It's a set-up ad for a multi-episode roll-out. This skit introduces the characters and establishes the mood & tone for their relationship. Think of it as a first act in a serial. The punch line won't come until several skits later.
Yeah, it was like a preview for a new episode of Seinfeld. Maybe Bill Gates is resurrecting the show with himself as a new co-star. Hmm... If it weren't for the logo at the end...
The point here is to begin to create rapport with the audience. Remember, the objective is to persuade you to like Vista (better). Jumping straight off into a sales pitch will hardly do that, especially that most of us already know Vista and have an opinion about it. This isn't an expository ad for a new, unknown product where you can just rattle off some stats & pretty pictures.
Changing people's formed opinion is hard. I expect several more of skits like this, to establish empathy and likeability for the characters, before getting into any specific product endorsements. Gates & Seinfeld are naturally likeable personalities, so they have a head start, but it's still an uphill battle.
Nothing will change my opinion on Vista. Just installed it on my sister's laptop. It is not fun to get to places. There are way too many "small" gripes, and it has plenty of unnecessary loops.
Aesthetically it's not bad. But it's a step back from XP, which -IMO- peaked in simplicity and user friendliness with no compromise in function. AND was not from Apple.
i used XP for like 7 years, been using vista for like 6 months, and i already find it easier to find things on vista. main reason? the search funtions. in the start bar, and also the search in the control panel. makes things much easier.
@d00b: Very, VERY well said. Hadn't even thought about it like that, but it makes perfect sense. It would be very interesting to see this develop as a "story" where people might actually be interested in catching the newest installment. And all throughout...they get temptations to maybe try out the "moist" and "chewy" Windows.
My experience with Vista 64-bit has been a very positive one. It stays fast and it has great features. Ever since I switched to Vista 64, I have never experienced a blue screen once and its very stable. The problem is that the mindset of the average customer is already bad. I hope this turns out to be a success because a lot of people are missing out on a great operating system.
I really have to agree with you there, its not about showing off what vista can do, but more on what people think of it. I was very against changing from xp to vista and had a lot of negative thoughts but when I upgraded my pc I was pursuaded by a friend to try it out and I have to say that I think it's great. A few things have moved around and I had to get used to it. overall it is a very nice system.
Oh, dear god, no. I know at times the ads can be better than the program you were watching but we certainly don't need adverts to build themselves into a series. Just tell us what you are selling and bugger off. If you think I'm going to be tuning in next week for the Bill & Jerry Show, you've got another thing coming.
Incidentally, whatever happened to the "Gold Blend" couple?
I installed Vista-64 on my 1 year laptop computer. After clawing the internets for a driver (this issue reminded me of linux) and finally getting to install them all, it just didn't want to work well! I would start up my computer and wait 3 minutes so that i could use the goddamn bugger. And it just kept slowing down. Now I like how they have made changes to the file locations like C:\Users or similar, and how I can zoom in on icons like on the mac. The search function was really great. However, Aero would go crazy, it would make links unclickable. So I could never really use it. And the slow booting time and the stupid hard drive spinning moments bastardized the experience to me. Great to see people like you enjoying it, because I wish I could. XP lacks many features.
I loved it. It seemed really wierd and I like that. I like that MS has gone that way, rather than the "I have an ipod, check out my latest itunes purchase, did I tell you I have an iphone, oh wait — you seen this thing, it beats windows hands down. Yeah, mac just does it for me oh yeah honey" — That makes me cringe.
"i already find it easier to find things on vista. main reason? the search funtions."
How ironic. So it's easier not because they organised things better than they were in XP - which was already quite a mess - but because they just added lots of things cluelessly where no one could find them by simple logic, gave up, and "solved" the problem with a search function. What a good way of solving problems.
My first reaction to your post is "how sad is it that we can cheer today's popular operating systems for the fact they do not give us a blue screen or a sad mac?"
Operating systems shouldn't crash.... we have just become accustomed to saving often, restarting, and crashes.
@Kelmon: "we certainly don't need adverts to build themselves into a series." Ever watch Heroes? Or Extreme Makeover Home Edition? Product placement in television shows is nothing new. The companies are just subtle about doing it. There is no "Buy my Nissan Versa and Rogue, now!", but they feature prominent spots in the show.
There's subtle messages through it. Look what Jerry is eating. It's an apple strudel. He's an apple consumer and he's sucked in by the sugar coating. The flock of sheep/people are all eating strudels too and yet they are still fixated on what is happening inside the 'window' Bill is wearing the conquistador shoe. Bill and windows are the conquistadors of the software world...and as the shop sign says..cheaper. The shoe seems rigid and unflexible and might not seem to fit, as is the general consensus (they're tight) .. but wait, maybe it really is a flexible shoe.
I'm glad that they haven't got into apple-esque mud slinging. I like people who don't boast and aren't vulgar, but are friendly and civilised if you are interested in getting to know them. By not boasting or ridiculing, microsoft have taken full advantage or the political and moral high ground that apple have so generously surrendered.
I showed the commercial to my wife this morning, and her reaction was "Oh my God!". She said she wanted 3 minutes back (an additional one and a half minutes for her suffering).
Out of the commercial's one and a half minutes, a full minute is spent talking about shoes. It's only in the last few seconds that Seinfeld asks Gates about what Microsoft is planning for the future (not what they have that's worth anything right now).
The ad line at the end of the commercial is "The future... delicious". I think they might as well have replaced that with "If you don't like Vista, wait a few years... We'll try again".
And I have to say that watching Bill Gates adjust a wedgie up his butt by wiggling his fat ass is not cute or funny. It's barf-inducing!
If Microsoft had spent that $300-$500 Million on creating a better OS, rather than on these commercials, they would have been much better off. But I think they are counting on the general stupidness of their customers.
Yeah, interesting describes it quite well. Not sure where they want to go from here, but I'm curious.
Vista... ah well. If you get used to it it's actually not that bad, there are quite a few things to like, and if your computer is too slow to use it, just don't. But there are also quite a few things that annoy the hell out of me. Been wondering why the corporate world does not want to use Vista? I'd imagine some of them use the Cisco VPN stuff, and it is just plain broken on Vista. My uni uses it, and I just hate it. It never works (ok, 1 in 20 times maybe), and I have only met people having problems with it. Such things need to be fixed, I don't care if it's Microsoft's or Cisco's fault, just do whatever necessary to fix it.
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interesting....just....interesting.
It's a set-up ad for a multi-episode roll-out. This skit introduces the characters and establishes the mood & tone for their relationship. Think of it as a first act in a serial. The punch line won't come until several skits later.
Yeah, it was like a preview for a new episode of Seinfeld. Maybe Bill Gates is resurrecting the show with himself as a new co-star. Hmm... If it weren't for the logo at the end...
The point here is to begin to create rapport with the audience. Remember, the objective is to persuade you to like Vista (better). Jumping straight off into a sales pitch will hardly do that, especially that most of us already know Vista and have an opinion about it. This isn't an expository ad for a new, unknown product where you can just rattle off some stats & pretty pictures.
Changing people's formed opinion is hard. I expect several more of skits like this, to establish empathy and likeability for the characters, before getting into any specific product endorsements. Gates & Seinfeld are naturally likeable personalities, so they have a head start, but it's still an uphill battle.
@d00b
After all of the stupid EXPECTED comments from the Mac fanatics, it's honestly refreshing to hear someone who actually gets it.
Good description. I chuckled a bit. It has promise, we'll have to see where they take it.
Nothing will change my opinion on Vista. Just installed it on my sister's laptop. It is not fun to get to places. There are way too many "small" gripes, and it has plenty of unnecessary loops.
Aesthetically it's not bad. But it's a step back from XP, which -IMO- peaked in simplicity and user friendliness with no compromise in function. AND was not from Apple.
So... it's an Ad campaign about... nothing?
@tarex
i used XP for like 7 years, been using vista for like 6 months, and i already find it easier to find things on vista. main reason? the search funtions. in the start bar, and also the search in the control panel. makes things much easier.
"Nothing will change my opinion on Vista."
"So... it's an Ad campaign about... nothing?"
even more interesting...
I liked it. Makes me want to watch more... or an episode of Seinfeld, which ever is on first.
@d00b: Very, VERY well said. Hadn't even thought about it like that, but it makes perfect sense. It would be very interesting to see this develop as a "story" where people might actually be interested in catching the newest installment. And all throughout...they get temptations to maybe try out the "moist" and "chewy" Windows.
My experience with Vista 64-bit has been a very positive one. It stays fast and it has great features. Ever since I switched to Vista 64, I have never experienced a blue screen once and its very stable. The problem is that the mindset of the average customer is already bad. I hope this turns out to be a success because a lot of people are missing out on a great operating system.
Please note I own both a Mac and a PC.
@ doob
I really have to agree with you there, its not about showing off what vista can do, but more on what people think of it. I was very against changing from xp to vista and had a lot of negative thoughts but when I upgraded my pc I was pursuaded by a friend to try it out and I have to say that I think it's great. A few things have moved around and I had to get used to it. overall it is a very nice system.
interesting and it's charming too.
@d00b
Oh, dear god, no. I know at times the ads can be better than the program you were watching but we certainly don't need adverts to build themselves into a series. Just tell us what you are selling and bugger off. If you think I'm going to be tuning in next week for the Bill & Jerry Show, you've got another thing coming.
Incidentally, whatever happened to the "Gold Blend" couple?
@Jeff.
I installed Vista-64 on my 1 year laptop computer. After clawing the internets for a driver (this issue reminded me of linux) and finally getting to install them all, it just didn't want to work well! I would start up my computer and wait 3 minutes so that i could use the goddamn bugger. And it just kept slowing down. Now I like how they have made changes to the file locations like C:\Users or similar, and how I can zoom in on icons like on the mac. The search function was really great. However, Aero would go crazy, it would make links unclickable. So I could never really use it. And the slow booting time and the stupid hard drive spinning moments bastardized the experience to me. Great to see people like you enjoying it, because I wish I could. XP lacks many features.
I loved it. It seemed really wierd and I like that. I like that MS has gone that way, rather than the "I have an ipod, check out my latest itunes purchase, did I tell you I have an iphone, oh wait — you seen this thing, it beats windows hands down. Yeah, mac just does it for me oh yeah honey" — That makes me cringe.
Oh and I forget Mac just works http://www.flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/152166797/
"i already find it easier to find things on vista. main reason? the search funtions."
How ironic. So it's easier not because they organised things better than they were in XP - which was already quite a mess - but because they just added lots of things cluelessly where no one could find them by simple logic, gave up, and "solved" the problem with a search function. What a good way of solving problems.
@ Jeff
My first reaction to your post is "how sad is it that we can cheer today's popular operating systems for the fact they do not give us a blue screen or a sad mac?"
Operating systems shouldn't crash.... we have just become accustomed to saving often, restarting, and crashes.
@Kelmon: "we certainly don't need adverts to build themselves into a series."
Ever watch Heroes? Or Extreme Makeover Home Edition? Product placement in television shows is nothing new. The companies are just subtle about doing it. There is no "Buy my Nissan Versa and Rogue, now!", but they feature prominent spots in the show.
There's subtle messages through it.
Look what Jerry is eating. It's an apple strudel. He's an apple consumer and he's sucked in by the sugar coating.
The flock of sheep/people are all eating strudels too and yet they are still fixated on what is happening inside the 'window'
Bill is wearing the conquistador shoe. Bill and windows are the conquistadors of the software world...and as the shop sign says..cheaper.
The shoe seems rigid and unflexible and might not seem to fit, as is the general consensus (they're tight) .. but wait, maybe it really is a flexible shoe.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=556832
23 pages of a mac forum and nobody gets it.
@Mustaine
They are eating a "churro" not "strudel".
Ahh, OK. Being an Australian, I have never heard of a Churro, but damn they look nice.
I'm glad that they haven't got into apple-esque mud slinging. I like people who don't boast and aren't vulgar, but are friendly and civilised if you are interested in getting to know them. By not boasting or ridiculing, microsoft have taken full advantage or the political and moral high ground that apple have so generously surrendered.
I showed the commercial to my wife this morning, and her reaction was "Oh my God!". She said she wanted 3 minutes back (an additional one and a half minutes for her suffering).
Out of the commercial's one and a half minutes, a full minute is spent talking about shoes. It's only in the last few seconds that Seinfeld asks Gates about what Microsoft is planning for the future (not what they have that's worth anything right now).
The ad line at the end of the commercial is "The future... delicious". I think they might as well have replaced that with "If you don't like Vista, wait a few years... We'll try again".
And I have to say that watching Bill Gates adjust a wedgie up his butt by wiggling his fat ass is not cute or funny. It's barf-inducing!
If Microsoft had spent that $300-$500 Million on creating a better OS, rather than on these commercials, they would have been much better off. But I think they are counting on the general stupidness of their customers.
Yeah, interesting describes it quite well. Not sure where they want to go from here, but I'm curious.
Vista... ah well. If you get used to it it's actually not that bad, there are quite a few things to like, and if your computer is too slow to use it, just don't. But there are also quite a few things that annoy the hell out of me. Been wondering why the corporate world does not want to use Vista? I'd imagine some of them use the Cisco VPN stuff, and it is just plain broken on Vista. My uni uses it, and I just hate it. It never works (ok, 1 in 20 times maybe), and I have only met people having problems with it. Such things need to be fixed, I don't care if it's Microsoft's or Cisco's fault, just do whatever necessary to fix it.