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Microsoft Uses "I'm a PC" Character In New Ads
arcticstoat writes to tell us that in the wake of their largely unsuccessful Jerry Seinfeld ad campaign Microsoft is setting their sights directly on recent Apple ads by featuring the "I'm a PC" character in their new advertising campaign. "He then follows this with another phrase, such as 'and I've been made into a stereotype' before the advert shifts to a range of people performing a diverse assortment of jobs, all of which also say they're a PC. Among those featured are astronaut Bernard Harris, as well as religious author Deepak Chopra and 'Desperate Housewives' actress Eva Longoria. The ad also features a wide range of anonymous people, including a shark diver, a teacher and a guy with a beard."
I saw the new ad for the first time last night.
Man, it's HORRIBLE. The ads try to play on the fact that Windows has the biggest desktop market share by showing a diverse group of people in diverse situations admitting to "being PCs". While the characters try to come off as being "cheeky and cute", they just end up looking like ditzy, ignorant, darwin-award candidates In short ad is somewhat condescending. It's typical Microsoft Strategy -- copy others(Mac ads) and turn out a second-rate imitation.
Yes, ol' Bill is in the ad, albeit briefly, but they should have echewed Bill and kept Seinfeld in(just to say "I'm a PC", at least) as a cameo! I'm still mad at Bill for the last commercial, in which he said nothing except, "I have a lot of money and now I'm going to wiggle my ass in your face, nyah nyah". If Bill wants to be a celebrity then he can just "leak" a homemade sex tape like the others do.
Sold.
Ads can at times be entertaining, but they are definitely not intended as entertainment.
The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
Macs are PCs.
They're even the same damn processors now, you can run Windows on Macs and you can run OSX on, uh, not-Macs.
The most disgusting thing is the chauvinism from BOTH sides, the other operating systems don't exist, and if you're running a PC it must be running Microsoft Something. If you're running a Mac it must be running OS X.
False advertising is illegal, why isn't massively disseminating misinformation?
"Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"
If that quack uses Windows then I'm going to hug my Linux box when I get home.
I saw the ad yesterday - they played the ad in my area during My Name is Earl on NBC.
Seems to say that while Apple is hyping their coolness, we're still getting a lot of things done for a lot of real people.
I'm a big tall mofo.
...but I run Linux.
The new ad is saying that PC users are a diverse cross-section of humanity, while Mac-users are stuck-up racist white people. Of course, they are.
It's a lie! The guy with the beard has to be running Linux.
Prediction: Apple, in what is becoming a war of "Who can make the most annoying ad" hires carrottop to do their next series.
Microsoft responds with bill gates simply walking on camera, then making "the most annoying sound in the world" for 2 minutes straight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cVlTeIATBs)
Okay, you had me up until that point, but this campaign is as doomed as the previous. We all know which operating system guys with beards use.
Oh, yeah, it's not easy to pad these out to 120 characters.
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"David Webster, Microsoft general manager of brand and marketing strategy, says Microsoft had "to take back the PC brand and tell the truth about it." referring to Microsoft's latest ad that hits back at the Apple commercials. Like -- they own the PC brand now? OK -- We can admire someone who stands up for himself succinctly when picked on. Apple will never be able to use the "I'm a PC" line again now. However, in this ad Microsoft tries to appropriate the commons with a sinister attempt to hijack the PC. They want to confuse general public into thinking -- if it doesn't have Windows, it's not a PC. Is there an appropriate way to inform the public that the PC is an open platform that can run many other operating systems?
People are not Personal Computers. People use personal computers.
Have these people subsumed into the MS-Borg, and they really are now PCs?
just buy vista. it doesnt matter if you use it or not. i cant stand anymore of this "im a..." bullshit. Someone at least tag this with a "pleasestop"??
Good people go to bed earlier.
Given that Microsoft is parodying the Mac vs. PC ads, this is on topic, right?
Best Mac vs. PC parody ever.
Computers suck.
I'm a PC
Back in the day, before the rise of Linux, I remember reading analysts who said that the entire history of the retail computer industry consisted of everyone imitating Apple. Windows 95 was the biggest example, but there have been others. This is one.
Oh, I should be clear -- the reason they don't catch more flak for this imitation is that they don't do all that good a job at it. I haven't seen the ad yet, but I suspect this is also consistent.
What if I do the same thing, and I do get different results?
Considering the years it took them to implement a rudimentary firewall into Windows, I'm surprised that they're going with the "Live without Walls" slogan.
But, putting that aside, these ads are much, much better than the Seinfeld ones.
I find it amazing the extent that Microsoft is screwing up at the moment.
Hey Apple marketing guys, Microsoft is doing your work for you!
This one is for free:
Justin Long: I'm a Mac.
John Hodgman and large crowd, together: And I'm a PC.
Justin Long [sincerely]: Hey guys, nice to meet you! There's so many of you! And you look like cool guys!
[John Hodgman looks smug]
Justin Long: I'd really like to hang out with you guys. [face lights up with idea]. Hey, would you like so see some of the new products we're working on?
[Lots of enthusiastic noise and nots - everyone follows Justin as he exits stage right. John Hodgman desperately tries to stop people. Final sequence - John Hodgman on his own, looking sorry for himself and a bit confused.]
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My father was in advertising, and he always spoke, as if it were a rule, that you NEVER respond to criticism in an advertisement, only assert your strengths. The fact that Microsoft feels cornered like this speaks volumes. While they're still the 800lb gorilla, they perceive Apple as a real threat now.
The announcement that Mac ads involving "I am a Mac, I am a PC" infringe Microsoft's patent US PTO 123456789, but Apple would be welcome to sign an indemnification deal that allows Microsoft to sell coupons to TV watchers to watch Mac ads.
They were exactly what MS needed - some humanization. They were sly. Some people here didn't seem to get or like them (well, they hated them for the most part) - but they made sense. They were the kind of ads you put out when you're winning, which, make no mistake, MS is.
This new ad is just sad, they seem like a desperate response. The kind of commercial you do when you're losing. That's not the vibe they need.
Let's not stir that bag of worms...
In Windows, you don't have any practical walls, firewalls, that is.
Just remember, with Microsoft, simply because there are no walls doesn't mean you aren't behind locked Gates.
I love how you are doing the advertising for Apple now!!! Like Microsoft is really making people love them with those ads that really don't say anything about their OS.
After years working on Windows & OSX I have found they both fail, both have their quirks, both are imperfect.
PCs are cheaper, Macs are prettier
Take your pick
People are people
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
One of the biggest comments about the "I'm a mac" ads is that they are snobby and condescending. People relate more to "PC" than to "Mac". Many people see "Mac" as an elitist. I am betting that someone at Microsoft's advertising company saw the articles about it and created this campaign. It is a positive campaign where "PC" is made in to the everyman, someone just like the viewer.
Everyone who is thinking this is "also-ran" or "johnny come lately" is missing the forest for the trees. This campaign is a very good idea and uses the negative perception of the "I'm a mac" ads against Apple.
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
It's a Freudian Astroturf!
2 days ago, I was posting how I thought Vista sucks (see here. Then I was accused of having a religious stance against Microsoft - which I thought was ironic considering I don't own a Mac, haven't owned a Linux system for about 12 years (Slackware 3.1 was the last distribution I used if I remember correctly) and work all day every day on Microsoft products.
So now I say I like Microsoft's commercial and now I'm astro-turfing for Microsoft.
Gotta love the Slashdot crowd.
I'm a big tall mofo.
Wow. Deepak Chopra and Eva Longoria? Sounds about right for a Microsoft ad. Just the right amount of famous-ness to seem cool to your average "lowest-common-denominator" audience, but mediocre enough for probably anyone here on /. to be like "Uh, wow, so they just grabbed whatever recognizable figure they could get?" ...
Maybe I'm biased, but I mean, when Apple used the likeness of significant figures in the past for their "Think Different" campaign, they had photos of like, Gandhi, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Picasso, etc.. Not that Apple could get those people as actors in their commercials (so it's not the most fair comparison), but my general feeling about these new ads is that they're just throwing together some ads with some famous people to get peoples' attention. Whereas, well, people today still remember the "Think Different" thing from Apple. Microsoft is wasting their time if they're going to try to play Apple's game, in my opinion..
In the Apple ads, the actors portrayed the computers, not their users. It wasn't saying that PC users are overweight, balding old farts in suits, but that PC's themselves are that boring.
I use a Mac (as well as a Windows box), but I would no sooner say, "I'm a Mac" than I would, "I'm a Pepper."
Lemmings are silly; dinosaurs are extinct.
These are as annoying as those stupid "I AM" ads that Lotus used to run. Remember them? They had guys holding up "I AM" signs like this to try and convince you that Lotus R5 was the bridge everyone else was jumping off.
Who the hell actually liked Lotus R5? Anyone? Anyone?
Who in the hell actually likes Windows? I mean, enough to identify themselves with it?
"Hi I'm a PC, and I'm really defensive about it..."
Disclaimer: I'm a heavy Linux user. I tend to just viscerally hate MS' OSes.
The purpose of John Hodgman was not to "stereotype" PC users. The purpose was to provide a boring image of PCs themselves through the comedy of John Hodgman. The idea was that the more artistic nature of Macs should appeal to users of all walks of life.
Well, that was their intent. But in the end, I find John's carrecter more likeable. All mis-adventure that happens to him are funny, but in the end he tends to generate empathy. He looks like a caracter who is generally unlucky. He's not peculiarly snug. He ends up being likeable, partly because he comes as the underdog.
On the other side there's the "mac" character which too much radiate a "I'm so cool, I'm so hip !" style which makes him unnerving. After the few first couple of ads, I mostly only want to punch him in the face.
I think by having a comedy actor impersonate the PC in a humorous way backfired at least with some viewers like me. They should have gone with a pompous condescending bastard kind of character.
Microsoft obviously didn't get that. Mark my words: These ads will preach to the choir (the people who already hate the Mac commercials) but will do nothing to asuage those commericals.
Well on the other hand :
They aren't as awful as the previous ads. The Bill Gates series mentioned yesterday were the dumbest thing I've ever seen (what the hell are they trying to say ? seems just random snips taken out of some brainless trash-tv reality show)
The "Wow series" wasn't any brilliant either. In fact, it almost backfired : trying to present Vista as latest "world wonder" just sounds arrogant, and with all these stupid people staying O-faced in front of their machine it just begs that someone edits the video and puts a system explosion (a _litteral_ explosion) as a metaphor for this crappy software. Oh so exploitable.
Or maybe I'm just allergic to any ad that make outrageous claims that their product is the coolest.
This latest ads, are kind of cute. They don't try to pretend microsoft's product are the panacea. Just metaphorically show that its simply something everybody ends up using.
(For the ad. For the reality of computing platforms I find this is bullshit. Anyway the currently most pervasive platform are ARM chips running embed OS - among which Linux happens to gain market share - "I'm a ARM running Symbian or Linux and I'm even in your phone, your TV and your washing machine" even if unpractically too long would have been way much more realistic and the only really relevant platform for the following couple years. But's my technical opinion. The ads look nice per se).
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
The point's been made before, but the Mac vs. PC ads, especially the UK ones (Mitchell and Webb was not good casting) make PC look like some lovable nerd who's just trying to get by (Crashy Time Calmomile) in spite of his problems, something mildy-but-not-terminally frustrated PC users can relate to. Mac spends literally all of his ad time either highlighting PC's flaws or saying how great he is. The PC is the everyman, while Mac is this rather aloof thing which sounds great but won't shut up about how great it is. That PC gets to set up all the humour and Mac is the straight man just reinforces it. I'm not sure that MS really want to fight that pair of stereotypes too strongly. If they emphasise that PCs are these boxes used by all these amazingly varied special people, they may wind up telling people that Mac is for the everyman, which is exactly what Apple seems to have failed at on their desktop line.
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
As a slashdot reader, I do not believe that I am the intended target of these ads. Therefore I'm not going to pass judgment so much as critque them. For starters I laughed at the first few "I'm a Mac" commercials and have yet to laugh at any of the PC commercials. I have to question the wisdom of using celebrities. The minute i see a spice girl in your commercial, I instantly wonder how much she's being paid and that starts me wondering how much all the other people in your commercial are being paid. This highlights an important distinction between the Apple and Microsoft commercials. Apple's commercials are about their products. The supposed superiority of Apple's products are emphasized in a humorous way. The Microsoft commercials are about who Microsoft can pay to say how good their products are. Microsoft never addresses the issues raised in Apple's commercials.
We willna be fooled again!
Title says it all.
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
I always took Apple adds as trying to give the view of the change is good. The "switcher" adds and the "I'm a Mac" seemed, to me at least, to drive the message there's something better. The grass is greener in Mac pastures.
The new MS adds seem to be driving affirmation of your current choice or what you have. In other words, it is OK to like your PC and Windows because everyone is using it.
Just my perspective on it all.
I love the sound of distortion in the morning -- webcommando
Nice cover story there, AstroBoy! Way to go, TurfSmurf!
So they paid Seinfeld $10 million for two ads?
"I'm a PC and I turn #2* into energy!"
I dunno, it just seems so appropriate for the Microsoft Ad.
*#2 = shit.
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
George Constanza should be the I'm a PC guy.
The vast majority of people -- and yes, creative people -- use PCs.
Apparently they couldn't find any of those creative PC people to do the ad:
Microsoft's 'I'm a PC' ad images made on Macs.
Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
I don't think that would be understood very well. When I started my company 4 years ago, I made it all Mac, having experienced the inefficiency of my previous employer's PC-based business first hand.
I'm not married to Apple. I'll switch to Linux if need be, but it would take more than a $300 M ad campaign to make me consider a switch to Windows.
Bert
You're kidding, right? I find it unbelievable that Microsoft were so stupid as to feel compelled to acknowledge the existence of a series of ads by a rival. The Apple ads have proven to be very popular, and Microsoft has only called attention to them again, and worst of all, in a "Me Too!" fashion, merely reinforcing the popular perception that Redmond doesn't have an original idea all their own. It says something about how insecure Microsoft feels about their own brand, that they're reduced to playing defense. And make no mistake, when a company their size starts playing defense, it's sending the message to the public that they believe that they're being hurt by their rival.
This is something that's always baffled me: in what way are the Apple ads "arrogant and condescending"? I've even heard Justin Long's "Mac" characterized as such, yet in all the commercials, he's nothing but friendly and considerate. This has always sounded like sour-grapes to me; everyone I've spoken with about the ads (almost all of them XP users) find them amusing, and have said that they like both characters. When asked specifically about the tone of the ads, no one has mentioned any negative message; when asked in particular if they found the ads or the Mac character arrogant or condescending in any way, or if there was any undertone of meanness, they all said no. In fact, many of them told me that the ads portrayed their experiences with Windows PC's fairly accurately.
As opposed to the sweetness and light of Microsoft? Now you're sounded like an angry Windows fanboy.
I'm a PC and a Linux. The Ad is excellent and its refreshing to see that Microsoft doesn't need to rely on negativity to sell its product. Keep 'em coming Microsoft.