Thursday, August 21, 2008
Seinfeld Signs with Microsoft to counter Mac's attack ads
Bill Gates and Microsoft finally formed an answer to those annoying Macintosh "pc vs. mac" ads. Gates will team with comedic legend Jerry Seinfeld to throw the punches., or, better put, "punch-lines" in a series of tv ads that begin in September. The series will be part of $300 million dollar advertising overhaul to enhance Windows image.
From the Fox News story:
The new ad effort is expected to use some variation of the slogan "Windows, Not Walls," according to several people familiar with the matter. Those people say the point is to stress breaking down barriers that prevent people and ideas from connecting. The campaign, said to debut Sept. 4, is one of the largest in the company's history.
Microsoft remains the reigning champ of revenue ($255 billion),but its rebuttle probably won't reverse Apple's upward surge. On Aug. 15 we learned that Apple's Market Value surged enough to edge-out Google 157 billion to 156 billion.
As for the Seinfield angle, I'm one of his biggest fans, but his popularity peaked in the late 90s,(His wife's cook book plagarism scandal certainly didn't enhance his public perception).
Ironically, the late timing of these ads offer further evidence of Apple's claim that Microsoft has lost its edge. The "Get a Mac" ads first aired two years ago in 2006, and it took Microsoft this long to respond.Remember when Microsoft was always setting the technological standard? It seems like decades ago.
Just like Seinfeld, Microsoft's best days are behind them.
Posted By Matt O'Hern at 04:08 PM
Permanent Link: Seinfeld Signs with Microsoft to counter Mac's attack ads
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