I liked the advertisement
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| lsatenstein Sep 08, 2008 9:29 AM EDT |
Linux users are bitter against Microsoft, and probably are emotionally angry against Bill Gates. Never-the-less, Microsoft is a company that has matured substantially to where it has a good product, albeit an expensive one in resource consumption. Vista has some growing pains, in that the early release bugs are being fixed. Vista has competitors, and therefore it is normal for the ad campaign to attack the dangerous one -- the MAC. Oh yes, Linux will be attacked as well. Apple can respond with their campaign, but linux does not have the $$$ to do so. So I think linux will pay a bigger penalty then the MAC. I liked the advertisement because it is low key. Lets see the follow up advertisements. |
| tuxchick Sep 08, 2008 10:03 AM EDT |
Frist giggle! |
| gus3 Sep 08, 2008 12:16 PM EDT |
If "low-key" includes not a single appearance of the product in the commercial (beyond a Vista-enabled churro?!?), then yes, it is "low-key". |
| vainrveenr Sep 08, 2008 5:16 PM EDT |
Certainly seemed low-key, what with the bantering more casual references to Microsoft.
It may be well to keep in mind for future MS-commercials that MS has to tout itself over its competitors... whether it explicitly mentions its competitors or not.Quoting:Vista has some growing pains, in that the early release bugs are being fixed. Vista has competitors, and therefore it is normal for the ad campaign to attack the dangerous one -- the MAC. Oh yes, Linux will be attacked as well. Apple can respond with their campaign, but linux does not have the $$$ to do so. So I think linux will pay a bigger penalty then the MAC.Two points on this: 1. To avoid ambiguity, one of MS's main competitors is Apple's MacOS. Apple's physical product is of course the Macintosh, a.k.a., "the Mac". OTOH, 'MAC' is much too easily read as the Media Access Control address embedded in networking firmware. It should be noted as an edit here, that MAC addresses work ubiquitously regardless of the Operating System used. For further MAC-specific information here, see the 'MAC address' Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_address 2. A good estimate is that Microsoft will certainly have to walk a somewhat fine line in targeting Linux in its ads. On the one hand, it may sense the need to mention companies using F/OSS and Linux in order to attack these and tout its own products. One of those Linux companies is of course Red Hat. OTOH, if it over-mentions Linux in its ads, it basically grants courtesy exposure of F/OSS and Linux to the masses viewing the Seinfeld-Gates ads. Should this happen, there is then the risk of an ENORMOUSLY large perceived loss of mindshare given to those who would not otherwise know more about this innovative and spreading competitor to Microsoft's bottom line! In such a latter case, Linux will pay absolutely no penalty at all..... in point of fact, quite the reverse. So again, Microsoft will be walking a fine line in its ads to tout its own products over F/OSS and Linux. |
| herzeleid Sep 08, 2008 5:23 PM EDT |
Quoting:Oh yes, Linux will be attacked as well. Apple can respond with their campaign, but linux does not have the $$$ to do so. So I think linux will pay a bigger penalty then the MAC.I'm not sure what you mean by "linux does not have the $$$ to do so". Who doesn't have the money? Novell? IBM? Oracle? Or are you referring to the linux kernel itself? Agreed, the linux kernel doesn't own a bank account (how could it?), but there are a number of players behind linux who could write some checks if they wanted to. |
| bigg Sep 08, 2008 5:33 PM EDT |
Microsoft would never (well, at least shouldn't, which means they probably will) mention Linux. The vast majority of users still don't know about Linux. Those who do have a tainted view based on trying it years ago. Linux is too good these days for Microsoft to promote it. If Microsoft attacks Linux, that is an endorsement that it is good enough to be a threat, which by itself would generate a great deal of interest. Given that Linux can be easily tried for free, without messing with your hard drive partitions, the last thing Microsoft wants to do is generate publicity. $300 million would buy a lot of publicity. |
| lcafiero Sep 08, 2008 5:35 PM EDT |
Second giggle, growing to a guffaw . . . Can I get a show of hands of how many of you are bitter Linux users? None? This ad is a disaster. No one knows what it's about (churros?) until the end, and then it's not that clear (edible computers?) what it's about until Bill shakes his butt (very appealing) and the logo comes on the screen. [Contrast this to the Apple "1984" ad, which was easily worth $30 million but cost a lot less, even in 1984 dollars.] Secondly, if the ad firm doing this ad (and, believe me, I'd have done an ad this bad for half the price) knows anything about advertising -- and I bet they do -- one of the things you DON'T do is mention your competition. That's Advertising 101. So I don't think Apple or Linux have anything to worry about. < editor's hat > Also, when referred to in its shortened form, a Macintosh is a Mac, not MAC -- it's neither an acronym nor initials like IBM. And nevertheless is always one word, no hyphens. Always. < /editor's hat > |
| tuxchick Sep 08, 2008 6:42 PM EDT |
I was giggling about the OP's "Microsoft is a company that has matured substantially to where it has a good product" comment. I've spend too many years administering both Windows and Linux systems- you can't fool your old Aunt Carla. Windows is poo, and Vista is Jabba the Poo. The stock installation of Vista Business on my Thinkpad, for one example, chews up over 30 GB. Full installs of Ubuntu and Windows XP weigh in at well under 3 GB each, though with XP you don't get any productivity software. 4GB of Kubuntu on my main workstation includes Gnome, office suites, audio, photo, and video editing apps, a complete build environment, a couple of kernel trees, personal finance apps, a couple of business accounting apps, all kinds of networking and troubleshooting tools, games, oh lordy and wads more. Now you must keep in mind that for both XP and Vista, that does not include any anti-malware apps of any kind, either. So both performance and disk space have yet to receive their real hammerings. Anyway. You folks know all this. It's cathartic to say it. As for the Bill and Jerry commercial, it's not so bad. People are talking about it and watching for the next one. I like Seinfeld, though the main message I took away from the ad is don't let him into your store- he will dribble crumbs, get in the way, and vandalize your inventory. The really funny part is their obvious attempt to put a kindly face on BillG. Stop me before I start ranting about Service Packs that are bigger and buggier than entire bleeding-edge Linux distributions. |
| tracyanne Sep 08, 2008 7:19 PM EDT |
Picture this, as Bill drives off Jerry turns to Tux, who is sitting on the bonnet of Jerry's car, and says "edible computers.." they both shrug. |
| tracyanne Sep 08, 2008 7:51 PM EDT |
then the message flashes on the screen "the Future Gnu/Linux, you won't have to eat it." |
| happyfeet Sep 09, 2008 9:42 AM EDT |
@TC - Quoting:Jabba the Poo- ROFL |
| phsolide Sep 09, 2008 2:22 PM EDT |
Of the putative $30 million this commercial cost, how much went to Bill and how much to Jerry? I mean, neither of them is likely to work for scale, right? |
| Steven_Rosenber Sep 09, 2008 7:33 PM EDT |
I finally saw the ad. The fact that they did something so, shall I say, avant-garde, was completely unexpected. They didn't seem to be really trying to sell anything or persuade anybody. The message I got was that Bill Gates is willing to make fun of himself. They didn't jab back at Apple's Mac vs. PC ads. They went their own way. Maybe a second commercial will be more "commercial," but I consider it an advertising triumph that Microsoft actually allowed this ad to be made and shown. |
| tracyanne Sep 09, 2008 7:39 PM EDT |
the message in the tail. Bill say (or we are led to assume) that they will build an edible computer, the tail goes "The Future, delicious, Microsoft" The ad is attempting appeal to a none technical mindset, and will probably work, especially as the ads morph. I still reckon "the Future, Linux, you won't have to eat it." is a good foil. |
| rsmiller Sep 10, 2008 5:23 PM EDT |
I wrote this piece and I didn't write it out of bitterness. All things being equal, this ad was downright awful. Now do I think Vista is a piece of crap? I most certainly do, but I could still appreciate the ad if it were good. It's just not. I do like Steven_Rosenber's angle that it's "avant-garde." Yes, I suppose you could look it that way, and I would welcome creativity if I saw any, but what I saw was a company trying way too hard that couldn't get out of its own way. |
| gus3 Sep 16, 2008 1:51 AM EDT |
In the future, Windows will run on a churro. At least that might be what Seinfeld is trying to say. But Linux already runs on a dead badger: http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20040405/badger.shtml Once again, Linux is ahead of the curve. |
| NoDough Sep 16, 2008 2:19 PM EDT |
Note to editors: User rosesmith (with a preceding space, how'd they pull that off) looks to be a spamming engine. Edit: Preceding space seems to have disappeared on refresh. |
| gus3 Sep 17, 2008 12:43 AM EDT |
@NoDough: As I type this, your nick has a preceding space. I've even seen it on my own nick. It's just an LXer weirdness. |
| hkwint Sep 17, 2008 12:37 PM EDT |
Quoting:Note to editors Yeah, just noticed, but I can't do anything about it. That's a bit stupid, isn't it? You'd better PM Scott in the future. Quoting:Secondly, if the ad firm doing this ad (and, believe me, I'd have done an ad this bad for half the price) knows anything about advertising -- and I bet they do -- one of the things you DON'T do is mention your competition Well, that's interesting (to me). If that's true, it's the reason a lot of Free Software evangelism doesn't work, since it most of the time stresses how it's better than proprietary software. This can be Linux vs. Microsoft, but it goes for a lot of things. But I'm really glad our brave topic starter did like the add. I kind of predicted that most of the regular LXer-readers are not the target audience of the add, and therefore we "don't get it", but others will. Than at least the $300 million - payed by the hard working Microsoft License buyers - is not wasted at all. |
| Scott_Ruecker Sep 17, 2008 12:57 PM EDT |
Got it, post is gone |
| tuxchick Sep 17, 2008 1:11 PM EDT |
Quoting: But I'm really glad our brave topic starter did like the add. I kind of predicted that most of the regular LXer-readers are not the target audience of the add, and therefore we "don't get it", Actually we do get it- they're selling dung polish. I like Seinfeld, and putting a human face on Billgatus of Borg is a slick move. The ads are a bit entertaining, and are very daring for MS. (Anyone remember those creepy perv guys in big blue butterfly suits? Now that was beyond bad.) But my overliteral geek mind still scoffs at trying to present Vista as anything other than the most expensive crud on the planet. What were those billions spent on? The OP could well be right about "linux will pay a bigger penalty then the MAC". |
| Steven_Rosenber Sep 17, 2008 2:59 PM EDT |
Now that I've seen the second ad, I continue to think they're brilliant as art pieces, but I can't for the life of me figure out how they a) help Microsoft or b) answer the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads from Apple. My wife had to explain the second ad to me. "It's about connecting ... and it's supposed to give Microsoft generally and Bill Gates specifically the credit for "connecting" the world on the Internet. Yeah, I'm buying that ... I'd love to see Ballmer in one of the ads, busting a chair or something. |
| TxtEdMacs Sep 17, 2008 4:38 PM EDT |
Quoting:I'd love to see Ballmer in one of the ads, busting a chair or something. Not possible. Don't under rate the Bomber, he is a good shot with chairs. You see it coming, but it is too late. All you remember when you regain consciousness is a swelled head with most of the incriminating evidence gone. Few smudges of blood in inconvenient places and a loose set of replacement teeth to make up for the now missing set you had. I found one mine embedded in the wall, but I could not retrieve it due to be threaten by security types saying it belonged to MS as part of their IP ownings. By the time I got back with my own flacks and the regular law, they denied anything happened. Moreover, the room was really cleaned this time, but honestly i don't remember if it was even the same building. They clone the inners, that with the concussion it was hard to have a firm grasp on reality ... © TxtEdMacs All Rights Reserved Any resemblance to people living or dead and incidents real, imagined or otherwise are purely coincidental is solely due to your over dosing on drugs legal and otherwise. Please refrain from obnoxious assertion, which you believe will lead to large cash rewards (unless you explicitly will cut me a percentage). The rest of you get lost. |
| DiBosco Sep 18, 2008 7:01 AM EDT |
Any truth in this? http://www.therawfeed.com/2008/09/microsoft-to-pull-seinfeld... |
| tracyanne Sep 18, 2008 8:00 AM EDT |
I links through to the LA Times, and an article where Microsoft claim it was planned and that the ads were only teasers, and stage 2 is yet to come. |
| bigg Sep 18, 2008 10:14 AM EDT |
When are they going to pull Vista? |
| tuxchick Sep 18, 2008 11:25 AM EDT |
Nice spin- they hype the Bill and Jerry show to the heavens, and then after a couple weeks make a "planned" move to the next stage. Right. Yep. Mmhmm. Sure. |
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