I RATE ADS

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.