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Microsoft, Seinfeld, Vista and the ’90s
Jay Lyman, August 21, 2008 @ 6:00 pm ETMicrosoft is drawing on the humor of Jerry Seinfeld to more effectively counter those ‘I’m a Mac’ ads — not that there’s anything wrong with that. Seinfeld is a funny guy and Microsoft needs something to promote its latest OS. But Jerry Seinfeld? I fear that by drawing on this star of the ’90s, Microsoft may be showing its longing to return to a time when buying a computer meant buying Windows. Ahh … memories.
Hopefully for Microsoft, the Seinfeld spokesman strategy will be more effective than Mojave, which I think actually demonstrated how refreshing and rewarding it can be to try a new OS, particularly Linux.
Microsoft and Mr. Seinfeld have their work cut out for them. The new strategy comes at a time when many Vista users are switching back to Windows XP.
So can Jerry Seinfeld help Microsoft make Vista a little more fun and a little more popular? I’ve seen Mr. Seinfeld recently on late-night doing funny new material, but there is always that immediate flash back to Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer, a return to the 1990s when ‘Seinfeld’ the TV show ruled the ratings, a time when Windows was at perhaps the peak of its desktop dominance with Windows 95 and 98. That dominance carried through to Windows XP, largely unencumbered by competition from Apple’s Mac, Linux or anything else. However, we live in today, and I think Jerry Seinfeld harkens us back to different times (better times if you’re Microsoft). Now with Mac gaining more significant market share and Linux creeping into the desktop market with momentum in some segments such as netbooks, Microsoft lives in a different world. Maybe the company thought it could transport us back to the days of Windows 95 and Windows 98, but regardless of new software or new material, Seinfeld may just remind people of old times and the old Microsoft.
Comments (4) Categories: Software
[...] irrelevant: Still, online and elsewhere, the news was met with derision. Why, the armchair analysts wonder, would Microsoft turn to a guy who was a hit as recently as, er, 1998? (And who ruled the airwaves [...]
There are much more obvious choices of comedian for Microsoft to use!
Can Seinfeld Save Microsoft Vista?
In case you’re wondering, the answer is NO.
The other thing worth saying is that Microsoft, despite rumors to the contrary, is not dead and doesn’t need to be saved. Sure, it’s not performing like it used to and is under attack by Google and Apple. Even with all that, Microsoft is still a ridiculously profitable and massive franchise.
That also doesn’t mean all is good on the Mister Softee front. For this reason, they’re looking to change up their image and battle the ridiculously effective Mac vs. PC ads and combat the stigma and public outcry that their latest operating system, Vista, has brought out.
Their efforts to do this have, as the WSJ reported, resulted in Microsoft unveiling a $300 million ad campaign for Microsoft Vista. The ads will feature Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates with the tagline “Windows not Walls”. They’ve also released the Mojave Experiment which features informal “blind taste tests” of people using Vista and shows them being pleasantly surprised by its performance. The marketing push is being received with mixed response as expected in anything as subjective as a brand campaign.
I’ve not seen the ads yet, but here’s why this isn’t a good idea based on my own earlier review.
Let’s tackle the individual elements.
Mojave Experiment
* These taste tests look contrived. Plain and simple, they are not believable. Why would anyone believe that these are genuine or that they just didn’t omit the bad reviews? I’ve watched about 20 of the mini-clips and most show people getting entirely too excited about an operating system. Sorry, I’m a skeptic.
* The fact that you need a Vista expert sitting next to you showing you how to use the program is proof of the problem. People want software that is easy to use.
Seinfeld & Gates Ads – Windows Not Walls
* While brand advertising does work, the problem is not just that Apple did a great job ridiculing Windows. It’s that Apple’s OS seems to just be a better product as evidenced by the legions of rabid fans Apple has attracted. (note: I’m a loyal but often-annoyed Windows user)
* More importantly, Apple’s better product has created an emotional connection with users. And what Microsoft looks to be doing is creating a rational argument for why their product is better (Mojave is but one example). That’s a tough road to go down.
* Apple is the cool, hip brand. As funny as Jerry Seinfeld is, he doesn’t scream hip. His show, while hilarious, may not even be known to many in the Apple demographic. Not to mention that his prior pitchman record isn’t so stellar. His ads with my alma mater, American Express, were entertaining but didn’t really motivate you to get an AmEx card.
* The Windows Not Walls tagline is very corporate. Apple is un-corporate. Un-corporate is in.
Microsoft has a ton of cash and so $300 million is not going to break the bank. The fundamental issue in this case is whether this is the right investment or resource allocation decision for the company. $300 million would go far in actually creating better offerings that get customers excited and talking.
Great brands are ultimately created by when people are talking about you and not by you talking about yourself.
Regards,
Anand Sanwal
Brilliont
I agree that with Seinfeld Microsoft is trying to harken back to the good old days (sign me up for Prodigy!). As queasy as the thought of Seinfeld pitching Vista makes me, and however awkward this move is right after Mojave, it will be interesting to see what Cripin Porter + Bogusky, the company creating the campaign, will do. While most companies would go with facile irony (and that’s what I fear will happen here), a campaign like CPB’s creepy and ambiguously ironic Burger King ads might actually be successful.
That said, with the general awkwardness of this rebranding effort, Microsoft should have picked Larry David to rep Vista instead.