Slashdot Log In
Microsoft Causes Internal Family Strife
Posted by
kdawson
on Fri Sep 12, 2008 08:44 AM
from the what-were-they-thinking-if-anything dept.
from the what-were-they-thinking-if-anything dept.
techmuse writes "Fresh from its ad featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld eating churros and discussing shoes, Microsoft has introduced a new advertisement in which the aging former CEO and comedian take up residence with a family, causing infighting and malicious plots by the family members. Although the ad does not mention Microsoft's operating system directly, it does mirror the real world experience of the company's products — appearing where not wanted, hard to remove, causing administration headaches, and finally being forced out in hopes of getting one's living space back."
Related Stories
[+]
Technology: Seinfeld-Windows TV Ad Anything But 'Delicious' 893 comments
CWmike writes "Microsoft's $300-million ad campaign for Windows starring comedian Jerry Seinfeld launched Thursday with a long TV commercial almost entirely devoid of any talk of Windows, Microsoft or anything, really. With co-star Bill Gates, the scene is set in a shopping mall. Seinfeld, who did most of the talking, helps Gates buy a pair of shoes called the Conquistador. The commercial ends with Seinfeld asking Gates if Microsoft will "come out with something that makes our computers moist and chewy like cake so we can just eat them while we're working." Gates wiggles his rear to answer in the affirmative. The commercial ends (see video inside the story) with the Windows logo and the phrase 'Delicious.' Preston Gralla writes, 'I just saw Microsoft's much ballyhooed Jerry Seinfeld ad, and can say without equivocation it's one of the worst, most pointless ads in history. If this is Microsoft's response to the 'I'm a Mac' ads, it should fold up its tent and tell the world to switch to Apple."
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Full
Abbreviated
Hidden
Loading... please wait.
i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
holy flamebait summary, batman!
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Commenting on the video, or Seinfeld's "comedy" in general?
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes it is a commercial but how many commercials do you actually laugh at?
The Mac/PC ones, I actually laughed at -- and it also contained some reference to the actual product being pitched!
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
I have to agree. I laugh at the Mac/PC ads, mostly because they are so over the top.
Macs aren't that wonderful and PCs don't suck as much as the ads would want you to believe, but that don't change the fact that the ads are well done, and even non-techies find them worth watching.
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't know whether to laugh or cry when i see mac ads, i mean people actually believe them
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Funny)
I remember one commercial that caused me to burst out laughing. Many years ago, there was a commercial by one of the beer companies advertising its new twist off bottle caps. It was set at a pool party. This hunky guy hops onto the diving board, smiles and points at the ladies, and does a spectacular dive into the pool. Everybody oos and ahs in appreciation. He climbs out, smiles and points at the ladies, grabs a beer and starts looking for the opener. Then an ordinary, plain looking guy says "That's nothing". He then proceeds to jog across the water from one end of the pool to the other. Everybody is gasping in astonishment. He then grabs a beer, and twists off the cap. The hunk pointing at the pool, stammers out, "How... How did you do that?"
"Easy", says the plain looking guy. "It's a twist-off".
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Funny)
2) Kid is playing computer and says "This is AWESOME! When are you going to release it?" Bill says "Never, and don't tell anyone where you got it"
Holy Crap it was Linux!
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Bill showed him a beta of Mojave.
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually, I found parts of it pretty funny.
It does accentuate how out of touch both Seinfeld and Gates are (and even mentions that fact).
You would have no idea that it's a commercial about an OS.
In fact, you can run the same commercial and put a picture of Tux at the end, with the slogan "Keep uninvited pests away" (or something like that; I'm not a marketing guy) and be quite effective.
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
You would have no idea that it's a commercial about an OS.
I guess it's not really an ad for an Windows, but rather an ad for Microsoft in general. To clarify ads these days are rarely about the product. Really, the next time you're watching TV, watch all the ads carefully, and ask yourself regarding each one, "What does this tell me about the product?"
Established brands rarely tell you anything about the product unless they're introducing something new. For example, Coke commercials. They might have someone holding a coke bottle or maybe even taking a sip, but the commercial doesn't have any "information" about Coke. McDonald's is the same way. Unless they're introducing a new sandwich or something, they don't talk about the product. They just show someone holding the bag or taking a bite out of the sandwich. But you know what? Everyone who takes a bite of the Big Mac or a sip of that Coke have some things in common: They're happy and attractive and having fun!
Current advertising theory holds that there's no point in giving people information, because people don't make "rational decisions". They make their decisions based on emotional attachments. So what advertisers aim to do is to attach a positive emotion with a product on a subconscious level, so that when you think about that product, you feel good. That good feeling makes you more likely to buy that product.
The holy grail of advertising is to be a part of an entire subculture that's attractive and happy and cool, a subculture that people want to be a part of, and to have their product be synonymous with their product. They want to make you feel like you can't be a part of the culture that you belong to without owning that product. They want you to feel like you're not yourself without that product.
Now I don't know how successful these ads will be, but it's clear that they're trying to remake the Microsoft image. They're trying to construct the emotional response you feel when you think about Microsoft, because the current emotional response from a lot of people consists mainly of frustration. So instead, they're trying to make Gates, as the embodiment of Microsoft, come across as a quirky fun guy that you'd like to have around even if he is a little hapless. He may as well be saying, "Hey, I'm not perfect, but I'm kind of nice and fun and even helpful, so invite me into your home."
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
You have to clarify an ad when you get upset by it and don't know why. Most of the time, this is because you're not part of the target demographic. This is the case here, with a general-public/family oriented/techno-unsavvy ad vs. Slashdot readerbase. I think GP's ad deconstruction is quite acccurate in this regard, and helps explain where MS might be going next.
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Informative)
True, but your missing the point. I saw a documentary on this a while ago, and they played two coffee commercials back-to-back, one from the 50s and one from the 90s. The ad from the 50s actually talked about how good the coffee tasted, while the commercial from the 90s showed a man and a woman in a cozy setting, drinking out of coffee cups (you never saw the coffee) and enjoying a romantic conversation.
The point is, they aren't selling you the coffee, they're trying to sell you the emotional feeling. Their goal is to get you to subconsciously associate their brand with warm-fuzzy feelings of romance. Showing the scene of a couple in a cozy environment is a way of generating that feeling, and showing the coffee cups and the box of coffee creates the association, but it really isn't about showing you the product or telling you anything about the product.
But Gates is a psychological stand-in for Microsoft, and serves well enough to generate the association. In order to make you feel warmly about Microsoft, the makers of this commercial believe that it will be sufficient to get you to feel warmly about Gates. Whether that's true or whether the commercial succeeds in getting you to feel warmly about Gates are separate issues. I'm just telling you what the ad agency is trying to do here.
The point is, commercials today often have nothing to do with the product, and the people making the commercials don't want you to think about the product. They just want you to feel a specific emotion in connection to their brand, and they'll try to create that association in any way they can, whether it includes showing the product or not.
Now as to why they don't really show any Microsoft products, I have some guesses. First, you know the products already. You've seen Windows. If you'd consider buying an XBox, then you already know what one is and probably know the advantages/disadvantages compared to other platforms. Talking about their products is about as useless as Coke trying to describe the flavor of their cola; you know what Coca-Cola tastes like.
In fact, a lot of people associate Microsoft Windows with "frustration", so showing their product might only serve to bring those feelings to the forefront. Also, the bad associations people have with Microsoft are that Microsoft is a big, powerful, pushy company. So not showing their product can serve to counter that, because there's no way you can watch those commercials and feel like they're pushing their product on you.
Finally, not showing the product can work in a sort of reverse-psychology kind of way. Jerry keeps asking Bill about plans for future products, and Bill shows the kid a game that's not released, and we don't get to see it. By refusing to show us their current products or possible future products, they might be trying to get you to ask, "what cool things might Microsoft be working on?"
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
If you can't find the hidden message about "bringing people together", and how they talk about it near the end. It is an advertisement about the OS, but a more "off" way to market it, like MOST COMMERCIALS.
I didn't watch the other commercial, but I thought it was a nice -entertaining- way to spend 4 minutes of tv ads than other commercials.
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
No, no. There's an underdog spin on it.
They are staying with a family. The family obviously boards other people. The grandmother has been living there for 12 years. Maybe this is a reference to Windows 95 being ancient, but still kicking around the house.
While they are there, the little girl gets upset that she lost her room. Here they are calling non-Microsoft OS's bratty little girls.
The little girl gets her revenge by planting the stolen item in Gates' pack. This is either saying that other OS's use deception to get what they want. Gates, being the better man just leaves to let the bratty girl have her way, because there are bigger things to come.
I like understanding subtle undertones to what appears to be obvious. I also like listening to the words of "Hotel California". :)
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Funny)
There is more subtle undertones that i would not have expected. When the delivery guy arrived, Gates took the food without paying. I find it kind of odd that Microsoft would portray their spokesmen as a thief. Is this Microsoft admitting that they take what they want and that they have no morals?
Parent
Re:I want to see one (Score:5, Funny)
I'd rather see him have to admin an MS shop myself.
Parent
Re:I want to see one (Score:5, Funny)
RMS using Word,
see which head splodes first.
Parent
Re:I want to see one (Score:5, Funny)
Bill has way more technical skill than most. He certainly has more than Jobs.
And WAAAAAYYY more than Seinfeld.
Parent
Re:I want to see one (Score:5, Insightful)
holy flamebait summary, batman!
Seriously... Slashdot never has made claims at being unbiased, and I have no excess fondness for MS products (I'm currently writing this from my ubuntu desktop) but still... Frontpaging needlessly harsh opinions best left to tongue-in-cheek office humor don't serve the slashdot community.
If I want vitriolic bias, I'll head to Fox News.
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Why not just come with facts then and leave the flaming statements behind? It's hard to have any useful dialog when you start the conversation with YOU SUCK. I can criticize MS all day long using facts, but it gets me no where to come right out of the pocket with a very biased statement. Why would anyone even follow up if it seems that I cannot be swayed and have taken up a religious-like stance?
Some people need to get that chip off of their shoulder and grow up. They aren't doing anyone in the Open Source community a favor by coming off like a pretentious ass that can't be reasoned with.
You want me to criticize windows? I can write a laundry list using facts. You want me to criticize Linux? I can write a laundry list of facts. Facts speak volumes. Everything else is a waste of time and gets the us nowhere.
Parent
!!?? Where do you live ??!!?? (Score:5, Insightful)
Facts speak volumes.
As you seem to live in another planet, and one where facts do speak volumes nonetheless, I friendly request that you take me to your leader -- after asserting that your homeworld environment is livable for my pitiful lifeform.
Because, in this [wikipedia.org] planet:
But facts were never and will never be on the list. Not even close.
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:4, Insightful)
Nah, like me, we just got older. When were were young Microsoft was pure evil, Linux was the savior. All the MS did was wrong and all that Linux did was good. Then we entered the real world. Finding the Microsoft actually makes rather competitive products. And Linux has consistently dropped the ball in some areas. Over the years when challenges of life take effect GNU and Software freedom means less then it did before. It is about getting the Job done, and you find that software freedom has less to do with free speech then you did when your young. Some say we have sold out. I think of it as having a greater perspective. I am a Linux developer and I still use it daily. I have been using the latest versions. However I am finding that Software freedom comes at a cost of other freedoms. And those guys who choose windows over Linux aren't as stupid as I once believed, and actually had informed reasons to do so.
Parent
Re:i'm no MS fan, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
And if that were the whole story, few geeks would have a problem with them. Really, who doesn't want to use the right tool for the job? But that isn't the entire picture. Microsoft may have a few competitive products, but if you want to go anywhere near them, you're forced to take half a dozen other half-baked products that they forced down your throat. Then in order to interoperate properly you have to outfit your entire network with Microsoft technologies that you didn't want. And let's not forget the way they use their big money and market position to force preloads, manipulate international standards bodies such as ISO, and a million other reasons why Microsoft will build a better product only as a last resort.
No, it's not just about the product. If they succeeded on merit alone they would deserve to win. But that's not the Microsoft we know.
Parent
What "other freedoms" ? (Score:5, Insightful)
However I am finding that Software freedom comes at a cost of other freedoms.
What exactly is harmed by having more transparency and lower communication costs resulting in more efficient infrastructure?
And those guys who choose windows over Linux aren't as stupid as I once believed, and actually had informed reasons to do so
In every case I've seen it, it's because the C-level people find the name Microsoft socially acceptable explanation for everything technological. Sprinkle ANY useless explanation with Microsoftisms like "microsoft's documentation", "active directory", ".Net", "Exchange server" and they just accept the answer as is. Obligatory star wars reference, "These are not the droids you are looking for." Try it sometime!
Parent
Advertising (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft's operating system - appearing where not wanted, hard to remove, causing administration headaches, and finally being forced out in hopes of getting one's living space back.
Well you know you could just avoid giving Microsoft all this publicity if you feel so strongly about the quality of their products.
As for the advert, I thought it was quite funny. It didn't mention any specific products, but that's not really the point: the very personification of Microsoft (good ol' Bill) is given a soft, friendly image that will inevitably reflect onto the company and its products. It's got a kind of quirkiness that works really well - this will no doubt help improve sales of more personal product line (such as the Zune) that aren't really compatible with the hygienic, corporate image of Windows and Office.
Re:Advertising (Score:5, Insightful)
You wrote this advertising scheme, didn't you?
An ad which doesn't mention a product is hardly an ad, wouldn't you say? It is extremely hard to write a 30 second spot which not only pulls in your audience, but captivates them enough to work out subtle meanings. Hell, most 2 hour movies can't do this.
I'm not quite sure what MS is after with these spots, but I truly hope it's not what you claim; that would indicate a level of incompetence which even I wouldn't expect out of MS.
Parent
Re:Advertising (Score:5, Insightful)
If the ad itself is being talked about, then it has been successful on some level.
Parent
Re:Advertising (Score:5, Insightful)
If the ad itself is being talked about, then it has been successful on some level.
While there is some truth to that, I'm not sure exactly how successful you can judge an ad to be simply because it gets talked about. I mean an ad that consisted of a long, detailed and graphic discussion between Gates and Ballmer as to their preferred methods for torturing and maiming kittens would probably get talked about; I'm not sure such an ad could be considered as positive for Microsoft. An series of ads that has Bill Gates working his way through the Microsoft product line, explaining how bad each product is, highlighting several flaws, and then laughing over how the public has been so easily duped into buying it ... that would probably get plenty of people talking about it; again, I'm not sure that's likely to be judged a successful campaign. There's more to advertising and marketing than getting talked about -- the context and nature of the discussion does matter. If people are talking about these ads with regard to how out of touch they demonstrate Microsoft to be (as has been the case in a lot of conversation I've read and heard), I am not sure that actually count as a net positive for Microsoft.
Parent
Re:Advertising (Score:5, Insightful)
that would indicate a level of incompetence which even I wouldn't expect out of MS
You vastly underestimate the power of advertising. Consider that most people who see these ads aren't anti-Microsoft Slashdotters, but people who have other interests and for whom Microsoft products are just part of the scenery along with different cars, cereals and soft drinks.
These adverts are designed to make Microsoft stand out on the skyline by associating with it a more comfortable, personal feeling.
Parent
Re:Advertising (Score:5, Insightful)
Basics of marketing : if the product name and the quality you want to associate it with are more than 3 words away, your sentence fails, whatever its point is. Why do you think that you here so much the "McSame" and "Obama Ben Laden" neologism ? They are far more efficient at negative image association than any well weighted argument.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely hate it when I am confronted to this kind of argument. But I have to admit that as much as I would like Microsoft to listen to geeks when it comes to fact, geeks should take a lesson from Microsoft when it comes to marketing.
Parent
Re:Advertising (Score:5, Insightful)
Ads don't have to sell a product. But they do have to sell something. Brand is a perfectly reasonable thing to sell.
In these ads, they are selling their brand. look at the icon next to the summary here. Bill Gates as a borg. This is *not* the image MS wants to be associated with. So they're just making silly commercials. There are THOUSANDS of commercials that do just this and are successful. Remember Quiznos first commercials, "We're like the guy who invented pants."
People attacking these ads are mainly attacking these ads because they attack ANYTHING microsoft does. The ads are completely fine. Their products are fine. You don't like them, thats ok. There are millions of products that don't appeal to everyone. That does *not* mean they're bad. It just means they don't appeal to you, but if a product is as successful as MS's products, they obviously appeal to someone. Some people ACTUALLY like them and weren't somehow roped in by monopolistic practices or something which I'm sure someone will throw out there to explain the only reason Microsoft is 'successful.'
Parent
Re:Advertising (Score:5, Funny)
Personally, I don't think people are getting it -- the idea is to tear down the image of Microsoft as a savvy, omnipotent monolith by demonstrating that they can get totally taken by an ad agency.
Parent
Re:Advertising (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm not sure that personifying Gates will appeal to the masses. I saw this ad with my 11-year old daughter, and the first thing out of her mouth was "Whoa! Bill Gates is OLD!!!"
It's hard to relate to someone when they are ancient (and you are young). Why do you think the Apple guy is young while the Vista guy is older in Apple's TV spots?
'Nuff said.
Parent
Re:Advertising (Score:5, Funny)
funny? only slightly, but i still dont want to buy or use vista...
I hate Vista too, but have you tried Mojave? It's awesome!
Parent
Great summary :-) (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd like to see them visit a family with a nerdy kid who uses a MythTV box.
"Yeah, I used to use Windows, but it wouldn't record all the shows I told it to -- something about a "broadcast flag content protection error". Ever since I replaced it with Myth, I've had no more problems.".
Is it just me... (Score:4, Insightful)
Selling the big lie (Score:5, Informative)
Microsoft did not connect billions. They did not create TCP/IP, SMTP, the Web, or much of anything else.
They have ridden the wave with mediocre email apps and web browsers, but that's not much to crow about.
( And you would not have to crawl under a car to diagnose a blown head gasket, so there )
Re:Selling the big lie (Score:5, Interesting)
Yeah, because TCP/IP, SMTP, and the Web are so valuable without an OS. Love 'em or hate 'em, Microsoft did connect billions by putting an OS on the desktop that made those technologies worth something to Joe Average.
Let's give credit where it is due. But only where it's due. Microsoft didn't invent the Internet. They didn't make the Internet possible nor did they even make it popular. And they didn't provide the only viable platform.
What they did do is provide one of the key components Compaq needed to start the Clone market and prime the pump for the commodity hardware market we enjoy today. It is possible someone else would have done it if it wasn't for Microsoft (CP/M was essentially the business model for DOS). But it wasn't someone else who did it - it was Microsoft.
But be careful how far you take that praise.
Parent
As long as the Mac is represented (Score:5, Funny)
The family having a son who's into emo music, dresses in women's jeans, is bicurious and self-obsessed in a flood of his own drama should do nicely.
Direct Youtube Link (Score:4, Informative)
Good ads but MS has bigger problems (Score:4, Interesting)
It is obvious that these ads are about changing people's perception of Microsoft, from a big scary company to something that is personable, friendly and helpful. In that sense, they probably work really well.
However, is that what Microsoft really needs? To have a great business you have a great product and use marketing to shout about why it is great. Microsoft have a bad product (in Vista) and are trying to change the perception of the company with funny ads. It looks like a pretty crappy position to be in to me.
Brand Awareness (Score:4, Insightful)
Microsoft increasingly has the problem with advertising that their is no actual reason to choose their products over the competition, therefore they have difficulty promoting their products in advertising by making any rational appeal.
If the purpose of advertising is to increase brand awareness, what is the purpose of advertising if you are Microsoft, you own the market, and everyone is already aware of your brand?
Maybe that Microsoft is a monopoly explains the new strategy of not mentioning their product in advertisements. Some sharp advertising executive realized that Microsoft did not need to mention their own products in commercials because everyone has already heard of them. Then he sold that idea to Balmer.
Though while Microsoft is in the enviable position having already achieved near 100% global product awareness, they face a new challenge that in addition to the public being aware of their products it is increasingly aware that those products suck.
Exhibit A is the the idiotic Mojave Experiment campaign which confronted that problem directly. Mistake 1: It was a public acknowledgment by Microsoft of widespread public discontentment with Vista and Mistake 2: It was an unconvincing attempt at persuasion using the pseudoscience of pop psychology. The argument goes like "you all think Vista sucks and we are going prove scientifically in a laboratory that you do not really think that Vista sucks as much as you think it sucks.
The Mojave campaign had the problem that it was about how people thought that Vista sucks and that is not a fact that you want to be advertising to your customers. By being about nothing, the Seinfeld+Gates campaign does not make the same mistake. But it still fails to overcome the problem which is that Vista is a bad product and their is growing public perception of that. Their are subtle and indirect forms of promotion. Consumers are irrational. Based on the advertisements which I see, I am pretty sure that male brains actually work in way which makes "Wow, the woman in that photo holding that bottle has great tits, therefore I will drink Budweiser." An argument to purchase a product can be both convincing and irrational, but Microsoft's new ads are not in any way convincing.
Re:uhm (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, if you wanted "fair and balanced", you should have gone to Fox News [google.com]!
Parent
Re:Larry David (Score:4, Funny)
Why is it when someone hits a nice payday folks who don't like the ad/show/music call them sell outs.
Jealousy.
For my part, I'd advertise Vista for only one million. For ten million, I'd even try to use it!
-jcr
Parent