sjbooher: The other Intel ad was such a success that I can’t even find this one online due to the robot one popping up so much in search results. That makes this one mediocre in comparison. C.
jtherkal: Apparently even a computer nerd doesn’t know how to use the “search” part of a computer. I found it in .5 seconds, which makes me smarter than you. But it doesn’t make your grade wrong. C+. The plus is for computer labs in college.
jtherkal: Boom! Here it is. The second debut of the Windows Vista campaign. Apparently this is the real campaign, with rumors flying around that the Seinfeld-Gates ads have been pulled and were only intended to get people talking before the actual release of the “real” campaign. While I seriously doubt that Crispen purposely made boring pieces of shit, this is starting to feel more like what you’d expect. The idea that PC’s have been unjustly stereotyped is one that, while perhaps untrue(I think PCs and Windows have earned their reputation), is at least an idea.
They’re giving people who use PCs something to identify with, something to rally around. They’re trying to make you feel okay to not be hip like Mac, because people like Pharrell (although he’s already being bashed for selling out, after saying he’s a Mac guy), Tony & Eva, Vera Wang, and some guy with a beard are PCs. A lot of people have PCs, so making them feel like they don’t have to rush out and get a Mac is not a bad starting goal.
And, before you can break a stereotype, you first have to get people to acknowledge that there is, indeed, a stereotype. This does exactly that. Call out the stereotype and start to prove it wrong. Plus, “I’m a PC” is the type of phrase that can catch fire in pop culture. It’ll find its way into sketch comedy shows, YouTube videos, t-shirts, etc. Why on earth didn’t they just launch with this instead of shoveling that load of Seinfeld shit out onto the airwaves? We still haven’t seen anything about the product, so it’ll be interesting to see where this goes next. A-.
sjbooher: Now THIS is good. So really, WHAT was that Seinfeld crap? An amazing turnaround, here. They actually used relevant celebrities this time. Good idea! This is the type of ad the young tastemakers of the world are can grab a hold of, as my colleague said. Does the product still suck? Yeah. But if you don’t know that, this can catch your interest. This succeeds as more of a “brand builder”. A.
As for the Pharrell issue… isn’t Microsoft the one getting played here, for paying a guy that is a definite Mac user to hawk your brand? Microsoft already looked like suckers for using N*E*R*D’s “Spaz” in this Zune ad, when on their album, the track immediately preceding “Spaz”, namedrops the iPod repeatedly!
jtherkal: Part two of this mysterious campaign is hitting the airwaves. The above video is actually a 4+ minute webisode, which is miles better than the initial shoe store commercial (F). Whether this one works when cut down to :30 or :60 remains to be seen. You start to get a glimpse of the direction they might be taking with this campaign–trying to humanize Gates and Microsoft, make it seem like Vista is designed with average people in mind. I don’t know if I’m buying it.
Rumor has it, the next spot released in this campaign is going to pay off this setup. The expectations are rocket-ship high for Crispen to nail this, so I’m expecting the payoff to be brilliant; otherwise this’ll be seen as a monumental failure. I don’t know why they didn’t start with this one, the family makes it way more likable. C+.
sjbooher: I’m writing this after seeing 30 seconds… you know, the standard length of an ad? And why would I watch more? There is deafening silence, no jokes, and nothing interesting going on. Seinfeld is still not funny so far, and Bill Gates is still boring. And the rest of that family is absurdly boring. The only interesting aspect is that one of the newspaper guys from the best television show ever made, The Wire, is the dad. F.
sjbooher: Update: I made it through the whole thing. Guess what? There is still nothing being advertised, and they have not even piqued my interest. I don’t care what’s next and I hope never have to see anything else in this series ever again. The “joke-in-the-can” robot dance was halfway funny, maybe, but if I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen the “nerdy white guy does the robot” joke, I’d be… Bill Gates. Still and F.
jtherkal: Ever since CP+B won the Vista account, perhaps almost a year ago, the ad world has been buzzing. What genius concept will come out of the hottest shop on earth for a brand with one of the worst reputations on earth. So you can imagine how utterly and entirely baffled I was when this piece of garbage hit the air. Pointless, boring, horribly written. Did Seinfeld write his own material? Did someone forget to do quality control? The jokes are bad, the acting is typically Seinfeld bad. I can’t really think of anything about this that I like. The jokes they make at the end, about the cake computer and then Bill Gates shaking his shorts? All I can do is shake my head.
The only possible silver lining is that Crispen probably has some sort of twist up their sleeve. Something like, “Look at that commercial. You thought it was terrible, but look at this new version of it, look at how good it is. It’s just like Vista, it can get better.” Or maybe their point is that you can’t judge something by its reputation alone. Like thinking that putting Seinfeld in a commercial would make it funny. “We heard that people would really like a commercial where Seinfeld and Bill Gates meet in a shoe store. So we just went ahead and made it. I guess you have to try it before you can really judge.” Either way, unless the punchline is solid gold–or at least has something to do with why this ad sucks–this can’t possibly get anything better than a D-.
sjbooher: Full discretion alert. As a software engineer, I despise Windoze. As a lover of comedy, I am not in Jerry Seinfeld’s demographic. I will not be changing my Facebook status to contradict either of those facts any time soon. This is boring, un-funny and does not really advertise anything. On top of that, it’s annoying with that cringe-worthy hip twist from Gates at the end. Whose idea was it to feature one of the most non-engaging men ever to walk the Earth in a minute-and-a-half ad? To whom does this even appeal? The ironic part is that is exactly like Windows products — bulky, over-priced and crappy. Guess they went for a little truth in advertising? F.
jtherkal: This was the ad I originally intended to review when I ended up posting the iPhone entry. If there’s one thing Apple can do, it’s pick songs that get in my head and stick there. I love me some 30 seconds of “New Soul” by Yael Niam. I don’t know if I even want to get the whole song, :30 is just about perfect. The ad is clean and clear: this is a thin computer, buy it. If I didn’t think I would snap it in half, I might. A.
sjbooher: This ad is shocking in it’s simplicity. The thinness of the laptop is perfectly exhibited through removing it from a standard manila envelope. This action perfectly conveys the product’s selling point — the thinness. Well done… but the creepy hands are back! RUUUUUUNNNN!!!! A.
“As the world’s #1 receiver, I wanna be with the world’s #1 domain registrar”! A classic line. Chad Johnson is charismatic and actually pulls this off, although it does seem absurd that a millionaire NFL player has ever spent 1 minute working on his website. And pay attention to the great “Go Daddy!” jingle in the background.
If five other companies weren’t already running ripoffs of this Rudolph treatment, this would probably seem pretty clever. But I’ve seen at least two more–one is for insurance, I think, the other is for some terrible cell phone company. So Mac isn’t exactly breaking new creative ground with this. Other than that, the writing and concept for this one fall short of their other efforts in this campaign (which I generally like). Usually the joke is based on some sort of truth; this is just a childish jab at PCs.
The only two good parts are the beginning when Santa sounds the harmonica and the “he see’s you when your in sleep mode” line. If I didn’t love Christmas so much, this would be more in the C or C+ range.
