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Seth Weintraub

Apple versus Google

Ten reasons why the Seinfeld-Microsoft partnership doesn't work

16 comments

TAGS:Apple, Bill Gates, Mac, Seinfeld, Vista, Windows
IT TOPICS:Macintosh & Apple, Mobile & Wireless, Personal Technology, Windows & Microsoft

Update - September 18th: Told you so!

Today's big news is that Microsoft has tapped comedian Jerry Seinfeld for their newest advertising campaign. He is to appear alongside Microsoft co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates. Ugh.

Here are ten reasons why this doesn't work for me.

1. There are eight seasons of Seinfeld out there with a Macintosh sitting on the corner of his desk. It will be hard to convince people he's switched to Windows Vista with all of that legacy Mac cred - especially now that Macs are gaining ground on Windows.

2. $10 million dollars and most people would endorse anything. How much would it take a presidential candidate to endorse something like tax breaks for oil companies or health insurance companies? (*ducks - sorry for the politics)

3. Jerry Seinfeld is a writer. Writers use Macs. Everyone knows that.

4. He's also a television personality, he has to be seen with the latest and greatest hardware. Macs = entertainment industry, "it" products.

5. His HP ads, though cool and somewhat entertaining, weren't particularly effective (below). Already the Mac credibility hitting. Notice they don't put an HP product anywhere near him? Won't work.

6. He's already been in an Apple ad (below - at the end). Think Different?

7. Seinfeld and Bill Gates? One of the funniest men in the world with one of the least funny. Steve Ballmer. Now that would be comedy.

8. Just look at this Mac Addict ad from 1996. Enough said.

9. I like Seinfeld. It will be painful to watch him trying to sell an inferior product. Think of the kids! (of the 90's)

10. He's the Mac Guy! George is the PC guy! Kramer runs Linux...Elaine - she's got that pocket rolodex thing that Kramer bought her?

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Thoughts about the Gates-Seinfeld ads

Preston Gralla:

Gates-Seinfeld 2.0: longer, pointless, uncut

Is Microsoft's Seinfeld spot the worst TV ad ever?

John Brandon:
The other shoe drops: second Microsoft ad is about connecting

The brilliance of shoes: What the new Microsoft ad really means

IT Blogwatch:
EXTRA: Seinfeld spots vs. Apple ads

Eric Lai:
Before Seinfeld and Microsoft, other celebrity computer commercials

Seth Weintraub:
Ten reasons why the Seinfeld-Microsoft partnership doesn't work

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What People Are Saying

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BISTA

Submitted by Big Bang on September 9, 2008 - 9:01 A.M.

Some of your existing software and hardware may not run on Vista. If you are buying all new, it is probably OK.

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Perfect Ad

Submitted by Geo on September 7, 2008 - 10:50 P.M.

This ad is to Microsoft what Mac ads are to Apple: a perfect representation of the product. Where Mac ads are witty, hip and groundbreaking, the Seinfeld ad is dull, lifeless and trying desperately to mimic Apple. But the ad and Microsoft both pale in comparison.

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Elaine is Palm!

Submitted by okeribok on August 24, 2008 - 3:26 A.M.

Elaine is Palm obviously!

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Number 11

Submitted by Tom on August 23, 2008 - 1:13 P.M.

Reason Number 11: Justin Long is way cuter than Jerry Seinfeld. I think I'll stick with Apple.

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Writers use Macs? HA, the

Submitted by Anonymous on August 23, 2008 - 8:22 A.M.

Writers use Macs? HA, the hell they do. Some writers use Macs, sure, but so too do some writers live in Germany.

I am a writer, and I do not use a Mac, nor do I live in Germany.

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Yada, Yada, Yada

Submitted by Gil Gamesh on August 23, 2008 - 5:13 A.M.

"Vista? Get OUT!"

"NT...2000...XP...Vista...yada, yada, yada..."

"Oh, by the way...Macs are real, and they're SPECTACULAR!"

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Apple preempts Microsoft Seinfeld ad !

Submitted by Anonymous on August 22, 2008 - 12:56 P.M.

http://i36.tinypic.com/t50lsk.jpg

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Well....Microsoft is still

Submitted by Anonymous on August 21, 2008 - 7:56 P.M.

Well....Microsoft is still the world's most valuable brand, calculated to be worth $65 billion.

I love Apple and Mac, however Vista is not the world's worst operating system, Microsoft's problem was not getting on top of all the bad press it received and it just spiraled out of control.

About 80% of people who slate Vista have not used it. I have and I personally do not care for it. I don't think it's awful I just prefer Mac. Most Windows users will (and most of those who have tried it do) like Vista. It is a million years ahead of XP and anyone who prefers XP is most likely using 6 year old hardware.

Apple's Mac OS is a niche product for now, the same as Linux. The majority of people will want to stay with Windows and will like Vista once they give it a chance.

Yours,
A proud Mac user.

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90% of Mac users make up statistics

Submitted by Anonymous on August 22, 2008 - 12:03 A.M.

"About 80% of people who slate Vista have not used it."
What is your source? Oh...you just made this up while you were typing...oh...I see.

"anyone who prefers XP is most likely using 6 year old hardware."
What? I'm not. 1 Year old and I still prefer XP.
Many have given Vista "a chance" and found it to be awful. Me included.
Please don't make assumptions on our behalf.

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Actually, my employer (a

Submitted by Anonymous on August 22, 2008 - 8:13 A.M.

Actually, my employer (a Fortune 500) did some research to find people's opinions of Vista before migrating the network to the new OS.

It found that 79.2% of respondents who did not like Vista had not tried using it. Since doing this research a few Vista PCs have been installed in each department to give everyone a chance to make an informed decision rather than just going on what they've heard in the media.

okay fair enough, "anyone who prefers XP is most likely using 6 year old hardware" was my opinion. I can't understand why someone would prefer a seven-year-old OS to a not-even-two-year-old system. XP is too 'cartoony' whereas Vista is stylish. Many argue that Vista is "all fur coat" with nothing underneath, but the facts are that it has more underneath than XP and most peoples' problems are with the "fur coat".

Lastly, I did not make assumptions on anybody's behalf. You may not like it - that's fair enough, stick with your seven-year-old OS and watch it become obsolete. Microsoft's "Mojave" experiment proves that people are mis-informed re Vista, I wonder how many people would still hate Macs when they actually tried one out?!

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