World of Apple

Now, I know we’re supposed to be all enamored with the Get A Mac ads, but I think credit should be given where credit is due. Microsoft’s new ad doesn’t even really have anything to do with computers. The only computer related bit in the whole ad is revolved around Bill Gates “adjusting” his underwear.

If you can sell software with an old man wiggling his hips while holding discount shoes and a churro, you deserve a pat on the back no matter who you are.

While reading other blogs and news sites on the announcement that Jerry Seinfield will be appearing in future Microsoft Vista ads, I particularly enjoyed Computerworld’s Ten Reasons Why the Seinfeld-Microsoft Partnership Doesn’t Work .

Here is reason one: There are eight seasons of Seinfeld out there with a Macintosh sitting on the corner of his desk. It will be hard to convince people he’s switched to Windows Vista with all of that legacy Mac cred - especially now that Macs are gaining ground on Windows.

The whole thing has “I will do anything for enough money” stamped all over it, and I just don’t believe that is going to help Microsoft’s credibility, much less rehabilitate Vista’s poor public image. When you have to bribe pay one of your competitor’s high-profile users to shill for your own product, it is nothing more than perfuming the hog.

Also, I have viewed Apple’s newest “I’m A Mac” commercials, and they are perfectly positioned preemptively in an area that Microsoft is likely to strike: it is too hard to switch.

For example, here are the “PC’s” theme statements in two of these commercials:

Off the Air: Fear of switching is the foundation of customer loyalty for PCs.

Throne: Vista is something of a hassle, but switching computers is an even bigger hassle.

Of course “Mac” counters this by emphasizing that Apple store employees can move a new user’s data easily over to a Mac for free so that switching is actually easy. Also, having a cute Mac genius explain this in one of the commercials certainly doesn’t hurt.

Now this is funny

Microsoft has hired comedian Jerry Seinfeld to spokesmodel in upcoming commercials for Vista reportedly to focus around the theme of “Windows, not walls” as a dig at Apple’s closed ecosystem. Now, personally I love Seinfeld’s humour, but some things are beyond even his talents. This is like getting a gig to make crabs attractive, but for a cool ten million dollars, perhaps Vista would start to look pretty good to me too. Oddly enough, and I am sure this will be played for much comedic value over the coming weeks, on his wildly popular sitcom Seinfeld, Jerry was known as a Macintosh user. In my ever so humble opinion, Microsoft set the bar too low with their new concept. Vista offers both windows and walls. When I use it, I either want to jump out a window or bang my head against a wall. Bill Gates is also slated to appear in these ads, no doubt appearing as cuddly as a Build-a-Bear.

UPDATE: Oh the humanity! Seinfeld previously appeared in one of Apple’s Think Different ads. Thanks to Don McAllister for pointing that out on Twitter. This raises some very interesting issues. First, is Microsoft aware of this? Second, what does this say for Seinfeld’s credibility? For sale to the highest bidder?