Seinfeld Gets the Boot in Microsoft Ads
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RB does men
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,997
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From: Pittsburgh
Seinfeld Gets the Boot in Microsoft Ads
Originally Posted by cnbc
They started with such fanfare: Microsoft on the offensive, launching a new TV ad campaign, spending $10 million for the services of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who would be part of a massive, $300 million ad spend.
To say the ads were met with mixed reviews is putting it kindly. Seinfeld joined Bill Gates in these quirky ads that made little sense, had virtually no message, and sent tongues wagging not for their creativity or how compelling they were, but how weird they were instead.
A blog or two speculated tonight that Microsoft would announce the end of those ads tomorrow. I've just spoken to a Microsoft source who confirms the ads will cease, that Microsoft is canceling them after only a few weeks and will be making that announcement tomorrow.
Confirmed.
It's a stunning rebuke for an ineffective concept that seemed misguided from the beginning, and had no chance at all of competing against the wildly successful "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" ads. (I've written a couple of posts recently about this.)
And it's an even bigger black eye for ad firm Crispin Porter+Bogusky. The firm's had a spotty track record with avant-garde concepts that resonate for their strangeness, sometimes more than their effectiveness. Sadly, for Microsoft, this might be another one of those times.
Microsoft tells me that the plan was never to use Seinfeld beyond the two or three ads he's already appeared in. I find that next to impossible to believe. That's a healthy chunk of change for such a tiny amount of work. If true, then Microsoft sure seems to be playing fast and loose with its money, and in an economy like this one, that's a bit of a surprise. If not, why lie about it? It's not like the ads were a secret. We all saw 'em. And most of us had the same reaction.
terrible ads
I missed Sean
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 11,285
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From: Fairfield/Bridgeport CT
They're ads about nothing :dunno:
Obviously an attempt to show Bill Gates in a joking manner. Lampooning themselves to make Windows and Microsoft as a whole feel more personable- the jokes just don't fly and they're all over the place
Obviously an attempt to show Bill Gates in a joking manner. Lampooning themselves to make Windows and Microsoft as a whole feel more personable- the jokes just don't fly and they're all over the place
...
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 14,216
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From: Ottawa
These ads were terrible, but I wouldn't fire the creative team behind them.
That agency is behind the Burger king ads, those Volkswagen ads, they're behind the Truth anti-smoking ads and a bunch of others.
And trying to make Microsoft cool is probably the biggest challenge an agency could get. Especially when you're competing with Apple's genius marketing.
That agency is behind the Burger king ads, those Volkswagen ads, they're behind the Truth anti-smoking ads and a bunch of others.
And trying to make Microsoft cool is probably the biggest challenge an agency could get. Especially when you're competing with Apple's genius marketing.
Be good
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 18,842
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From: Sloppy onshore junk.
These ads were terrible, but I wouldn't fire the creative team behind them.
That agency is behind the Burger king ads, those Volkswagen ads, they're behind the Truth anti-smoking ads and a bunch of others.
And trying to make Microsoft cool is probably the biggest challenge an agency could get. Especially when you're competing with Apple's genius marketing.
That agency is behind the Burger king ads, those Volkswagen ads, they're behind the Truth anti-smoking ads and a bunch of others.
And trying to make Microsoft cool is probably the biggest challenge an agency could get. Especially when you're competing with Apple's genius marketing.
And maybe their intent was for this to happen so we would be discussing it right now. Seriously.