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Jerry Seinfeld will man the new Windows Vista ads, sources say.

The PC/Mac ads from Apple have become a pop culture image well known across the country, even creating acting careers for the two actors. They portray PC, with his Windows Vista as porcine and gauche, while portraying Mac as young and suave. Microsoft hopes to destroy this image with a new campaign.  (Source: Apple)
Who says Microsoft can't be funny?

When Microsoft announced its new $300M USD ad campaign to counter Apple's iconic Mac Guy, PC Guy ads, reactions were mixed, but generally enthusiastic.  One of the most typical sentiments was -- what took Microsoft so long? 

Now inside reports have started to reveal the shape of ads to come for Microsoft.  The biggest news is the celebrity advertiser involved.  Inside sources reveal that Jerry Seinfeld will be appearing alongside Microsoft Chairman and founder Bill Gates -- so don't rule out a Mac Guy, PC Guy spoof.  For his role, Mr. Seinfeld is expected to receive a paycheck of $10M USD.

The ads, expected to debut September 4, should carry some variations of Microsoft's "Windows, Not Walls" slogan about breaking down misconceptions and communications barriers.  Microsoft executives say the new campaign cannot come too soon.  One executive speaking anonymously admitted that Microsoft MVP Windows brand had been battered by the clever Mac Guy, PC Guy ads to the point where it was being perceived as stale in the consumer market, despite PCs enjoying superior pricing.

The Mac Guy, PC Guy ads to which he refers are designed to market Apple's OS X as an alternative to Windows Vista, selling its hardware in the process.  It depicts Windows as an obese suit wearing maladroit, while Mac is a funny, sensitive, and well-dressed 20-something.  The ads developed by advertising gurus at Omnicom Group Inc.'s TBWA/Chiat/Day are so wildly successful they have become pop culture, even creating acting careers for both "Mac Guy" Justin Long and "PC Guy" John Hodgman.

Changing people's perception of Windows Vista is essential to Microsoft as it derives 28 percent of its revenue from the product.  Microsoft still holds a commanding lead, but sales of Macs have been steadily rising.  Mac ads attack Windows Vista as being plagued with technical difficulties, a charge Microsoft says is untrue, saying such problems have long since been fixed.

Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, a New York branding firm says Microsoft must do something or risk sinking sales in Windows and surrounding products such as Office.  Says Passikoff, "They are not seen as cool.  Apple is cool. Can anyone even recall a Microsoft ad? No."

Microsoft may benefit from the appearance of Mr. Gates, who has celebrity status of his own.  Mr. Gates is very comfortable working with top entertainers and has appeared at events with Jay-Z, Bono, and actor Matthew McConaughey.  According to the source, Microsoft also considered other comedians such as Will Ferrell and Chris Rock before settling on Jerry Seinfeld.

Microsoft and Seinfeld’s representatives both refused comment.  The advertising firm developing the ads is Crispin Porter + Bogusky, a Miami-based ad shop which helped turn around Burger King's fortunes.  While the firm's iconic King ads helped boost sales, the company also produced Miller Lite's "Man Laws" ads, which were a moderate flop, failing to boost sales.

Davie-Brown Entertainment, a marketing company owned by Omnicom Group says Seinfeld has a lot of appeal and ranks 41st of 1,900 celebrities in terms of brand appeal.  Some fear, though, that after 10 years of being off the air, Mr. Seinfeld is not as identifiable with younger audiences as he once was.  To help push "Seinfeld" on a younger audience, Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures Television, its distributor, has announced a "Seinfeld Campus Tour" to promote the show.  Analysts say that despite this difficulty Microsoft's move is likely wise, as it is dangerous to try too hard to pander to a younger audience.

Microsoft recently has had a very successful initial advertising campaign with its Windows "Mojave" ruse, in which it tricked users into liking Vista by pretending it was a new OS.

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Microsoft may be bad
By dickeywang on 8/21/2008 11:02:51 AM , Rating: 5
But Apple is definitely worse. Release phones and laptops but does not allow the customers to replace its battery, putting out so many restrictions on their iTune service, and not to mention the building quality are often getting worse on their newer generation of products.
If I absolutely have to choose an IT world that is dominated by Microsoft OS and one that is dominated by Mac, I would choose the former one.(well, luckily there is still something out there called Linux. :D )




RE: Microsoft may be bad
By bnutz on 8/21/2008 11:13:16 AM , Rating: 2
After my third magsafe adapter in 6mths, which is connected to a macbook that does not move, I'm done. Luckily I got it at 40% off.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By ebakke on 8/25/2008 8:45:25 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
...which is connected to a macbook that does not move...
Isn't mobility the whole point of a laptop?


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By stryfe on 8/27/2008 3:22:57 PM , Rating: 2
Yes but mobility is useless if you can't charge your battery because your adaptor is broken...again.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By MrBlastman on 8/21/2008 11:16:32 AM , Rating: 4
You forgot one thing:

"Making their users pay double what the product is really worth."

As much as I like to root for the little guy, Apple has learned only one new trick over the years that it didn't possess in the 1980's:

How to hose the customer and look good doing it.

I own a Mac and a PC. My wife uses her Mac all the time. I use my PC (with Windows) simply because the GUI works, is intuitive and most of all, functions efficiently.

This is coming from a UNIX/Linux/BSD maniac. I said it. I use my PC(and Windows) more than the Mac.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By Fanon on 8/21/2008 11:47:42 AM , Rating: 3
Agreed. I'd pick Windows over OS X any day. Sure, it was fun to play with OS X when I first got my Mac. After that, I used it for what I bought it for (to test in Safari). Now it's plugged up to my TV since I have no other use for it (Front Row is decent for media).


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By kerryb on 8/21/08, Rating: -1
RE: Microsoft may be bad
By MrBlastman on 8/21/2008 1:13:11 PM , Rating: 4
How better can a consumer educate themselves than by using both products?

I have - I own both. :)

No hiding behind the brooha thrown back and forth along with the finger pointing.

Just the other day I tried to do something simple for my wife (she's a teacher). It involved printing out a sheet of photographs with multiple photographs on the page so it could be cut out into one page sparing wasted paper.

Easy task, right? I downloaded from the digital camera into Apple's fancy iPhoto software (or whatever you call it), tried to print out that particular photobook I created (and I tried many different ways - I am amazed at how few options there were to pick from in the options of the application - but, at the same time, not suprised). I spent a good 30+ minutes fiddling with the app. I tried using a photo album format etc. etc., none would do what I wanted it to do.

I ended up loading up Microsoft Word(which we have installed on the macbook) and completed the task in a few minutes time by effortlessly adding them to a page and printed it out.

So lets see, I wasted 30 minutes of time with an Apple app that is supposed to be accessible and user friendly and accomplished nothing, yet spent 10 minutes of time with Word and fulfilled the task.

You be the judge. My jury voted Apple guilty on this one.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By michael2k on 8/22/2008 12:11:05 PM , Rating: 3
You mean contact sheets?
http://www.mactipsandtricks.com/tips/display.lasso...

You just select print after highlighting the photos you want to print (apple-click I believe), then choose contact sheet from the photo style.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By JustTom on 8/23/2008 10:20:51 AM , Rating: 3
I think this is more a case of using a tool you are familar with will always be more productive than using a tool you are unfamilar with.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By kake on 8/29/2008 1:45:44 AM , Rating: 2
To loosely quote the magnificent Mr. Douglas Adams, "I want to be able to be working in a document, and add a picture. Or five. And then maybe do a quick sketch. And I don't want to have to use five different programs. Why can't I just scan a picture, drag in into my page, do it again, arrange them, use a pen to sign the damned thing and send it by mail to whomever I wish?"

Hello designers: it's not about the application, it's about the intent.

Give us what we want: drag, drop, type, draw, sketch, spreadsheet and hyperlink in one wide open space. With a print, email and save function.

Thank you very freakin' much.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By jRaskell on 8/21/2008 1:19:09 PM , Rating: 3
Perhaps you should get a bit more educated yourself, on what exactly influences customer approval ratings.

In particular, the fact that good marketing campaigns can have a HUGE impact on customer perception and significantly impact how pleased they are with a given product, without changing one single thing about that product.

And this entire article is about that exact situation, where Apples marketing campaign has given Microsoft a bit of a black eye, and Microsoft's complete lack of marketing has allowed them to get away with it.

Point being, Apples recent growth can easily be substantially (if not entirely) attributed to their Marketing strategy, and their technical achievements could have absolutely nothing to do with it at all. That's the problem with customer approval ratings, there's just no way to know what's responsible for those ratings.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By Oregonian2 on 8/21/2008 7:35:14 PM , Rating: 2
Absolutely. Apple has and almost always has had absolutely great marketing. They've also in recent history had great industrial design (basically how things look trying to be both practical and artistic). Look'n good with great marketing (the basis of the Playboy empire too, as it happens).


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By FITCamaro on 8/21/2008 2:41:29 PM , Rating: 5
It's hard to grow at 40% when you already have the entire market.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By Oregonian2 on 8/21/2008 7:36:41 PM , Rating: 2
Yes, just imagine if Microsoft were growing at 40% per year.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By spluurfg on 8/22/2008 5:04:25 AM , Rating: 2
QED


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By Chris Simmo on 8/22/2008 1:06:51 AM , Rating: 1
I may be wrong with the figures, but whats 3% market share plus the 40% growth in comparison to the 85% market share plus the 4% growth? Like I said, I may be wrong with the figures, but doesn't that make windows based PC's expanding faster still?
As for customer approval, most people who have a mac just want something that turns on and looks pretty. 2 times the price of something that is pretty much closed off, these people have some balls.
Yeah windows might not be as stable, but they are open to so much software and hardware (and quiet often its the software/drivers fault), like to see you try and do something just as good.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By michael2k on 8/22/2008 12:22:17 PM , Rating: 3
Um, no. 40% growth with 3% market share means if you sell 3m Macs this year, you will sell 4.2m next year.

4% growth of 85% means 85m this year 88.4m next year. So PCs sold an additional 3.4m vs 1.2m, but it isn't expanding FASTER.

The year after that? 5.88 vs 91.93, then 8.23 vs 95.56, then 11.52 vs 99.43...

3.4% (now)
4.5% 1 year
6.0% 2 years
7.9% 3 years
10.3% 4 years

So if Apple can maintain 40% growth vs PC growth, in 4 years they will have 10% of the worldwide market. Given they already hit 8% in the US, it doesn't seem hard to imagine they might hit 10% by this time next year in the US.


RE: Microsoft may be bad
By JustTom