to our feet.

Just one more reason to be MS free.

bgplpshep

for those that don't get the message, it'll basically catch your attention and make the microsoft logo stick in your head every time you see Seinfeld, a shoe, a moist cake, or take a shower.

draiko

pure dada-ism... just awesome. It's poking fun at every aspect of our consumerist society... the people, the companies, the marketing... it's awesome (for those that get the message).

draiko

If this was an English class, and I was forced to come up with some B.S. analysis, I'd say it was about Bill being an ordinary guy, walking in the ordinary guy's shoes or something.

Damn. I hope we're being graded on a curve...

On another note, how long do we have to wait until we see a "conquistador" virus?

JackHoliday

After spending two hours in the theater watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (don't ask!) I thought this ad was frickin' hilarious!

Good thing that sorta thing wears off...

izzaboo

This ad is horrible.... Bill looks completely tired and uncomfortable... Like he does not even want to be there.

What a catastrophe. Typical Microsoft.

andrebasso

The cake is a lie!!!

generall

Just like shopping for cut price shoes you need for work, I think it captures the essence of Windows perfectly.
Monotonous, uninspiring, unrewarding & depressing.

Riquez

It was a cute ad. I wasn't sure going in what to expect, but it some of those hilariously awkward moments that only decent on-set chemistry can provide. Picking Seinfeld for the not-too-hip-but-still-sorta-cool-and-funny part was a good choice.

Metaphors? Mmm...the shoe store is like an electronics store. There are lots of different shoes (PCs) to choose from, so you can find the one that's perfect for you. Some of the shoes (like the Conquistador) are actually pretty flashy, too!

smartperson

both apple and microsofts commercials have gotten worse over the years...

miscrosoft

+ Watch video

apple

+ Watch video

urbanturban666

someone's head is gonna roll at Redmond

xbxoxy1

It's just like an episode of Seinfeld: its about nothing. And then at the finale when they tried to have a point it was an epic fail. Just like this commercial. Funny until the end. Sad face.

daftrok

@OMG! Ponies!: ads arent getting bad they are just changing...

but the point of ads arent to be good or bad... its to get people to notice your product... and this ad did it... and i foresee a long journey that is going to showcase microsoft's new stuff... but in some food parable which makes it even more delicious.

purple-pillows

Leave it to Gizmodo to say it's "it makes no sense", but I'm glad MS isn't doing the whole ignorant ads that Apple does, their so childishly pointless.

Derek Devine

Second to last paragraph quotes this headline:
[www.hollywoodreporter.com]

Awesome, Giz, thanks for adding to the noise ya dooshbags.

rcast1986

Ya know what I was just thinking -- what if Apple attacks this ad head on with a new Get A Mac ad? Wouldn't that just be the apex of their prototypical assholism? It's like seeing a couple of teenage punks picking on a cute little rabbit. It would be completely indefensible.

Talk about a backlash.

rcast1986

WTF was that?

Is that supposed to be a W7 teaser?

Friggin lame...

Shadowlayer

That ..... ad is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. And I have seen some super incredibly stupid stuff. Yeah .. it's right up there, somewhere in my top 10 or so.

StarControl

Seinfeld still has a whiny-bitch annoying voice. Other than that...

It F*CKING sucked!

I could write better than that shit for $300mil.
Doesn't even make me want shoes.

Blakamin

It seems like the same commercials Seinfeld has starred in in the past.

UniComp

@Robyn Tippins: No, I've never seen Seinfeld. What is it?

Tim Faulkner

I think this is the commercial for MS Bob 2.0. It's moister than 1.0!

draghkar

What was that shake in the end? His thongs were riding up his ass?

Ken_Darrow

@xbxoxy1: Forget heads rolling in Redmond, it makes MY head explode.

wildness

I get it... they are saying that you have to try a lot of computers to find the one that Windows fits best on just like shopping for shoes.

If I hadn't already converted to Mac last year, this would drive me to it.

wildness

I realize I'm not this ad's audience, since I actually like Vista. However, I just didn't see anything there.

Sure, OK, Bill has a sense of humor. And Jerry makes nothingness funny. We get it. Ha ha. But this was a frickin' shoe ad. A SHOE AD. Most of it had absolutely nothing to do with Microsoft or Windows.

Even worse, the part that was about Windows at the very end was about the FUTURE. "Are they ever going to come out with something..." I'm not an advertising expert but it seems to me they should be trying to sell the product they have.

FuturePastNow

Okay: I watched this commercial once--just like millions of other people will do as well--and I don't get it. I recall shoes, churros, a Hispanic family, a circus affinity card and that's about it. I truly don't understand how it is possible to take Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld and make them absolutely forgettable with absolutely no comedic chemistry. Whatever agency created this should be commended as the incredible reverse alchemists that they are for turning what could have been gold into crap.

chonnes

This is one of the worst TV spots I've ever seen. I've never seen a funny comedian be so unfunny. A total snoozer.

johnnyabnormal

seriously WTF is that meant to be?

ohhh i get it now, it's an advert for M$'s best thing

VAPOURWARE!

Gonzie

"Hi, I'm a Mac."

"And I'm a PC."

"I have an ad campaign that while occasionally snobby and built around of strawman arguments, is still genuinely humorous and points out the positive features of my product."

"I... will eventually be baked good?"

"..."

"You know, I don't get it either."

Benguin

That is incredibly funny, those who don't get it should probably stick to watching SpongeBob.

Seinfeld and Gates both have great comic timing, well done Microsoft. And yes, I've got a Mac..!

aussie

Maybe Seinfeld is doing the most costly practical joke in history.

Bloodboiler

I call "Brilliant"

Hamood

... What was that?! I dunno quite what to say. But the fact I want to say something about it I guess means the commercial worked in a way.

TailsNZ

I thought it was creepy, frankly. Bill came across like a confused old man who had wandered off at the mall and stumbled into a shoe store, with Seinfeld as the concerned son trying to persuade him to come home without causing a scene.

Just me?

theczardictates

Hahaha, hilarious, it's only going to get better.

15sunrises

WTF!!! that was the strangest, dumbest, crappiest waste of money i ever seen!!!

williethewisp

Microsoft continues it's incredibly long tin ear streak.

That was unbelievably ineffective.

Dancing Milkcarton

What I got from this ad: MS stock is going to take a dive today and Bill Gates wears thong underwear. That "butt waggle" at the end was him shaking it down out of the crack of his ass.

Curves

I loved Seinfeld, but without Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld himself sort of loses his edge, I think because he doesn't make fun of himself as much as he would on the show.

As for this commercial, I just can't hate it. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but the sheer randomness actually made me say "WTF....but I'm fuckin' smiling!"

Kaiser-Machead on the Edge

I didn't get most of whatever the fuck they were talking about, but the Clown Club card made me lol.

Samutz

@theczardictates: Bill came across like a confused old man

What? Bill didn't look anything like John McCain.

wjousts

Why I agree that this has me scratching my head trying to figure out wtf it's supposed to be about, 158 comments so far suggest that it has at least got people's attention?

wjousts

did jerry seinfeld put on weight?

jimbut

But I love it. It does nothing for Microsoft or Vista but it's a cute ad.

ziggieboi

Well, I was gonna say that the commercial was rubbish, but it really is genius.

It made so little sense that the only response is to talk about it. Just take a look at this thread.

Now they need to have Jerry make a Zune commercial.

ThriftyTechie

I was watching this last night and at first I was thinking "this is a movie?" Then I was thinking, "wait it can't be a movie the game is on." Then after it was over, everyone in the room was like "wtf?" Good job Microsoft, more millions wasted.

Joseph

duh, it's a metaphor, "if the shoe fits..."

i actually like it. makes bill seem very approachable and the comedy is very accessible and so unlikely to alienate even the smallest brain watching..

ResearchZilla

good waste of money.

imTheKing

@dbx: I don't think average joe consumer perceives there to be a Mac vs. PC war, 'cause it don't exist. In my world, people buy what they're comfortable with and what they can afford.

Most people I know (adults, non-nerds) have had a lot of bad experiences with windows. Most have at least _considered_ buying a mac. When it comes time to purchase, most stick with a windows box because they think it's cheaper or it's familiar.

The trick for Apple is to get people to try the product, because let's face it, OS X is like California, proper espresso and good hard cider: once you experience it, it's hard to go back to the status quo of Ohio, Folgers and Woodchuck.

The trick for Microsoft is to get people to ignore the siren song of Apple. This ad is perfect: "Hey, look over here! We got SEINFELD!" Plus, Gates has over the years become less a symbol of evil and more a benevolent gnome. It'd be nice if this ad also A) gave me hope that either something better than Vista was coming along soon or B) convinced me that all my friends who tried Vista and went back to XP were somehow retarded.

ppiddy

@ppiddy: Strongbow?

Oranges w/ Cheese

I think they're trying to say "Cake or Death?!"

Oranges w/ Cheese

that was a great commercial. plain and simple.

likefry_likefry

The point is that all of you are still talking about the ad.

bluebledthesea

I don't really get it yet but I have to admit that I paused it to literally LOL when he pulled out that card. Now that is gold.

ILoveToast

Bill is cheap (loved the photo on the discount card) and Seinfeld has a shoe fetish. Thanks! I learned alot

wanago

A minute and a half of wasted talent. The only thing it showed me was Seinfeld is starting to look old, and he has no chemistry with Bill Gates. The whole thing was awkward and uncomfortable to watch.

Why didn't they show everyone in the mall using a Zune, squirting songs to each other. Now THAT would have been funny.

ObtuseGoose

@OMG! Ponies!: True, we may be discussing it, but it sure as hell didn't convince me to buy windows vista.

Oranges w/ Cheese

i loved it

xxBetaMaxxx

Wow, what was that? Am I drunk!??

TM-Oliveira

@ppiddy: Bustello cafe > espresso.

Really, screw that crap!

Kaiser-Machead on the Edge

Potential to Fail!

Kingteddybear

The agency that did this commercial is the same one that does the marketing for Burger King, Volkswagen, Coke Zero, Truth (anti-smoking), etc. They're all about the bizarreness and it usually works in the long run, which is why they're one of the most sought after agencies in the world. They're clearly trying to setup future spots with this one by giving them a bit of a history to make you associate the two of them together by juxtaposing them in odd situations.

What always makes me chuckle when thinking about this campaign though is how much it must be KILLING the creative guys at the agency (who are always Mac fanboys to the Nth degree) to have to work on a campaign for Microsoft.

Ron-Mexico

oh noes! Gizmodo doesn't like something Microsoft is apart of; that's very surprising.

WiZZLa

Hahaha that was so funny! the part how they use the money to pay for Seinfeld! hahahah

EdBansil

@generall: shoulda added knibb high football rocks!

rezin khanz

Wow, that was... what's the word I'm looking for... unclever.

clevermonkey

@WiZZLa: Oh "noes"! You speak like a 9 year old Counter Strike player.

imTheKing

I saw this yesterday and was pretty disappointed by it. When I heard about these ads I had high hopes of a worthy rebuttal to the Mac ads, which manage to frustrate me with their exaggerated claims every time I see them.

Maybe next time...

Mykich

whatever, I thought it was pretty funny, the two of them hanging out, talking 'bout weird shit. what else they gonna talk about? huh? couple of geniuses, in their own right. funny. funny how.

banmojo

Half way through I thought that same thing as KK up there, a commercial about nothing. But after it ended, even if that was their gameplan, they missed the mark by a longshot.

I could actually feel my IQ dropping...

.king

@MBPro: Do you mean "boner" or are referencing someone's surname?

Gessho

Bill Gates looked old in the commerical. The added image of Microsoft I got was "Old".

What going on with marketing in Microsoft with Mojive & this ad?
- Mojive tells their prospect they are wrong about Vista.
- Did they just show us how much money they can waste with this ad?

endless_x

well of course you don't like it, giz.

i thought it was pretty funny, albeit in a not selling anything way.

AlexLand

That was awesome!

Surrealism at its finest.

Yonderboy

just because Jerry Seinfeld was funny on the show doesn't mean he makes everything funny, especially Bill Gates. I don't see this as being any funny or interesting at all.

VakeroRokero

What's funny about eating a computer? YOUR FIRED!

Albishor

That didn't make any damn sense at all!

chenry

I loved it!

darrinjc

The Ads Message? Gates doesn't give a fuck about Apple.

(Neither do I, but that's another story.)

Klappstuhl

Hell, I thought it was funny.

bigtimes

thats the first thing i've ever seen with jerry seinfeld that i have enjoyed.

they are going for a mind share approach, a la nike's ads. its not direct, it just makes you remember the ad/event/viewing --and it works.

opus13

I caught this commercial last night. It was around 11 when I saw it. Everyone agreed that it had no point. That 300 Million should have gone to making it better than to advertise it. The people who don't use windows don't want to use windows so the commercial doesn't appeal to them.

Rolcol

i get it.

Getting Vista to "fit" (work), just takes a little tweaking.

The rest is just nonsense.

wtf. Microsoft.

mikeyy

$300 million for what, some kind of commercial homage to the works of Marcel Duchamp? Wow, am I in the wrong line of work.

NoahFect

This was a REALY dumb ad. Better would have been simply shooting the MAC guy and calling him names. and THAT would have sucked.

SFVExec

FAIL

pardyhardy

WTF!!!!!!!! WHAT!!!! WTF!!!!!!! Are they planning to release a leather mouse that you wear for your foot or something? Is that what the whole no laser thing is about? I mean WTF is this??? If there was any commercial out there that didn't make any sense..... Well.... I don't even need to look at it because this one beat it.

alexpr

zzzzzzzzzzzz I got something better for you if you live in the DFW Area.

[www.furnimon.com]

asianddrmaniac

I like it. Not only do I like it, I love it. Conquistidors do run a bit tight though, not my style, I have a wide arch.

weinerman

It's actually a very smart ad. What's it selling? For starters is does an effective job of humanizing Bill Gates and Microsoft.

paulnptld

I can dig it. Even we fruit product fanboys know that Jerry and Bill go together like PB and J.

ejl10

@generall: Nice one. So MS Conquistador is following Vista.

RoboChop

To be transparent, I work for Microsoft, though not in the marketing department. I had heard a lot about "the new marketing campaign," but no details other than what everyone else knew -- that Seinfled was in it. When I first saw the ad last night, I was a bit shocked. It was not at all what I was expecting. I, like others on the list, expected something lauding the benefits of Vista or, at least, something which countered the MAC/PC ads. I sent an e-mail to a couple lists I am on asking what others thought. I got pretty much the same response... "Huh?"

But then, I did something which was pretty difficult. I took of my Microsoft hat (my "shill hat" if you will) and did my best to forget about the pre-conceived notions I had regarding the ad. Instead, I just watched it for what it is -- a television commercial. And, I was actually amused. I realized that it is a pretty funny ad. It certainly doesn't appeal to everyone, but there's some pretty good humor in it.

"Is that your toe?"
"No."
"What is it?"
"Pleather."

I actually laughed pretty hard about that the second time through.

I know most will dismiss this post outright, since I started it off admitting I work for MS. Truth is, I think this post would have had a lot less credibility if I hadn't.

Personally, I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.

daniwood

> The shoe store is a PC store, and the shoes at
> the shoe store are PCs. The message of the
> commercial is that a Vista (or future Microsoft
> OS) PC is like a new pair of leather shoes.
> They aren't flashy, they may be uncomfortable
> at first, but you'll get used to it and end up
> appreciating their flexibility.

...but you have to get wet. That's no good!

My take is this is a pretty bad ad. Sure, the juxtaposition of Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld was nice to see, and yes, it is a subtle (too subtle) nod in the direction of "Seinfeld" being a "show about nothing", but still...an ad that has half the viewers wondering "WTF?" is not a great way to sell one's products. Talk about FUD :)

The guy who did the "Bill Gates Last Day" video should be called in for the other ads -- now THAT was funny! -- otherwise this campaign will go down like a lead balloon, even as Vista has. EPIC FAIL.

jalabi99

Bill Gates can afford to utilize Jerry Seinfeld as a foil to add humor if at all possible to his basic message that "I'm The Big Cheese who is constantly having to fight (there is the conqueror reference) a lot of bull about Vista being a bad OS, and so on...so those bottom feeders (Apple and the rest of the detractors) can just kiss my royal ass." That's my take on it.
Seinfeld's a smart and humorous guy but that's a tough gig.
If Bill Gates would just give every adult citizen in the U.S. a million dollars it be much more effective and we would all be laughing all the way to the bank.

AlienP

Huh? WTF? Well the ad hasn't run on any TV programing I've been on so far.. watched it online.. maybe it hits you different on a HDTV than a 15" lcd? shrug..

Justa... iPhone/Conqestodor connection???? what are you on, I'd like some..

So, is Vista cake? Or is Vista a churro?

Shrug.. All I know for sure is, the cake is a lie.

jwd

jwdsail

you don't see what they did there? come on, I am a macbook pro using iphone having fanboy of the month, I even have apple tv, and I have consistently stated that I will never buy a PC ever again, and I still respect what they did there. See, not everyone buys Apple shit because it makes you look like a pseudo-affluent starbucks junkie that gets high off their own fart smell, some people like me just buy it because of the technical advantages. I personally prefer CS3 on the mac, it is just much better for my work flow with all their quirky little OS enhancements like expose and spaces. The iPhone, is like a little unix box in my pocket that I can customize as I see fit. But with this said, I think that Apple as a company has a shitty attitude, and Microsoft is making fun of that. MS is like listen we're chill as fuck and its funny. You don't see Jobs in his black turtle neck duking it out with the windows guy now do you? Gates is in the commercial, and he's hilarious. If they step their game up, I might even buy a pc, you know, just for like accounting and word processing and shit...

kdubbicles

You guys are jackasses. Then again, all web 2.0 comments are made by jackasses. Its Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld (not the comedian, the character from the show Seinfeld). It's not about computers, it's about humanizing Bill Gates and Microsoft. I guess if you're stuck up and have no sense of humor you don't get it. If you were a fan of the show Seinfeld, this is GENIUS. All that's missing is cameos by George, Kramer, Elaine, and yes.NEWMAN!!!

GugliehnoProsymnus

To me it's obvious. Not everyone is the same, we have different tastes (churro and non churro) different shoe sizes different tastes in how we get ready how we bathe, that not everyone is the same. For those of you who are big VISTA/Windows people, shame. It brings to mind the ability to get a different equipment and to buy different peripherals for you and your computer. WAY TO CEREBRAL FOR THE WINDOW MASSES?

YaffaMeadowlark

I watched it a few time and think that they are trying to say that with Apple you have to do a lot to get the shoe to fit you even changing you style and even the shoe size. Second part is to expect something better from Microsoft soon.

safxzm

I don't understand how people do not get this ad. It's simply saying that cool things are coming in the future. Personally, I liked it. I took it as a teaser ad. Seems like there is a bigger story here and this ad is just the beginning. We live in a society where narrative is a big deal. Many companies are using this appro