Microsoft PDC video showcases boy band, worst judgment ever
by Joshua Topolsky
posted Oct 7th 2008 at 1:28PM
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Tags: ad, advertising, awful, bad, boy band, BoyBand, microsoft, painful, pdc, Professional Developer Conference, ProfessionalDeveloperConference, promo, why god why, WhyGodWhy
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Steve @ Oct 7th 2008 1:34PM
Seriously?
Konstantin @ Oct 7th 2008 1:39PM
Even as a joke that's not funny...
fred @ Oct 7th 2008 2:13PM
Well, so what?
It's goofy and campy. Like all of the other videos MS puts on for their confabs. You would think by now that people would get that they do it on purpose, yet it seems that the same group of yahoos still loose their $hit whenever it's posted somewhere.
Ghen @ Oct 7th 2008 2:14PM
Gates and Seinfeld were funny even if they had no point. This was painful to watch.
BrokenMonkey @ Oct 7th 2008 2:18PM
Oh come on, nobody's ever heard of tongue-in-cheek?
DaveS @ Oct 7th 2008 2:23PM
In the last few months we have:
- Ballmer's "I'm a PC"
- Canning Bill & Jerry (which worked for me..... Gimme a little robot Bill!)
- This Boyband garbage
Are Microsoft *trying* to lose the plot?
happy_penguin @ Oct 7th 2008 2:31PM
Even as a joke, fail. Once again Microsoft proves they are absolutely clueless when it comes to advertising. The only commercial I've seen recently by them that I liked was the "I'm a PC" commercial and I even question the effectiveness of that one.
I don't know how the proliferation of Vista is going, and I do believe those who use it and say it's good. But XP is damn good too and I don't have to spend any extra money to keep using it. Upgrading to Vista is going to cost me at least $500 if not a grand because I have to build an entirely new computer. If Microsoft wants us XP users to upgrade this isn't going to do it. But, I still plan to upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out.
I guess when you control 90+ percent of the market you don't have to worry about what kind of advertising you do.
EmoChicksAreHot.....Seriously @ Oct 7th 2008 2:33PM
What...the hell.....was that?
BigD145 @ Oct 7th 2008 2:45PM
This was marginally worse than the Seinfeld/Gates garbage.
Charles @ Oct 7th 2008 2:57PM
I think they’ve seen the popularity of the CERN rap and tried to do something similar. I think Microsoft are concentrating a bit too much on improving their image and not enough on improving their products.
That said, I thought it was quite entertaining and while it’s not going to make me by Windows Vista SP2 (aka Windows 7) it did make me like Microsoft a bit more.
loosely_coupled @ Oct 7th 2008 3:15PM
Like others said, that is just terrible. OBVIOUSLY, it is tongue-in-cheek, I think everyone gets that. But it doesn't improve it at all.
To @Charles who said
"That said, I thought it was quite entertaining and while it’s not going to make me by Windows Vista SP2 (aka Windows 7) it did make me like Microsoft a bit more."
You like Microsoft more because of that video? Are you kidding?
Quix @ Oct 7th 2008 6:39PM
Wow Fred, your Microsoft apologetics know no bounds.
You probably thought the sweaty Ballmer dance video was insignificant too.
Where is your shame?
Quix @ Oct 7th 2008 6:46PM
@ fred, wouldn't it be in the interest of fairness to add your job title in the Microsoft PR department to every one of your comments?
No one but a PR person could possibly spin this video atrocity to the positive.
r3loaded @ Oct 7th 2008 7:09PM
Face. Palm. Cry.
Plz Microsoft, just fire your entire marketing department. Even the die-hard supporters are being put off now...
tompon1923 @ Oct 7th 2008 1:34PM
And it is all edited on a MacBook Pro.
Lowest Ranked @ Oct 7th 2008 1:48PM
That would explain a lot.
whatishalo? @ Oct 7th 2008 3:54PM
Here is the counter-part/reply and will help clear it out of your head: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI
who? @ Oct 7th 2008 5:34PM
I do think it's funny that Microsoft needs to use Apple laptops and Mac OS X for their own commercials...
Hey, Microsoft! If you love Apple so much why don't you mergy them?!?!
SpaceJanitor @ Oct 7th 2008 1:34PM
Oh Engadget, why must you put a negative spin on everything Microsoft?
gotoman00 @ Oct 7th 2008 1:36PM
um, did you see the video?
Minilap @ Oct 7th 2008 1:45PM
Did you see the ending?
Ghen @ Oct 7th 2008 2:13PM
Yes, I saw the ending and its still the worst thing I've ever seen. Even as a play on being the worst thing I've ever seen.
Joe @ Oct 7th 2008 3:14PM
If it was all for the ending, why would we need to sit through three minutes of that?
Also, they should try hiring ACTORS next time.
Quix @ Oct 7th 2008 6:50PM
"I'll see myself out."
Please do, Microsoft. Please do.
SippieCup @ Oct 7th 2008 1:35PM
Yes.
ZaxCG2 @ Oct 7th 2008 2:49PM
Maybe.
toxicpiano @ Oct 7th 2008 1:36PM
That was absolutely hideous.
tf @ Oct 7th 2008 1:36PM
"leave the coffee brian"
the cup was empty........ beeeeootch
giuliop @ Oct 7th 2008 1:36PM
How have we come to this?
ishism @ Oct 7th 2008 1:36PM
"Leave the coffee Brian" LOL
Bryant @ Oct 7th 2008 2:20PM
It's funny because the cup was empty.
Maybe that's why she wanted the cup?
CraigJ @ Oct 7th 2008 2:30PM
1 girl, 1 cup?
Brian @ Oct 7th 2008 1:38PM
Why ?
Jeff Stoelker @ Oct 7th 2008 1:39PM
its the 90's all over again. failed again just like bill and jerry ads
toxicpiano @ Oct 7th 2008 1:39PM
I liked the Bill and Jerry ads :(
Lowest Ranked @ Oct 7th 2008 1:49PM
We all did Toxic. Thats why Jeff will be sporting a brand new, shiny- low ranked tag.
CraigJ @ Oct 7th 2008 2:27PM
I liked them. They were pointless (kinda like a Seinfeld episode), but I liked them.
Chad @ Oct 7th 2008 1:38PM
This is ten times worse than being rickrolled!
Shame on you Engadget.
skulldriveshaft @ Oct 9th 2008 2:21AM
This is the new rickrolled, what would be even worse was if someone made a mashup of a rickrolled microsoft boy band video !!!
This has been added to my list of links to use :p
Kenny @ Oct 7th 2008 1:39PM
That was a WTF?!
deepBLUE @ Oct 7th 2008 1:56PM
Microsoft told me they intended for it to be FTW!! I guess the video choreographer must have gotten the sequence of the letters wrong :S
Brent @ Oct 7th 2008 1:39PM
I just threw up a little.
wyatt @ Oct 7th 2008 3:23PM
i just threw up A LOT.
Alex @ Oct 7th 2008 1:42PM
Too long. But I can see where the funny is. Seems like it'd be more geared towards the middle-aged.
Anthony @ Oct 7th 2008 1:47PM
They were going the "Saturday Night Live" route- funny idea, too long.
finbred @ Oct 7th 2008 1:52PM
I'm 40 and had to skip straight to the ending to survive.
meist3r @ Oct 7th 2008 2:01PM
You mean middle-ages? That's where I wish to be right now so I can crucify everyone responsible for this. That hurt, physically hurt.
Mic2000 @ Oct 7th 2008 4:48PM
It just started my midlife crisis
Alex @ Oct 7th 2008 1:43PM
Engadget, you do know that this is supposed to be a joke right?
ChuChu @ Oct 7th 2008 2:06PM
Key words "supposed to be". It's painfully unfunny. Kind of like the awkward cousin who always manages to embarrass himself in spectacular fashion every year at the family BBQ. Although you feel bad for him there is nothing you can really do to help him.