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Stop the Noiz

Microsoft Pays Jerry Seinfeld $10 Million to Sell Shoes to Bill Gates

Frank Fox - 2008.09.10 - Tip Jar

The first new Microsoft ad is out, and already the reports are blasting the ad, as not funny.

Well, I disagree. I think that it actually made Bill Gates look like a nice guy. There he is shopping for discount shoes, even though he's a billionaire. That helps to make him seem more down to earth.

Jerry Seinfeld helps Bill Gates buy shoes

Then he strikes up an easy repartee with Jerry Seinfeld as though they've been friends for years and didn't just meet in a shoe store. To top it off, you have one of the world's richest men doing a butt wiggle for the camera. Maybe he could take some lessons from the guys of Chippendale, but his wife probably thought it was cute.

Overall he doesn't come across as the evil SOB that many people associate with Microsoft. I think the ad breaks the ice between Gates and the millions of consumers out there. If people take a liking to him, maybe they will be more receptive to the next sales pitch that he is going to make.

That is the other obvious association that the ad wants us to make. By altering our opinion of Gates, they are using his strong association with Microsoft as a way to alter our opinion about Microsoft as well. If you like Bill Gates, then you might like Microsoft.

The ad has set the stage for Gates to introduce his newfound friend Jerry to the wonderful idea that Vista is great. We can be sure that more ads will follow this first one. Each ad will probably set the stage for one or two features that works great. Overall, I think they did okay as marketing. It will be interesting to see what they do next.

Unlike some people, I don't get all bent out of shape over marketing. We know that what we have seen is not factually correct. These two guys didn't meet at a shoe store. Bill Gates isn't known for doing a butt wiggle in front of an audience. I don't even care if it's a bad idea that you shower with your shoes on. This whole thing is made up. Duh! It's just a commercial. It is all a game of perception and consumer awareness.

I wish them luck on this new campaign. They're going to need it to improve the reputation of Vista.

Recent Stop the Noiz Columns

Apple's Tablet an End Run Beyond Netbooks, 11.20. Whatever Apple has planned will leverage existing technologies while going beyond what its competitors can offer.
Psystar Joins Ranks of Dumb Criminals, 11.16. The judge has ruled, and Psystar has been found guilty of illegally using Mac OS X on its computers.
My Windows 7 Launch Party, 10.23. "The final surprise was that things started to slow down during my demo. I had XP Mode running, several open windows, and a half dozen other apps running."
Windows 7: Bait for Windows XP and Vista Users, 10.19. While Win 7 is competing with OS X in features, it's target audience is Windows users, not Mac users.
More in the Stop the Noiz index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: 15" MacBook Pro Core Duo, Jan. 2006 - The first Intel-based MacBook launched at 1.83-2.0 GHz, had several teething problems.
Group of the Day: System 6 is the email list for those who choose System 6.
November 22 in LEM history: 99: Gradebooks - 00: Leveraging Apple design - Quadra 630 to Power Mac 5200 - 02: Laptop or desktop? - 04: SuperDuper: Quick, easy, efficient backup - Cross-platform programming for the rest of us - 05: Mac video surveillance on the cheap - Which OS is best for my vintage Mac? - No 'best browser' for the Mac - Sorry state of browsers for classic Macs - 06: Core 2 means cooler running 'Books - 2.0 GHz G4 upgrade
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