Latest Microsoft Campaign Created With Macs
// September 22nd, 2008 // Advertising
Last week Microsoft decided to discontinue their “We need to get down with the people” ad campaign featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, galavanting about town shopping for discount shoes and living in “common folk” homes. The intent was supposedly to create a more down to earth image of Microsoft, but unfortunately, it did just the opposite of that. We showed the first ad not long ago, and I was quick to comment on my lack of appetite for it; however, the second ad was actually funny. Entertaining as it was, it still failed to instill me (an Apple and PC user) with that warm and fuzzy feeling that was intended for me. I don’t find Jerry all that funny anymore, nor do I feel that Bill can earnestly relate to his consumer audience. In efforts to remedy this $300 million misdirection, ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky has shifted direction to leveraging several celebrities including Deepak Chopra, Geoff Green and a new “I’m a PC” guy who strikes a remarkable resemblance to John Hodgman, the original “I’m a PC” guy who plays the PC to Justin Long’s Mac.
Earlier today, Computerworld published a post stating that the preview assets for the next version of this campaign were created on a Mac… Whoops.
Does this really matter? Is the whole world going to laugh hysterically at Microsoft because their own ads were created on a Mac? I can’t say for sure. I’m not that surprised to be honest, as most agencies use Macs, but I’m not the general public. I work for an interactive firm. Time will tell whether this actually makes a dent in Microsoft’s image, and I’ll continue to use both my Mac and PC for what they’re respectively good for.
To test the assets out for yourself visit Microsoft’s Press Release
