That’s Gold, Jerry, Gold!
09/12/2008
I hate to admit it, but I really like the new Jerry Seinfeld/Bill Gates commercials. They really have nothing to do with computers, and I certainly don’t think they’ll get people to go out and buy Vista. But, they are funny. And, Gates really comes off as being down to earth. He does a good job of playing himself, almost mockingly.
There’s a four-and-a-half minute version (it will be interesting to see how it’s edited for 30 second TV spots) up on YouTube:
New Family - Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates
Watch the whole thing, as it starts out a little slow. I love the part where they stiff the food delivery guy! And the part with the kid playing the video game: “Woah! When’s this comin’ out?” “Never. And if anyone ever asks where you got it, you don’t know!”
Again, I don’t think these ads will sell software, but they’re entertaining.
I agree. They’re great ads. I loved the Bill Gates mugshot from the first one in the shoe store (it was on his membership card). I have a feeling Bill is more down to earth than people give him credit for (I don’t feel that way about Steve Jobs, though Woz is). I don’t even think the Apple ads sell Apples (at least not the PC vs Mac ones, they’re hilarious, though John Hodgman as PC is WAY funnier than the douchey Mac guy in those ads). I’m sure the switch ads helped, but the current ones are just funny and not really saying why someone should buy a Mac other than that Vista sucks (which it doesn’t suck as much as people say, based on my experience with it).
The whole purpose for the ads is to change the image of MS, and I think it might work.
The thing with the “I’m a Mac and I’m a PC” ads is that you’re actually supposed to identify with PC. (Although, I think the Mac could be a tad less smug.) There’s a good dissection of that here:
http://fishbowl.pastiche.org/2008/09/06/hi_im_a_mac_beep_beep/
(Basically he’s comparing PC to Wile E. Coyote)