Bill Gates and Jerry

*sheila* · 09-05-2008, 10:00 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afR5J7eskno

*ryount* · 09-05-2008, 09:56 PM

I liked how they got in Bill's mug shot, other than that i thought it was pretty weak. I figure they are going to do a series of these making people thinking MS has a new OS and then surprise, it's Vista. Problem is the damage has been done, they should have done some marketing when Vista first came out. Pretty hard to reverse those bad impressions now.

*Joe* · 09-05-2008, 11:34 PM

It made me laugh!

Have to say though when they make computers that are "moist and chewy like cake so we could just eat them while we're working", the 'they' will be Apple and not Microsoft or their hardware partners.

*Jeff* · 09-06-2008, 01:35 AM

But I don't want my computer moist and chewy!

Andilinks · 09-06-2008, 07:58 AM

Yes, funny. It's not exactly saving babies in Africa but bringing Jerry Seinfeld back to American telivision is a good use for some of Bill's ill-gotten gains.

But it ain't gonna help Vista. Unless of course they release a moist and chewy version.

*sheila* · 09-06-2008, 03:33 PM

Yeah, my favorite part is definitely his platinum Shoe Circus ID card mug shot.

Overall, I'm not sure what to make of it. I guess they are trying (pathetically?) to make Windows seem more cool and/or friendly? I don't feel like I really needed to see Bill wiggle his ass.

They never mention Vista at all. Is that MS logo at the end the Vista version? (I've never run Vista, so I don't know...)

It's very strange, to say the least.

Andilinks · 09-07-2008, 12:15 PM

So if they're trying to build a Seinfeld & Gates comedy team brand to compete with Hodgman & Olyphant (the pair in the Apple ads) this could make commercial watching much more interesting, though the repetition problem will remain.

I just read that the next S&G spot will involve buying "apple puree" from the Soup Nazi. I can't wait. Being Hardy to Jerry's Laurel is probably a good career move for Bill. I need to see him twiddle his tie.

*Wassercrats* · 09-07-2008, 01:18 PM

I heard it was actually on TV. I was sure they were making long ads in quantity and sacraficing quality just for the internet or something, but I guess this is quality to Microsoft. In keeping with their "don't allow a webpage to be closed while it's taking forever to load" and "make it hard to tell which process belongs to which window" and "once you open a PDF from a subfolder in favorites, never allow another PDF to open from that subfolder" and "when viewing a favorite's properties, open the dialog box under the browser so you have to click minimize" and "mess up desktop icons when changing resolution."

Andilinks · 09-07-2008, 02:34 PM

Video with poor production values has a "reality" feel to it.

Professionals are emulating the amateurs on YouTube because people distrust the motives of the professionals. It's a peculiar kind of brand building, an odd artifact of having more money than credibility.

It will be interesting to watch this develop of the next few years, MS trying to smash its way into coolness by the back door using boulders made of pure cash.

Andilinks · 09-12-2008, 11:14 PM

Just saw the latest G&S commercial and it is really weird. They are staying with an "ordinary family" in a reality type sitcom...