Aug 22 2008Microsoft Recruits Gates, Seinfeld To Help Combat Apple's Current "Get A Mac" Ads
Apple keeps putting out those "Get a Mac" ads and Microsoft has finally decided it's not going to take them lying down with its ass in the air. So what's the company doing? Starting an ad campaign with "key celebrity pitchman" Jerry Seinfeld. Oh, and Bill Gates.
The campaign is said to be based on the idea of "Windows, Not Walls," stressing the need to "break down barriers that prevent people and ideas from connecting." Something we think open-sourcers might have a laugh at. Anywho, the immediate goal of the campaign is to reverse the negative public perception of Vista and thus incorporates elements of the Mojave Experiment. While we have doubts about the latter, the combination of Seinfeld's pithy observations with a bit of that Bill Gates, self deprecating humor seen in "Bill's Last Day" could be a winning combination.
The campaign, which kicks off September 4th, will cost Microsoft over $300 million, which, if I've done my nautical math correctly, is a lot of freaking clams. More than I could eat in one sitting anyway. If Microsoft gave me a hundredth of that money I could run Apple into the ground single keyboardedly. I'M THE GEEKOLOGIE WRITER DAMNIT, WHEN I TYPE, PEOPLE READ! Isn't that...Jesus, you're not even paying attention are you?
Microsoft enlists Seinfeld, Gates to battle "Get a Mac" ads [engadget]
Thanks Sam, you wanna be part of my smear campaign?
Reader Comments
1. chili - August 22, 2008 2:58 PM
first!
and mac kills all.
2. Popadopolis - August 22, 2008 2:58 PM
Hey now, GW... I read your stuff. RELIGIOUSLY I might add.
And by religiously, I mean with my junk out waiting for another Samus costume post...
3. Ben - August 22, 2008 3:07 PM
I also read all you Samus costume pictures.
4. Julian - August 22, 2008 3:09 PM
Jerry Seinfeld? how timely. Thank god they managed to book him right after 'Seinfeld' ended. otherwise who knows what might have become of him, my guess is that he would have drifted around aimlessly for years, put out a crappy documentary/ independent film and topped it off with voice acting for a shitty dreamworks animated movie. Nice catch Mr. Gates, nice catch.
5. Momboelitist - August 22, 2008 3:42 PM
@4, I don't think Jerry has any problem getting work these days. Microsoft is reportedly paying him $10 million to do these commercials.
Now what's the deal with airline food.......
6. che-che - August 22, 2008 4:14 PM
"whats the deal with apple, it doesnt make fruit, doesnt taste like fruit, doesnt even look like fruit. whats the deal!"
should be the tag line.
7. Stiles - August 22, 2008 4:19 PM
The deal w/ apples is they're used by fruits. One big idiotic cult.
But instead of hiring a pitchman to try & convince ppl Vista doesn't suck, they fix their busted crappy unusable resource-hog of an OS. A "safer" OS that's full of security holes. A "prettier" OS that's had features stripped that were available on its predecessor.
Great alternatives.
8. mtk - August 22, 2008 4:46 PM
I can see it now... "Get a Zune!"
9. Butbutbut - August 22, 2008 4:56 PM
But on Seinfeld, he always had a mac on his desk!!
10. Vossk - August 22, 2008 5:02 PM
At 8, Zunes may be bigger than iPods, but I love Zunes so much better.
11. dan - August 22, 2008 5:14 PM
Jerry Seinfeld > Justin Long
suck it Mac douches.
12. Sebastian - August 22, 2008 5:37 PM
That Seinfeld nigga sure has some pithy observations. Man, that shit sure is pithy.
13. The Fonz - August 22, 2008 5:42 PM
Awww hell yea, there's pithy up in here? I love that shit. Let's get pithy muthaf***as!!
14. Michelle - August 22, 2008 5:44 PM
Not only did he have Mac's on his desk for the show but I think he was also in a get a mac ad or switcher ad, something like that. What a trader.
15. NastyBedazzler - August 22, 2008 6:44 PM
Uh oh? He had a Mac on his desk? OH SHIT?! HOW DARE HE!!!!!!
Lynch mob. Anyway I own a Mac and I like it but those Mac ads are f***ing gay. In fact, every single advertisement Apple makes is f***ing gay. They act like they're so classy when they're just a computer company. I feel like I had something really witty to contribute but apparently I'm wrong.
16. yup - August 22, 2008 7:55 PM
Yeah. VERY Wrong.
Worst Comment Ever.
17. melikescake - August 22, 2008 9:39 PM
let me know when YOU decide to get the big bucks promoting whatever!! are you promoting green cats, in star wars costumes? I'm in, honey! some poisonous flavoured water, sporting a new hangover flavour? I'm buying it! (note the canadian spelling). you the man! but f***ing vista.... tsk... jerry-baby was probably bored!
18. Zoid Elpertclam - August 23, 2008 4:41 AM
Macs are for people
PC's are for technical people
Macs are too easy
PC's are sophisticated
Macs are user-friendly
PC's are friendly to the touch yet complicated
If you want to be laid back, Macs are for you
If you wanna live your life without boundaries, get a PC
19. CountDrunkula - August 23, 2008 3:24 PM
which one gets me to porn sites faster?
20. Little Linux Laptop - August 23, 2008 4:57 PM
Seinfeld must be short on cash and addicted to attention cause everybody knows he's a real big mac fan. he had an apple II in his apartment throughout the whole Seinfeld show. How sad...
21. enigma - August 23, 2008 6:32 PM
The only Mac advertisement I really liked was back around Y2K for the iMacs, something along the lines of "it's as easy as 1... 2... there's no 3(?!)" One being plugging it in and two being turning it on, I think. They left out the part about getting that giant sucker out of its giant box, but other than that it was about right. That said...
4Sale: iMac, Y2K era, shiny blue, no stupid round mouse, only avail. for pick-up from my parent's garage
22. Shopping Cart - August 24, 2008 1:54 PM
Didnt bill gates own Microsoft ? or are they hiring him again? why is that?
23. Stiles - August 25, 2008 12:25 AM
CountDrunkula...Macs will make you go exclusively through their iTits store, where the porno's 99 cents per load and they're watchable only on the Mac or 3" iPod screen. Oh, and all the chicks in the vids where cat-eye black-rimmed glasses and sensible shoes.
24. Stiles - August 25, 2008 12:27 AM
er..."wear", not "where". Derh!
25. jaime - August 25, 2008 3:36 PM
it was about time they fought back. the problem is they might be compared quite negatively.: just as they copied the OS, they are copying the ad. and their ad might suck compared to mac's ads.
still, i'll be looking forward to it.