Microsoft, Am I Missing Something?
OK, so it’s on to advert number 2 and it now seems that Microsoft is financing a pilot “Bill and Jerry” comedy program – at great expense. This is a very long ad and it is, imho, quite an entertaining ad. It’s still very much wtf and I fail to see how this is gonna impact my opinion of Microsoft technology in any way…
Nevertheless, this is the second time that Microsoft has provoked me into putting one of its adverts on my blog, and as it happens those are the only video ads I’ve ever placed on the blog. So maybe Microsoft’s campaign is working on me in a highly effective manner – in a subliminal way. Maybe I’m just a pawn in the game. Maybe it’s working on other bloggers in the same way. Maybe it’s gradually pulling us all back into a giant Windows wormhole. Perhaps goldfish would rule the planet if they had opposable fins.
In the interests of vendor fairness, this is my final video ad posting. I promise never to do it again.
(Note: If your company blocks Internet videos you will not see a video frame below this sentence. In which case, login from home to watch this.)
Like you, Robin, I first didn’t get the point of the new commercials. No where in the first one is there any mention of Vista let alone Windows. After watching the second installment, it dawned on me, Microsoft is trying to counter the effects of the Mac PC ads by Apple. Instead of fighting toe-to-toe with Apple, it’s decided to fix its tarnished image as a big ‘ol company that doesn’t care one bit about its customers. Microsoft is going for the warm and fuzzies. It’s attempting to repair its tarnished image. These commercials are all about branding. Once customers feel good about Microsoft, it will feel good about its products.
OK. I like this idea. I’m not sure it’s effective though because I don’t think you counter a negative campaign like Apple’s “I’m a Mac & I’m a PC” with a positive campaign that plays to the brand.
The question I guess is when you think “PC” do you think of the Micrsoft ads or the Apple ads?
But never mind, this may just be the beginning of a Microsoft campaign that unfolds into something quite clever..