Microsoft has decided to dump Jerry Seinfeld in its $300 million dollar ad campaign, with Microsoft saying it was the plan all along. In it's place? A new "I'm a PC" response to the now famous "I'm a Mac" ads from Apple.Reaction to the first set of ads has been mixed. Some industry analysts have said that Microsoft was basically throwing away their money and that the company should be directly attacking Apple and the Mac. Others have been more positive saying that the ads were humorous and that their purpose was less about showing off Windows and more about laying the groundwork for humanizing the company and its chairman.
The new campaign, set to start today, will still carry the "Windows, Life without Walls" idea that Microsoft has been talking about for a while. One of the new spots will feature a company engineer who closely resembles John Hodgman, the comedian who plays the PC in Apple's campaign. “Hello, I’m a PC,” the engineer says, echoing Mr. Hodgman’s recurring line, “and I’ve been made into a stereotype.”
Updated: Gizmodo is reporting that a source at Crispin Porter, the ad firm behind Microsoft's latest blitz, has said that the Seinfield-Gates ads are not cancelled, however, Microsoft did request that the "I'm a PC" spots become the new focus. They're saying "Crispin Porter has another completed spot featuring the lovable, affluent couple in the can, ready to air (even though it won't quite yet)."
60 other Microsoft employees will also be featured in the ads, including their email addresses. The new ads will also feature Bill Gates, actress Eva Longoria, author Deepak Chopra and singer Pharrell Williams. It's not clear if Seinfeld will be back for any future ads, but the company left the option open.
But the real focus of the new ads will be regular users. Scientists, fashion designers, shark hunters and teachers, all bursting with pride to say "I'm a PC." Thursday night, visitors to windows.com will be able to upload video clips and photographs demonstrating how they, too, are PCs. The user contributed content may be used in future Microsoft ads.
Will this new campaign serve to help build trust in the company and their products, or has too much damage been done by the months of unanswered hammering by Apple? The "I'm a Mac" ads have done their job, there is no questioning that. Recent reports have put Apple's market share near 10% of the personal computer market. Will these new ads from Microsoft significantly put a dent in that share? Probably not, but it may help stop the bleeding.
Currently, windows.com still features the last Seinfeld-Gates ad.
Oh you poor little baby. Apple DOES NOT EXIST worldwide. MS don't need to put any effort on that right now.
Thake a look at this C|NET article published on July:
"Apple's worldwide share is far lower than its domestic one. Despite Apple's U.S. gains, its worldwide market share was 3.3 percent in the second quarter, according to IDC. That's down slightly from last quarter"
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-9992688-56.html
But my perception of him comes from second- and third-hand word of mouth. Just like yours, probably.
This just proves how big Mcrosoft is compared to Apple
Also don't they post when Apple comes out with a new line of commercials here?
..And growing steadily.
PC's success is due to the boom MS had in the 90s. Apple really have picked up their game from their post bankruptcy status into worldwide recognition and who knows whether they can overthrow PC in the next decade (or whether MS can take advantage of it's massive userbase)
And every PC is preloaded with 2.5 lbs of crapware!
The only way for Microsoft to truly compete with Apple is to make their own hardware. Mice and keyboards just don't make it.
And every PC is preloaded with 2.5 lbs of crapware!
The only way for Microsoft to truly compete with Apple is to make their own hardware. Mice and keyboards just don't make it.
Microsoft is not competing with Apple as they are not even in the same market or have close to the same market share. One of the reasons PCs are more popular than Apple is the ability for users to build their own. If MS made their own proprietary hardware to run their OS, then the prices would be jacked up WAY high. If MS to really be competing with Apple, Apple would have to have a way bigger market share than what they currently have.
And not all PCs are loaded with crapware. PC makers have the option to not have the crapware loaded when the PC is build. Hell, you can order PCs these days with the hardrive BLANK and you install the OS yourself.
And every PC is preloaded with 2.5 lbs of crapware!
The only way for Microsoft to truly compete with Apple is to make their own hardware. Mice and keyboards just don't make it.
I know so many people who don't ever buy the trial and just "let it go". We know where that leads, right in to Apple's snobby little commercials about frustrated users (of their own ignorance/doing).
And every PC is preloaded with 2.5 lbs of crapware!
The only way for Microsoft to truly compete with Apple is to make their own hardware. Mice and keyboards just don't make it.
I know so many people who don't ever buy the trial and just "let it go". We know where that leads, right in to Apple's snobby little commercials about frustrated users (of their own ignorance/doing).
Think about the Users point of view.....
You are a PC novice and you buy a new system. The system does not come with a trial or full version of antivirus. Do you really think a novice will be smart enough to figure out they need antivirus and go buy and install it? I think it is a good idea to preload antivirus programs, but I would choose something besides Norton or McAfee. They were good back in the day...now they are both resource hogs.
..And growing steadily.
PC's success is due to the boom MS had in the 90s. Apple really have picked up their game from their post bankruptcy status into worldwide recognition and who knows whether they can overthrow PC in the next decade (or whether MS can take advantage of it's massive userbase)
The PC's success is due to the historic availability of business-focused applications and network integration. Even today, versions of MS-Office, workgroup collaboration, CRM, and database/application development tools for Mac lag behind those for Windows. On top of which, businesses can continue to upgrade their existing software at a much lower cost than replacing it with Mac versions -- if replacements even exist. Add to this the investment made in custom applications, even if designed in languages that are supposedly "platform independent." And let's not forget that Apple has forsaken backwards-compatibility several times over the history of the Mac, something that Microsoft has generally avoided (yes, you can still run many of the 16-bit applications written for Windows 98 under 32-bit Vista).
So, yes, Microsoft's dominance does hail back to the '90s, when "Windows-compatible" became more important than "IBM-compatible." But really, Microsoft's dominance is really the evolution of IBM's dominance in the '80s, which is ironic since IBM no longer even markets PCs. Apple has never been able to break that business tie-in to the PC and then Windows, except in niche markets. And what business does, most home users will follow, because of comfort level with the environment, access to free/cheap software (copies from work, sometimes subsidized by the employer, but often pirated), and the availability of support.
This is a huge obstacle for Apple to overcome, whether you believe their platform is better than PC/Windows or not. A business might be willing to pay the extra 20% for a better, more reliable platform, but not willing to go through the cost of completely replacing or porting all their software to Mac. And while you can run many Windows programs virtualized within OS/X, or via Remote Desktop to a Windows terminal server, or even use Boot Camp to run Windows natively, none of these are really satisfactory business solutions for the general public.
And every PC is preloaded with 2.5 lbs of crapware!
The only way for Microsoft to truly compete with Apple is to make their own hardware. Mice and keyboards just don't make it.
I know so many people who don't ever buy the trial and just "let it go". We know where that leads, right in to Apple's snobby little commercials about frustrated users (of their own ignorance/doing).
As part of the US anti-trust settlement, Microsoft is not permitted to dictate to manufacturers what additional software can be pre-installed, what desktop icons are initially presented, or even what web browser or media player is the user default. So, basically, you can blame the US government for all the crapware.
In Windows? Not possible. You need a firewall if you're running Windows
In Windows? Not possible. You need a firewall if you're running Windows
NICE!
In Windows? Not possible. You need a firewall if you're running Windows
You need a firewall in Apple as well. If you dont have one, whether it be hardware or software based, then you are not very smart. And no, I am not insulting you...just making a general statement.
Apple users always say "I dont need antivirus"...or..."i dont need a firewall". This is just plain false. Yea, Apples are not attacked nearly as often as PCs, but their day is coming and they can be hacked just as easily as Windows if not easier. This will be proven as their market share grows. Hell, as soon as they got the 3rd computer maker title in the US there were more stories and articles about them being hacked/attacked more.
In Windows? Not possible. You need a firewall if you're running Windows
You need a firewall in Apple as well. If you dont have one, whether it be hardware or software based, then you are not very smart. And no, I am not insulting you...just making a general statement.
Apple users always say "I dont need antivirus"...or..."i dont need a firewall". This is just plain false. Yea, Apples are not attacked nearly as often as PCs, but their day is coming and they can be hacked just as easily as Windows if not easier. This will be proven as their market share grows. Hell, as soon as they got the 3rd computer maker title in the US there were more stories and articles about them being hacked/attacked more.
... Was just a joke
And they were long, I don't know if they were supposed to be on TV (why make video ads if it's not for this?) just broadcasting one of these ad would have cost a LOT.
There are a more than enough ways to title an article like this in an interesting way without resorting to sensationalism. "Microsoft re-considers commercials about nothing strategy," for example.
Anywho, I'm interested in what MS can come up with to combat all the adds thrown their way. I did like the commercials with Jerry, though.
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=671286
Coming up next: C++ for Neowin news team...
new ad?
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/business...amp;oref=slogin
Why? If the point is to promote Vista, then there's no reason to sink to Apple's level and "attack" them.
The reality is that XP is Vista's main competitor, not Apple, and not Linux. That's all there is to it. Seriously.
Sink to Apples level by bashing Vista with lies.
The seinfeld ones with Gates was pretty cool IMO.
I don't think I'm gonna like the "I'm a PC" ones because they sound like a copy of Apple's idea which only makes Microsoft confirm that's how they compete by taking someone else's idea instead of coming up with their own original ideas.
jeezz your the biggest tech company around...paying people millions per year....can't you hire the right people to generate original ideas ? even in their OS development its the same thing.
Fire some of the MIT guys in your thinktank, design and marketing depts and get real creative minds MS.
Last edited by John S. on 19 Sep 2008 - 14:18
I agree. Pointless crap. Seinfeld isn't funny.
WTF?
Check out the new the "I'm a PC" videos there on that link, me personally I thought it was a lot better than the ones with jerry, this new one is a lot funnier and when i saw that shark guy in that tank and he flipped his sign around i laughed not to mention a couple people in there saying i wear glasses and im a pc gave me a chuckle as well...anyways a much better improvement from ms
I'll admit I was a Vista-basher for a long time. But I recently reloaded my main home computer (Athlon 64 6400, 4GB, Radeon 8500) with Vista Ultimate SP1 and I'm quite happy with the system. The more I work with Vista, the more I like it, and I'm content for now to sacrifice a little raw performance for the more pleasant overall environment.
I think that Microsoft should focus on ads along the Mojave Experiment theme, and then invest more time and effort into fixing the remaining items that cause complaints about Vista: performance, game compatibility and User Account Control. As for the latter, I don't think UAC is all that useful of a feature. It is trivial for a program to install itself in your user profile folder, bypassing the UAC protection. I also think there should be only three versions of Vista: Home, Business and Ultimate, and there should be significant price cuts across the board. Ultimate is the version MS should be pushing, but the almost $300 price tag -- $200 for upgrade -- is more than most people are willing to pay to try Vista. But if you don't get Ultimate, you miss many of the features that make Vista such a pleasant environment.
PS, to some extent, the game compatibility issue can be attributed to the game developers themselves. But that's a whole other topic.
Last edited by Mark_M on 20 Sep 2008 - 07:11
This whole marketing campaign, yet again taking cues from its leaner, meaner rival, is another catch-up attempt. It lacks creativity and is way too transparent to have any meaning. Again, MS is arriving late to the party.
The Mojave experiment . . . marketing that suggests all the bad press about Vista is not justified. Yet The way it's done manages to suggest the opposite! The very insinuation that Vista isn't so bad and that users should give it "another chance", already implies that there is something wrong with it in the first place. "whoa, THAT'S Vista??" Well, why wasn't it THAT in the first place?? Are they trying to sell the product on its own merits (problematic up to now), or are they trying to convince people to buy (really bad strategy.)
MS' whole marketing scheme is ****ed up. A few convoluted Seinfeld spots, right into an obvious PC vs Mac copycat attempt. Yeah, I'm already calling it, and if/when I'm wrong, everyone can take their shots at me.
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