tfraser said:

There will still be more ads, though probably no more Seinfeld. That's a shame because I was starting to like the Bill and Jerry combination, however The New York Times reported on where the campaign is going next and it sounds like it will get even more interesting.

For those who don't read the article, among other things they are going to start turning the Get a Mac advertisements back on Apple by seizing the PC character and using him to promote Windows. Judging by the picture accompanying the article I'm guessing that there must have been some human cloning going on to get someone that looks that similar to John Hodgman.

I think Apple could start feeling some pressure from this since from what I have heard most people already like the PC character more than the Mac.

Edit 1: The article also mentions that up to 60 Microsoft employees will be featuring in the upcoming ads. Does this mean we could see someone from the EvNet team on television soon?

Minh said:

tfraser said:

*snip*

I say give the "Dude, you're getting a Dell" dude a second chance. So he does a little weed, but he's clean now. MS can both sell Windows and teach kids to say "no" to drugs!

C'mon!

jeffsand said:

Minh said:

*snip*

More information over on the NYT site. Stay tuned, should be fun to watch.

littleguru said:

jeffsand said:

*snip*

Nice...

CannotResolveSymbol said:

littleguru said:

*snip*

(image by Long Zheng, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.)

Bass said:

CannotResolveSymbol said:

*snip*

I think Charles is in there (on the bottom row). And who is the naked man who runs Linux? And why are the pirate and the ninja not fighting each other?

Bass said:

CannotResolveSymbol said:

*snip*

I think Charles is in there (on the bottom row). And who is the naked man who runs Linux? And why are the pirate and the ninja not fighting each other?

Dovella said:

Nice!!
i wait new spot

ps. this AD go in the world or only in US ?

Ray7 said:

Dovella said:

*snip*

There's a bit of news about the next ad over at New York Times.

Apparently, they're going to take the Apple commercials head on ....




... and even have their own lookalike character.




I have a very,very bad feeling about this ....

I think it would be a mistake to get into a p***ing match with Apple. They'll lose.

Bas said:

Ray7 said:

*snip*

Well, they're screwed. The good thing they had over the Apple ads was that they were above them. When they're taking them head-on, they'll just lose. Best forget about the Windows brand now, you're burying it.

And what kind of advertising 'phase' consists of two small ads aired within a week or something?
"Yeah, it's weird, but this is just the introduction to a series.... that consists of one ad. Haha, gotcha."

Why do you insist on just destroying your money, Microsoft? Awful Live apps, awful Vista ads, a multimillion dollar ad campaign that gets binned after two ads... WTF, guys? You're not even trying to compete anymore.

Dovella said:

Your reasoning is squalor,

Dovella said:

you should learn to comment after any event ,
or perhaps someone among you does is an apprentice of Nostredamus?

Dovella said:

"Ray7
There is no way, that MS can win against Apple in the fanboy arena. No way. This is going to be a blood bath that will probably get Apple up to 20% of the installed base without even trying."

were you have see this movie?

Ray7 said:

Dovella said:

*snip*

Well, I take your point ... let's just sit back and watch what happens; though I have a feeling that some scenes may be distressing to Vista fans ... :-/

Dovella said:

Your reasoning is squalor,

you should learn to comment after any event ,

or perhaps someone among you does is an apprentice of Nostredamus?

"Ray7
There is no way, that MS can win against Apple in the fanboy arena. No way. This is going to be a blood bath that will probably get Apple up to 20% of the installed base without even trying."

were you have see this movie?

RoyalSchrubber said:

Dovella said:

*snip*

Dovella stop - please think for a minute before you write. Especially when you call someone's reasoning 'squalor'. Next time please supply your stance with arguments. We don't like vapidity - straight negaton is DUMB.

So, to help Ray's case - 20% is reasonable. It's all about recognition - if Microsoft recoginizes Apple as a threat and then publicly admit this in TV ads it will mean straight message to consumers: "you have an option". 

ManipUni said:

Thank god.

Those adverts were awful. They aren't funny and made little sense. They also didn't mention the product or brand once in the entire thing. They're perhaps the worse adverts of all time.

Someone should be fired.

JoshRoss said:

It's a shame that they are ending this experiment so early.  Microsoft rarely gives up on a 1.0 product.  I've even goofed around the office flexing my conquistadors.

RoyalSchrubber said:

Dovella said:

*snip*

Dovella stop - please think for a minute before you write. Especially when you call someone's reasoning 'squalor'. Next time please supply your stance with arguments. We don't like vapidity - straight negaton is DUMB.

So, to help Ray's case - 20% is reasonable. It's all about recognition - if Microsoft recoginizes Apple as a threat and then publicly admit this in TV ads it will mean straight message to consumers: "you have an option". 

JoshRoss said:

It's a shame that they are ending this experiment so early.  Microsoft rarely gives up on a 1.0 product.  I've even goofed around the office flexing my conquistadors.

matthews said:

JoshRoss said:

*snip*

It kinda makes sense... the first two ads were all about Bill and Jerry reconnecting with "real people"; in a sense that is what Microsoft is aiming to do. I guess as an introduction it's not a bad strategy, but I'd still like to see more ads with the two paired.

stevo_ said:

matthews said:

*snip*

I really doubt they got pulled, do you realize how much work goes into each ad and how long ago they were probably made. If they are moving onto something else then that was decided way way way before people saw these ones..

I'll wait and see what happens and see if its any good vs analysing thin air..

I really doubt they got pulled, do you realize how much work goes into each ad and how long ago they were probably made.

Ray7 said:

Bas said:

*snip*

Well, I'm going to have to agree with you on this one.

I don't know why the Seinfield ads were pulled after just two; MS says that this was part of the grand plan, but the general feeling is that they lost their nerve after they received negative comments. But if MS is going to react like this to negative comments in the blogsphere, then they may as well close down the Windows division and just write software for the Mac platform.

By the looks of it, these new ads are playing directly into Apple's hands.

They've decided to jump into the mud where Apple can hold Microsoft's head under for a few years until it stops moving.

There is no way, that MS can win against Apple in the fanboy arena. No way. This is going to be a blood bath that will probably get Apple up to 20% of the installed base without even trying.

Have to hand it to Jobs. He knows how consumers think and how his competitors will react. As MS is about to prove, this is a pretty unbeatable combination ....

Dovella said:

RoyalSchrubber said:

*snip*

Similar statements for  me are pure squalor!

I do not know why, I see a game where the winner is the person who makes fewer points.

Ray7 said:

Dovella said:

*snip*

Yeah the problem is that you only read the sentence you highlighted.

The important part was that MS should not give up on what was an innovative and amusing line of ads (much better than the Get a Mac stuff), just because a few Apple-obssessed bloggers don't think they'll work.

Does that make it clearer for you?

tfraser said:

Ray7 said:

*snip*

I understand your thinking, but at the same time I'm also conscious that Microsoft can't stand around doing nothing while the Get a Mac ads continue to run.

No matter how you interpret the actual commercials the fact is that Apple is actively selling itself to consumers while tearing into Microsoft's reputation. The average customer (who doesn't know much about computing) will no doubt just play along with this unless they're also provided with the alternative view from Microsoft.

Your prediction would probably be realised if all users had a solid understanding of the industry but fortunately (for Microsoft) that isn't the case.

Dovella said:

tfraser said:

*snip*

At this moment have  1000 Eur to thrown,

I have 3 PC

1st  Intel quad core 9550 , 8gb Ram Nvidia 8800 GTX on Mb Asus p5n 650 SLI.   on monitor Dell Ultrasharp  27 in DVi S-Pva , Vista x 64 Ultimate Sp1

2nd  Notebook Dell XPS  with Vista Ultima x86  sp1

3  PC made in 2002/3 with

Asus p4p800  Intel P IV 2,4 ghz 1,5 gb ddr 400 and Nvidia 7600 GS   Vista Ultimate x86  SP1  (update to leater Ram and Gpu) on Acer Monitor

I have Samsung Omnia with Windows Mobile 6.1

in every one of these PCs do not have the slightest problem ,

Using photoshop without problems, do video editing without problems, listening to music without problems, use the Internet without problems ,

I synced all my mail into and out smoothly with Live (free)
I synced my mobile without problem
use the best Open Source software without problems
I have a streaming video throughout my house that is extraordinary
Play the best game without problems

I have all software available in the world

I decide if I change GPU, CPu, Ram, Mb etc.

I said as the first i have  1000 Eur to thrown,

damn me 1 reason to get a Mac

one reason

blowdart said:

Dovella said:

*snip*

I don't believe you don't have problems; if only because I probably have the same laptop, and the nvidia drivers are buggy.

It doesn't help that windows doesn't seem to keep enough GDI resources free sometimes; so when the laptop comes out of suspend the login window doesn't get displayed. Oops.

blowdart said:

Dovella said:

*snip*

I don't believe you don't have problems; if only because I probably have the same laptop, and the nvidia drivers are buggy.

It doesn't help that windows doesn't seem to keep enough GDI resources free sometimes; so when the laptop comes out of suspend the login window doesn't get displayed. Oops.

Ray7 said:

Dovella said:

*snip*

Yeah the problem is that you only read the sentence you highlighted.

The important part was that MS should not give up on what was an innovative and amusing line of ads (much better than the Get a Mac stuff), just because a few Apple-obssessed bloggers don't think they'll work.

Does that make it clearer for you?

Dovella said:

tfraser said:

*snip*

At this moment have  1000 Eur to thrown,

I have 3 PC

1st  Intel quad core 9550 , 8gb Ram Nvidia 8800 GTX on Mb Asus p5n 650 SLI.   on monitor Dell Ultrasharp  27 in DVi S-Pva , Vista x 64 Ultimate Sp1

2nd  Notebook Dell XPS  with Vista Ultima x86  sp1

3  PC made in 2002/3 with

Asus p4p800  Intel P IV 2,4 ghz 1,5 gb ddr 400 and Nvidia 7600 GS   Vista Ultimate x86  SP1  (update to leater Ram and Gpu) on Acer Monitor

I have Samsung Omnia with Windows Mobile 6.1

in every one of these PCs do not have the slightest problem ,

Using photoshop without problems, do video editing without problems, listening to music without problems, use the Internet without problems ,

I synced all my mail into and out smoothly with Live (free)
I synced my mobile without problem
use the best Open Source software without problems
I have a streaming video throughout my house that is extraordinary
Play the best game without problems

I have all software available in the world

I decide if I change GPU, CPu, Ram, Mb etc.

I said as the first i have  1000 Eur to thrown,

damn me 1 reason to get a Mac

one reason

stevo_ said:

matthews said:

*snip*

I really doubt they got pulled, do you realize how much work goes into each ad and how long ago they were probably made. If they are moving onto something else then that was decided way way way before people saw these ones..

I'll wait and see what happens and see if its any good vs analysing thin air..

wisemx said:

Check out the new images, very cool:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/windows/imageGallery.aspx

Alright, I gotta admit, those multiple devices ads are pretty neat:

Bas said:

wisemx said:

*snip*

Alright, I gotta admit, those multiple devices ads are pretty neat:

tfraser said:

Bas said:

*snip*

What would have been good is if they slipped in a few Macs between the other devices; they run Windows too after all.

tfraser said:

Bas said:

*snip*

What would have been good is if they slipped in a few Macs between the other devices; they run Windows too after all.

wisemx said:

Check out the new images, very cool:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/windows/imageGallery.aspx

Bass said:

Dovella said:

*snip*

I don't know if Apple is doing this anymore, but in the USA for $999 you could have gotten a Macbook with a Core Duo processor and a free iPod Touch. Apple laptops have better build quality and domestic tech support. One is also interesting is you can go into any Apple store and schedule an appointment with a "genius", for tech support issues, free of charge. I think that makes Apple much more appealing for computer illiterate users. For developers, you basically need an Apple machine if you want to do Cocoa or iPhone development. I'm starting to see a lot job oppertunities now that ask for this, it's always good broaden your horizons imo.

Bas said:

stevo_ said:

*snip*

So what was the whole "No wait guys, the first one is just the introduction to a series" thing about? A series of one?

stevo_ said:

matthews said:

*snip*

I really doubt they got pulled, do you realize how much work goes into each ad and how long ago they were probably made. If they are moving onto something else then that was decided way way way before people saw these ones..

I'll wait and see what happens and see if its any good vs analysing thin air..

jason818_253.33 said:

stevo_ said:

*snip*

I disagree. they pulled those adds after they found out people just did not like or connect with them.

I have to hand it to Microsoft and give them some credit for going out on a limb and trying something new. they cant stay complacent. the more out there the adds can be the better. Remember the cheesy car sales man with the velvet jacket and ten gallon cow boy hat who said "come on down to joes". well microsoft needs something like that. edjy, sofisticated, memrable. it works.

I think with the adds they tried to associate microsoft with food and shoes. because every one eats and almost every one wears shoes. but what about featuring something that not very many people do. Like spolunking, sky diving, or reading. but if your going to associate windows with food, make sure its a food every one likes, chiros? how about brokly, people hate borckly, associate Macs with brockoly. Green raw dry brockoly.

Jason I said:

Now, it looks like they are NOT cancelling the ads...

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

Who to believe?

wisemx said:

Check out the new images, very cool:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/windows/imageGallery.aspx

Turbodad said:

wisemx said:

*snip*

You call this cool? Many people, me included, once more will have proof that Microsoft cannot come up with any new ideas, totally lacks any creativity, has no taste and relies on Apple being their "research department". You say cool, I say pathetic.

Turbodad said:

wisemx said:

*snip*

You call this cool? Many people, me included, once more will have proof that Microsoft cannot come up with any new ideas, totally lacks any creativity, has no taste and relies on Apple being their "research department". You say cool, I say pathetic.

wisemx said:

Turbodad said:

*snip*

Yes I find it very cool.
Why so bitter?

Turbodad said:

wisemx said:

*snip*

By modeling their new ads on Apple's campaign (and even coming up with a Hodgman clone) Microsoft firmly admitted defeat. You don't run a winning ad campaign like this.

As for bitterness, I guess I feel for the fellow developers at Microsoft. There are many extremely talented and creative engineers at MS, but imagine how bitter they must be feeling right now as they see their genuine efforts being turned into tuЯd by hordes of incompetent nincompoops in MS marketing and management.

Wow, I actually really liked the new tv ad.

Turbodad said:

wisemx said:

*snip*

By modeling their new ads on Apple's campaign (and even coming up with a Hodgman clone) Microsoft firmly admitted defeat. You don't run a winning ad campaign like this.

As for bitterness, I guess I feel for the fellow developers at Microsoft. There are many extremely talented and creative engineers at MS, but imagine how bitter they must be feeling right now as they see their genuine efforts being turned into tuЯd by hordes of incompetent nincompoops in MS marketing and management.

wisemx said:

"the Seinfeld ads were not pulled."

http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/archive/2008/09/30/seinfeld-speculation.aspx

In any case it's looking quite half-as*ed to first do something that appears original and then move to copy the idea from Apple. Though in retrospect the whole Seinfeld thing wasn't that original after all it was something as dumb you'd have in that show. Maybe the whole strategy is to do one seemingly dumb thing after another to keep people talking.

Now if there was some defending of Vista vs OS X going on atleast in tech circles I can safely say it started way beyond these ads as people got tired of the increasing amount of mac zealots ravings as they did with the penguin zealots before.

androidi said:

wisemx said:

*snip*

In any case it's looking quite half-as*ed to first do something that appears original and then move to copy the idea from Apple. Though in retrospect the whole Seinfeld thing wasn't that original after all it was something as dumb you'd have in that show. Maybe the whole strategy is to do one seemingly dumb thing after another to keep people talking.

Now if there was some defending of Vista vs OS X going on atleast in tech circles I can safely say it started way beyond these ads as people got tired of the increasing amount of mac zealots ravings as they did with the penguin zealots before.

androidi said:

wisemx said:

*snip*

In any case it's looking quite half-as*ed to first do something that appears original and then move to copy the idea from Apple. Though in retrospect the whole Seinfeld thing wasn't that original after all it was something as dumb you'd have in that show. Maybe the whole strategy is to do one seemingly dumb thing after another to keep people talking.

Now if there was some defending of Vista vs OS X going on atleast in tech circles I can safely say it started way beyond these ads as people got tired of the increasing amount of mac zealots ravings as they did with the penguin zealots before.

I disagree with this.

Microsoft actually did something amazing with the "I'm a PC" ads. It was well known that the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads from Apple severely hurt Microsoft's image. It also hurt PC sales dramatically. But, with Microsoft's "I'm a PC" ads, they put an end to the Mac/PC commercials (have you seen one on TV lately?). Not only did they address the criticisms from Apple, portaying PC users as dolts, but turned the accusations on its head. "Hey, I'm a PC, and I'm not a dorky John Hodgman! I'm a real person!". Best of all, Microsoft didn't stoop to Apple's level: exagerating issues and speaking half-truths (in most cases, but not all).

I'm very impressed with the I'm a PC campaign, although they should have done this a year ago.

Although, I actually grew to like the seinfeld commercials too.

Jason I said:

androidi said:

*snip*

I disagree with this.

Microsoft actually did something amazing with the "I'm a PC" ads. It was well known that the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads from Apple severely hurt Microsoft's image. It also hurt PC sales dramatically. But, with Microsoft's "I'm a PC" ads, they put an end to the Mac/PC commercials (have you seen one on TV lately?). Not only did they address the criticisms from Apple, portaying PC users as dolts, but turned the accusations on its head. "Hey, I'm a PC, and I'm not a dorky John Hodgman! I'm a real person!". Best of all, Microsoft didn't stoop to Apple's level: exagerating issues and speaking half-truths (in most cases, but not all).

I'm very impressed with the I'm a PC campaign, although they should have done this a year ago.

Although, I actually grew to like the seinfeld commercials too.