September 5th, 2008
Seinfeld-Gates TV commercial ... vague, baffling and unfunny, but highly riffable!
What can I say about Microsoft’s new Seinfeld-Gates TV commercial that hasn’t already been said.
The media so far hasn’t been kind to Microsoft’s latest TV ad. Here are just some of the highlights:
“… there’s not really a whole lot of anything, including laughs, information or pimping of Vista.” Jason Chen, Gizmodo
“I don’t get it. And seeing how the punchline was, ummm, Bill Gates adjusting his shorts, I don’t think I want to get it.” Sam Diaz, ZDNet
“The tagline for this one: “The future. Delicious.” I think this is more ‘yuck’ than ‘yum.’” MG Siegler, VentureBeat
Like I said in an earlier post, I never expected to find the ad “laugh out loud” funny because I was never a Seinfeld fan, but at the same time I really wasn’t expecting it to feel as awkward as it did. It also plays into Apple’s hands, portraying Microsoft not as being hip and cool, but as, well, being just like the PC guy …
Loading ...The ad does have one thing going for it … it’s highly riffable (well, I had to do something during those awkward moments while I watched the ad for the second time …).
Alternative riff for image #2 as suggested by a reader: “No, sir. That’s your ‘Get out of jail free’ card”
Note: There were a few churro-related lines I could have thrown in there, but I wanted to keep this PG …
I heard there’s going to be more of these ads. Maybe I should build a couple of bots to keep me company and help keep me sane …
Discount shoe stores, churros, Seinfeld fiddling with Gates’ feet, Gates adjusting his shorts … it felt more like an episode of Lost than a TV ad.
Thoughts?
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
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| 09/05/08
