What I find amazing is that gates looks more like a shoe salesman (and a rather unsuccessful one at that) than the shoe salesman does. Why would I want to buy anything from this slob... he's supposed to be a billionaire... come on now...FAUX LEATHER?!?!?!

The only mildly entertaining aspect of this ad is the fact that they are paying Seinfeld millions for this crap.
Now THAT IS FUNNY!

It's too late... they already hit the iceberg.

A memo has to be issued to explain the ad. Moreover, the memo has the bafflegab excuse that the reason that the ad makes no sense is that it's the start of a conversation.

It's not a conversation.

Advertising is unidirectional from client to consumer. What a load of crap.

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Anonymous wrote:
Nice add, makes Microsoft look smaller and more touchable. Microsoft does not need to compare themselves to anybody else they were the top dog and everybody knows it. They need to change the bully image they have and make people accept them.

Yep, the key phrases are in red. They say a mouthful.

As for the ad, it wasn't that bad. Could it have been better, I don't know. That's the best ad Payless Shoes has had in a while.

I'd just like to say thanks to the guys at TMO for building the troll pen that is the TMO news forum. Nice work, guys. Keeping the morons (registered members excepted, of course) corralled in one place keeps the other forums civilised.

Oh. Oops.

Seinfeld may need many things in life; eyelids, better teeth, a voice that doesn't only live in his nose but money is NOT one of them. When one makes nearly a billion dollars on a TV show not to mention the millions he pulls in from Vegas every year the last think he needs is money. 's no Ed McMahon. What he really needs, like most performers is to be watched and this gives him the chance to wached by lots of folks.. He

He did not do it for the money. He'll take the money, no doubt, but he doesn't need it. He made 225 million +- just from the syndication rights to his show. That's not counting nine years of salary, producing, etc. And not counting the millions from Vegas. He did it for the same reason any performer does it, to be seen. In he's case by a nation full. In Sparky the Clown's case by four 90 year olds at the Lower Half Home and Ice Rink.

Blackdough

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darkone wrote:
There is much symbolism in this commercial. Here is my interpretation:

First of all we are at a discount shoe store, this symbolizes the supposed affordability of Windows to Macintosh.

Remember the shoe is Windows.

Bill tries on a shoe from the proprietor, complains it doesn't fit, but is assured that over time it will.

He gets help from Jerry, because the proprietor's help is lacking.

Jerry discovers a feature in the shoe that is somewhat vague.

Jerry shows Bill the Conquistador (a more advanced shoe), assures him that if he works hard with it, the shoe will work out.

Some outsiders look in and make comments about the difficulty of the shoe.

Bill identifies himself as a regular customer which earns him the benefit of discounts on more of the same type of products.

Jerry gets Bill to confirm that Windows will someday be something that isn't today. The description is vague and sounds overreaching.

You know, some of this helps me a little. I thought it was weird when the official shoe guy walked off and Jerry started helping.

And I couldn't imagine "why gates"? He's not CEO, or even "chief SW architect" anymore (which could be a 2 edged moniker don't cha know) But since, I've figured out that they used Gates because they didn't want to use "windows". People still completely identify him with windows and vice versa (talk about having your place - good or bad - in history).

I'm still struggling for the whole "cake" analogy or whatever, and on the "propreitor" not being there, isn't that more against MS than Apple? Apple has the best consumer satisfaction right now.

The reference to clowns was just way out there - kind freaky.

I don't know - I think your interpretation is helpful, and gives me some hope we could see something interesting in the future. We'll see. Apple's 1-2 punches delivered in short order are funnier and more digestible. But maybe they are going somewhere with this in the long run. It would be good for both if they were.

Buying a windows computer is like buying a new pair of shoes. In the store, they look nice and feel great. It's only after you buy them and wear them for awhile that you find out they give you blisters. Same with windows computers.

Seems rather appropriate that the king of "nothing" now prompts Micro-(as-in next to nothing)-Soft{ware}.

One thing good can be said about Microsoft - they help the economy by keeping millions of PC techs employed!

the get a mac ads have their target audience - the 16-21 year old college bound demographic

this ad appears to target the 26-40 year old demographic

apple is hoping they can take over the computer market the same way that many pundits expect Iran to fall - garner a young base that will be the leaders in 5-10 years after the last remnants of the old regime die out

microsoft appears to want to simply maintain position through incompatibility - (effectively) force people to use the same computer they have at work if they want to access anything from their job at home

the way apple succeeds - hire the best computer engineers in the world to reverse engineer everything out of redmond for compatibility

the way microsoft wins - use their cash surplus to stay one step ahead of apple

oh, and my typing is just from a general disrespect for my shift key

and punctuation

TRO

Too long, too clever (I guess) and long in the tooth (Seinfeld with a paunch?). Apple's commercials are funny, punchy and are basically genius in few potent seconds.

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Guest wrote:
By far one of the best teasers I've seen. It was about time somebody started to think consumers have a brain - well, probably except those consumers that Apple promotes its products to, considering the banality of its commercials. The whole idea was about choice, having options and the fact that you don't have to pay extra for a piece of Crapple in order to get exactly what you need to make you happy and work as expected. Way to go MSFT!

Wha'?

Seriously, would you buy a pair of shoes from these guys?

I hate those annoying Apple adverts. Most of them do not do a "comparison" but just allude to vague problems with Vista ("Oh you've fixed the problems, no I'm making them easier to live with").

I think it's borderline false advertising, only one or two of them actually spout supposed features in the Mac.

It's a bunch of FUD.. Fear Uncertainty & Doubt... no real substance. Haven't seen the MS ad yet, I'm sure they won't be a lot better.

That ad was so f***ing stupid I actually wasted 5 minutes of my life to send MS an email telling them so. I refuse to purchase products from companies whose ads I don't like.

My two computers run XP and I will never change (notice I didn't say upgrade) to Vista anyway, and the notebook I'm about to buy will run Ubuntu Linux.

I think the Microsoft commercials are fun and agree with those who see the strategy as nothing more than needing" to change the bully image they have and make people accept them." The second 4 1/2 minute commercial vignette currently circulating is really fun. Only problem is that no consumer can maintain the "warm fuzzies" for MS with their dreadful bloatware and guys like Steve Ballmer still running the show.

Remember a few years ago when Steve Jobs took over a tattered Apple. The "Think Different" campaign was, as is the current MS campaign, a positioning campaign. Afterward, Apple revamped its products and delivered. Will MS deliver? History says, "No."