VentureBeat - Latest Comments in Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Steve Jobs wanna-be — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:37:23 -0000

nice reporting.

i still don't like bill gates though. he sucks.

he makes me unhappy. when i see his face i shrivel and not in a good or homo way.

his existence upsets me.

he can go jump ina ditch.

i would rather let george bush run the country for another 8 years than be pro-bill gates.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Engago team — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:46:28 -0000

Strange you mention the OLMBlog (on Gates - Sitcom career - Al Bundy) in your track backs, which is actually a post on the LEADSExplorer blog - and was trackbacked.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Jendo — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:42:39 -0000

Thank you Gabriel!!

Finally someone who can see beyond the literal aspect of these commercials. These commercials are filled with innuendo.

Watch them again people, and think about it.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Gabriel — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:33:18 -0000

I knew these ads were going to be a little too smart for some people to get it.

I'll explain the first ad first.

The "conquistador" shoes are analogous to an apple computer. Everyone is very impressed by it but it's not a great "fit" for what you need. You'll have to change your normal routine to get it to work for you, ie. wearing them in the shower.

In the second ad the father asks Bill if he has ever had scalloped potatoes before like they're something new that he may have never seen. Bill answers that he has. The father comments that the grandmother has been around for 12 years now. The seen goes on to show Bill with his potatoes asking if this is the same thing they had last night. Jerry responds that there is cheese in it now. This conversation is about the ipod and the minor changes that apple has been making to it and routinely unveiling as a brand new machine.

I hope the ads don't completely lose their quirky delivery but it looks like most people aren't getting it.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Fred Anderson — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:52:19 -0000

I love Digital Daily's take on this: Gates and Seinfeld, the Hilton and Ritchie of Tech

"this spot clearly isn’t intended to pitch anything. It’s meant to redeem and recondition Microsoft’s public image, which has been turned into a joke by Apple’s (AAPL) persistent and devastating mockery."

http://digitaldaily.allthin...

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

chad yarlagadda — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:01:34 -0000

Good point. Will be interesting to see how Apple counters.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Jay Cuthrell — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:47:43 -0000

The must have for xmas 2008 is a leather giraffe.

http://www.google.com/produ..."leather+giraffe"

Note the sponsored link... some of that $300M is going to more than just video snippets.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

MG Siegler — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:24:25 -0000

Thanks Eric, yeah much of the mainstream will simply like seeing Seinfeld again I suspect. Still, I'd love to see Microsoft take some kind of new approach to push its brand forward.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Eric Rice — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:18:24 -0000

You're the first person I've seen post the common sense of it all. It's *Seinfeld* ffs and Bill G. being a hilariously bad actor (cuz well, he's Bill Freaking Gates) does a lot for the brand. Car commercials never used to show cars crashing and let's not forget the Budweiser ads with a) frogs and b) WASSSUUUPPP and how eternally long that meme lasted in pop culture.

What we aren't dealing with in the tech blogosphere is the pop culture set. We're so freaking alternative and rejectful of the mainstream, it's about as predictable as it gets. Bet I could call my folks right now and listen to my mom rave about them. She hates her PC but won't buy a Mac. Odd, those silly consumers. :)

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

MG Siegler — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:22:21 -0000

Yes, the Bill Gates robot was maybe the highlight.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

MG Siegler — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:20:50 -0000

A good observation I think.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

MG Siegler — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:19:59 -0000

they'll cut it down for airing to either 30 seconds or a minute - that'll be interesting to see, could really change it entirely.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

MG Siegler — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:19:15 -0000

I liked the Superman Seinfeld ads as well, these I'm just not really seeing the point of yet - though like I say, they seem to be building up characters. It could end up working, too early in the campaign to tell, but I don't think all the humor is hitting the notes that it should.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Josh Cohen — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:00:06 -0000

I don't think these ads are going anywhere. They don't need to. Not all advertisements need be filled with conspicuous praise or enumerate the benefits of the product they're promoting.

Bill Gates is Microsoft. Having him play the character of lovable geek will make viewers associate happy thoughts with the brand. The last thing Microsoft needs is a tutorial of one of its new offerings. These advertisements do a fantastic job of pushing the company's image into a new, different direction.

The fact that Bill Gates doesn't officially work for Microsoft anymore is negligible. 90% of the people watching won't know that and the other 10% wont' care.

This also isn't the first time Seinfeld's been in a big budget commercial about nothing for a Fortune 100 company. His Superman series with Amex was amazing:

- http://www.wddg.com/project...

There was a touch more product integration in those, but not much. Giving people the opportunity to associate Amex with being awesome was way more important than any sort of product specs.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

DennisSC — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:51:34 -0000

You know, it does kind of a have a Michel Gondry feel to it, so I wouldn't be surprised.

Though I don't think this will help Microsoft one little bit -- just what are people supposed to buy based on this ad, and why? -- it is pretty entertaining stuff.

Bill Gates' robot sure wasn't bad.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Skiffy — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:40:56 -0000

I would love a piece of that $300 Million bait!

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Rice Blogger — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:06:15 -0000

i though that was good......trying to be the good guys

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Sean O — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:57:47 -0000

Yes, that's all well and good...

But, please tell me more about this new show by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David.
Curb Your Whoosie-Whatsit?

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

TimTheFoolMan — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:54:33 -0000

Wow. Both of these are just begging for parodies.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

DLXSteve — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:47:12 -0000

Bill Gates is looking more and more like Mr. Rodgers.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

David — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:41:19 -0000

I have never had a Mac in my life, but I find those commercials to be hilarious.

"I banish you."

And they are pretty smart -- for consumers the thought of transitioning files from old to new computer (whether its PC to PC or PC to Mac) is a nightmare, and Apple introduces they're Genius as a solution to the nightmare. It's either that or the also ridiculous Geek Squad? I think Genius has a better shot.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Matt — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:36:52 -0000

funny, but who airs commercials that are 4:30?

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

Proud Commie — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:34:46 -0000

Yeah, they are extremely pointless. It's hard to see where they are going. I personally find them amusing, though, but that has nothing to do with marketing for Microsoft. They are definitely of Curb Your Enthusiasm-like, and that show, while critically acclaimed, didn't appeal to a wide audience. So from a marketing perspective, it's hard to see how this can be successful. But I find them outlandish and funny, and I assume it's going somewhere. Plus it does inspire a reaction, good or bad.

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

MG Siegler — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:29:52 -0000

I don't know Chad, that just may make people feel bad for MSFT and make Apple look like a bully. Role reversal. Maybe that's MSFT's plan...baiting Apple...

Re: Bigger, longer & uncut: The second Microsoft Seinfeld ad

MG Siegler — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:28:46 -0000

I'm actually pretty sick of the Mac vs. PC ads myself, but these are kind of pointless IMHO.