Last night, Microsoft premiered their second ad featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld.  That ad features the comic duo trying to connect with a somewhat disfunctional family.  A stolen giraffe, some special mustard, and extremely functional grandma round-out the plot.  Much to the chagrin of the mac-lovin’, microsoft-hating gizmodo, this ad was once again hilarious.  You cannot beat seeing Bill Gates do the robot—it is comic gold.

As I mentioned in Let them eat cake, I think these ads are as much about approach as they are about content.  I think to some extent the perception of Windows (and Microsoft) has been that they are stiff and only work oriented; these ads are meant to change that perception.  And, having Bill Gates do the robot is a step in the right direction.  Also, I think it is no mistake that the Microsoft ads feature familiar atmospheres (a family home and the mall).  This choice directly contrasts the sterile atmosphere of the Apple ads.  Now, when you see the Apple ads now you can’t help but think they are a bit pompous and trite.

Regardless, thanks to Bill Gates, I will now have Mr. Roboto in my head.  If you are bored, here is a link to the best robot dance ever.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 11th, 2008 at 9:15 pm and is filed under Misc. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.