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."

Comments

New ads

[Ethanol-fueled]

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.

Re:New ads

[Anonymous Coward]

I think the ad was pretty good... much better than the Seinfeld ones, anyway.

Re:New ads

[AKAImBatman]

Microsoft just failed on an epic scale. They didn't take the time to understand the Apple ads, so now they're lashing back at thin air.

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. 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. If anything, Microsoft has just drawn MORE attention to Apple.

Way to go, Microsoft.

Re:New ads

[anaesthetica]

Admit it, you would hate the Microsoft commercial no matter what its content was.

I'm a Mac and I found it to be pretty decent, for a commercial about an operating system.

Re:New ads

[gbjbaanb]

do they have a guy running round a street with a shotgun shooting people shouting "It crashed and lost my f***** work, I'm a b****** PC you c**** !"

No? Perhaps its modelled after Vista... a huge fat guy stuffing his face full of burgers, "I'm a PC, now give me more resources".

No? Pity, they'd be more in-tune with reality :-)

Re:New ads

[Jugalator]

horrible? I thought it was really *really* good. Not only does it help kill the stereotype, but makes the Mac commercials much less effective as well.

Exactly! I'm getting "only on Slashdot" feelings about some comments here. :-S

I'm planning for my first MacBook in a near future, but despite this, I have to commend Microsoft for getting a commercial out that makes Apple's predecessor look plain silly/stupid/childish in comparison.

OK, to be perectly clear here -- what message Microsoft is trying to get across, is that Microsoft doesn't cater to a "kind" of user, like Apple implies in their commercial, but try to cater for all kinds. And in the process of doing so, doesn't try to smear other software platforms, but just speaks for themselves.

I think the commercial is great, especially compared to the offensive-defensive Apple commercial.

Re:New ads

[MBCook]

That was kind of my take. They started doing the "I'm a PC" thing, but it got old. I think the commercial would work better in a 30s version than the 60s version I saw.

But the more I thought about the ad as I watched it, the more it occured to me they were all sheep. I figure the vast majority of them (especially those who looked like they were in other, poorer countries) probably hadn't tried a Windows alternative for more than 5 minutes. They just don't know there are better options, or for many that there even are other options.

It actually made the commercial less "blah" and more "a tiny bit sad".

I enjoyed the Seinfeld ads much more. I wanted to see what the next one would be. This is a generic Microsoft marketing "let's make an ad" ad. The tag line ("I'm a PC too") is meaningless. It doesn't do anything to make me want a PC more. And it certainly is about "breaking boundaries with Windows" which is what this whole campaign is supposed to be about.

I'm going to put this one up there with the DotBomb era commercials like "Everyone is looking for the new economy, but it's not through a door, it's through a Window".

Congratulations. You've poked fun at a popular set of commercials, made yourself seem less relevant by just copying off that (since obviously you didn't think your last idea was working). You're more Microsoft that ever. Isn't that exactly what you were trying to avoid?

Re:New ads

[PunkOfLinux]

Guy with a beard? Fucking traitor!!!

Re:New ads

[shawn(at)fsu]

I'm a linux fan myself and I liked the ads. Much better than the Seinfield ads.

The bit at the end with the guy in the shark cage "I'm a PC, and I'm scared" was pretty good.

(Disclaimer: I recently built a Vista gaming rigs and have been extremely pleased)

Re:New ads

[Poltras]

better != good. But I liked this one better too.

Re:New ads

[AKAImBatman]

The purpose of this advertisement is not to carefully interpret the Apple ad, but to override it with their own interpretation.

Except that they just acknowledged their existence. If Apple ignores these ads (which they will because they have no "punch") Microsoft will end up looking petty. And again, Microsoft is drawing attention to Apple's ads. Don't draw attention to your opponent unless he has managed to grab sufficient mind-share to demand a response! Microsoft still has the lead in the market, so there is no way they can "win" back attention they haven't lost. All they can do is continue to lose ground.

Re:New ads

[Anonymous Coward]

Mod parent up.

I can't stand Windows. The operating system is a piece of crap.

However, this commercial is not. It's the old "positive/negative" campaigning option. Like it or not, Mac's ads are more or less 'negative' campaigning in that they specifically single out the opponent and paint it in a negative light. Note that the "Mac guy" never seems to do a whole lot, just stand there and be way 'cooler' than the "PC guy" while the latter bitches about how awful he is.

This Microsoft ad accepts that complaint, and without responding in kind, instead shows that being forced into a box - the activity Mac users in theory would rail against - is exactly the sort of thing those commercials are trying to do to PC users, who aren't so easily described.

I'm not going to go out and buy Vista. But I do think this commercial is a major success for their ad department.

Re:New ads

[nine-times]

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.

Right. John Hodgman does not represent a stereotypical PC user and Justin Long is not intended to represent a stereotypical Mac user. If you pay any attention to the ad, you'll realize that they represent personifications of a Mac and a PC. So that's why they say "I'm a Mac," and "I'm a PC."

So no, Apple isn't stereotyping PC users by saying that they're boring generic business geeks. They're making fun of other PC manufacturers for making boring generic business computers. Microsoft's ad people are either retarded or they're banking on the commercial-watching public to have paid little attention to the Mac/PC ads.

So I think you're right. Those people who paid any attention to those ads will probably see Microsoft's new ads and think, "Wow they're dumb. They missed the point." But for people who haven't paid a lot of attention to those Mac/PC ads, these ads will call more attention to the Mac/PC ads. If anything, by acknowledging those Mac/PC ads, Microsoft is raising Apple up (in terms of consumer psychology) to their equal and competitor, whereas part of what keeps people afraid of switching is the idea that Macs are a fad that shouldn't be taken seriously.

All in all, I don't think this is a great idea for an ad campaign.

Re:New ads

[dogdick]

Good!? Good?! They were GREAT! I ran out and bought a new Windows Majave laptop!!! Who is laughing now steve jobs?!

Re:New ads

[JasterBobaMereel]

I liked the Mac adverts they were funny (the British version was better still)

This is simply stating we have a large market share, which everyone already knows, or doesn't care

I'm not a PC or a Mac or a Linux I'm a person who sometimes uses a computer, and runs programs on the computer, It runs an operating system - If I am aware of the operating system at all it is because it has got in my way

Car Analogy : I got in my car and drove to work - which make of car was it : I don't know, and don't care, it got me here anyway....

Re:New ads

[Reality Master 101]

What are you talking about? I thought it was *devastating* to Apple. Primarily because it's true. The vast majority of people -- and yes, creative people -- use PCs. The Mac ads have always been arrogant and condescending, and this is a major "up yours" to Apple.

And the tagline is absolutely perfect: "Life Without Walls". That's a direct hit on the most obnoxious characteristic of the Apple world -- the lock-in.

These ads are as good as the other ones were bad, and they were REALLY bad.

Re:New ads

[nine-times]

I think you're missing the point of what AKAImBatman. He's not a stereotype of PC *users*. He is a personification of the PC itself. His character is supposed to be the computer, not the person using the computer.

So the commercial isn't saying PC users are boring and inept, but rather that most computers are boring and inept, and people using boring and inept users should switch to using computers that are cool, sleek, and competent.

So yeah, I guess that's a stereotype, but a stereotype about Dell computers and HP computers, and not about the people who use them. That's why the end of Microsoft's commercial, "I'm a PC, and a human being" is retarded. No, you're not a PC at all, you just happen to use one.

Re:New ads

[hey!]

Parody? Maybe. But not effective parody.

One thing I've lawyers say about defamation suits is that they're usually not worth bringing. It isn't just the burden of proof, it's that the publicity reinforces the defamation in the public eye. Parody might work here, but you've got to shred the Apple message, not riff off of it. You can't be timid with parody; there's no half way. Half way parody only reinforces what you want to fight.

So Microsoft can't just bring the "I'm a PC" character out to defend himself, because that just reinforces the negative message. "I am not a boring nerd!" ** yawn **. They have to bring out the "I am a Mac" guy out and make him look like a total ass. Make him a pretentious airhead who spends all his time talking about how cool he is while "I am a PC" is quietly getting the job done.

Of course, they can't do that without insulting everybody who has ever bought a Mac -- possibly even insulting everyone who's bought any Apple product. Given the number of iPods out there, that's a lot of people.

Real parody is not nice. That makes it hard to pull it off when people think you're a vicious asshole. Maybe that was the point of the Seinfeld/Gates thing; to give MS a more aw-shucks regular guy image before they pulled out their sharp knives. Looks like they pulled out their sharp knife just long enough for a self-inflicted wound.

The ad would be better just showing all the cool things you can do with a Windows PC, which is the point. They still need a hook, but it couldn't be hard to come up with a better one than, "You probably think I'm boring, but I'm not as boring as you think."

Re:New ads

[CODiNE]

The purpose of John Hodgman was not to "stereotype" PC users

Answered with ...

They have the slightly overweight balding guy in an old suit being a PC, and you don't think that's stereotyping?

You realize you missed his point entirely? The Apple commercials were NEVER talking about identifying with the users. It's personifying the OS itself, as if it has a personality. You're making the same mistake Bill Gates made about this whole thing.

Instead consider this... Bill Gates is supposed to have Aspergers, Steve Jobs is diagnosed with ADHD. Now imagine what sort of differences that could have on their OS philosophies. Notice the OS characters in the Apple commercials sort of correspond to those? Microsoft is intentionally distorting the message to make it look like Apple was stereotyping PC users, trying to make people take personal offense at a characterization of an Operating System.

Re:New ads

[Lars T.]

It's called parody, they are trying to imitate the guy from the Apple commercials.

So two years after Apple brought out those commercials, Microsoft makes "parodies" that are lamer than any parodies that could be found on YouTube 2 years ago? Hey, that tells a lot about Microsoft in relation to Apple.

Re:New ads

[captaindomon]

They're not an exact opposite of the Apple ads, but that's not the intent. They're not trying to say, "Apple has it wrong." They're trying to say "People need to open their minds and not have a right or wrong argument". I think it's great. And yes, I have owned and used Mac, Linux, and Windows machines. Operating systems need to stop being argued like a religion, I'm getting tired of it.

Re:New ads

[TobyRush]

The trouble is Apple doesn't get it either. John Hodgman's "PC" over time has developed a sympathetic cachet; everyone I know loves the apple ads, but we are all rooting for the poor PC who just keeps taking the hits.

Of course everyone is rooting for Hodgman -- he's the star of the commercials. But people are watching the commercials, laughing at them, calling their spouses in to the living room saying, "Hey, there's a new one on"... that's advertising success. The point is to have people remembering how cool those commercials for Apple were when they are thinking of buying a new computer.

The new MS ad actually appeals to them, its a little vindication for 'poor PC'.

I disagree. If Charlie Brown started repeatedly kicking Lucy in the head in a fit of long-suppressed rage, we might sympathize, but I'm guessing readership would probably drop off a bit.

Re:New ads

[fastest fascist]

I'm a Mac and I found it to be pretty decent, for a commercial about an operating system.

You know, I was about to say how the worst thing about that ad was the way it failed to create the idea that the people shown are really computers, and instead shows a bunch of people rabidly obsessed with their particular kind of computer. "Who the hell calls themselves a computer?", I thought. I found it creepy.

Re:New ads

[nine-times]

Right, because some PCs have beards, have rings, and are scared while shark-diving.

The ads end with some guy saying, "I'm a PC, and a human being. Not a human doing; not a human thinking. A human being." And you're arguing that he's an anthropomorphized computer?

Re:New ads

[jonbryce]

The Mac Ads, as well as portraying the different "characters" of the respective operating systems, each contained a different message about what Macs do.

Eg, they run MS Office, you can share files with a PC, you don't have to worry about viruses, they come with a built in iSight camera, etc.

These Windows ads don't tell you anything about the benefits of PCs. I guess it is trying to say that there as a much wider range of software available for all sorts of different tasks, but it doesn't really spell it out to the viewer.

Re:New ads

[nine-times]

You can't be timid with parody; there's no half way. Half way parody only reinforces what you want to fight.

A good example of this is the whole controversy with the New Yorker cover showing the Obamas and their "terrorist fist jab". It was meant to parody the right-wing characterization of Michelle and Barack Obama by showing an absurd representation of them. The problem was, the representation wasn't any more absurd that the right-wing characterization, and so people weren't sure how serious the cover was.

If you're going to parody something, you have to be far more absurd than the original. Otherwise, it's just not parody.

Re:New ads

[genner]

Operating systems need to stop being argued like a religion, I'm getting tired of it.

Blasphemy....burn the witch!

Re:New ads

[mweather]

Operating systems need to stop being argued like a religion, I'm getting tired of it.

If you don't like your OS being like a religion, maybe you should get out of the Cathedral and visit the Bazaar.

Re:New ads

[jweller]

and none of those parodies are as good as this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7PhJp3ciRQ

Re:New ads

[Intron]

hmmm...
  - Is the subject of many books and articles.
  - Has high priests who speak in a way that the masses don't understand.
  - Doesn't have any effect on 99% of what you do.
In what way are operating systems not like religions?

Re:New ads

[mweather]

The only Mac Office customers who aren't pissed are the ones who haven't used the software yet.

Re:New ads

[synthespian]

Yeah! Me too! I went out and donated my Mac to the Salvation Army and my Unix boxen got sent to Africa, and I got me THREE BRAND NEW COMPUTERS WITH VISTA INSTALLED!

Oh, boy! Talk about eye candy!

Couldn't get the wireless at the hotel lobby to work, though...

Re:New ads

[Dragonslicer]

Operating systems need to stop being argued like a religion, I'm getting tired of it.

Yeah, it's taking the focus away from the KDE vs. Gnome and vi vs. emacs arguments.

Re:New ads

[Miseph]

"the representation wasn't any more absurd that the right-wing characterization"

Did you really expect the impossible?

Re:New ads

[jedidiah]

No, this is just a rehash of the 1980's IBM add with Charlie Chaplain.

The great strength of WinDOS and Microsoft has always been the bandwagon.

It's what got them started and it's what keeps them from dying quickly.

As an ad, it is f*cking brilliant compared to that Seinfeld thing.

It still fails as persuasion for anyone with more than half a brain cell.

Guy with a beard?

[Temtongkek]

Sold.

Guh.

[Aphoxema]

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?

Deepak Chopra?

[MindlessAutomata]

If that quack uses Windows then I'm going to hug my Linux box when I get home.

Unedited version: I'm a PC...

[Anonymous Coward]

...but I run Linux.

The hidden meaning

[Henry V .009]

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.

Lie!

[rlauzon]

It's a lie! The guy with the beard has to be running Linux.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

"Hi, I'm a PC, and I run Linux"

[TropicalCoder]

"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?

Re:"Hi, I'm a PC, and I run Linux"

[Spy der Mann]

I'd love to see a Mac vs PC ad where PC gets attacked by an angry stuffed penguin and after a flash he gets up with completely new clothes saying:

PC: Hey... that was... refreshing... I feel.... different!
Mac: PC, watch out, there's a virus!
PC: The power of GNU compells you! *hits virus*. I feel Powerful... I feel invincible... I feel... FREE!!!
Mac: Want a performance race?
PC: You betcha!
*Mac and PC begin sprinting*

Female voice: "Linux. Just like a Mac, but Free".

Re:No, I'm sorry, can't accept that

[Anonymous Monkey]

OS/2?

Re:No, I'm sorry, can't accept that

[Archangel Michael]

Emacs?

Mac vs. PC parody

[dlsmith]

Given that Microsoft is parodying the Mac vs. PC ads, this is on topic, right?

Best Mac vs. PC parody ever.

Computers suck.

Ad Video

[The Moof]

I'm a PC

Microsoft just don't get it

[pubjames]

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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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:I liked it.

[greg_barton]

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.

Wait, don't you mean "they're still getting a lot of things done..."?

It's a Freudian Astroturf!

Weakness

[Ungulate]

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.

Re:Weakness

[whisper_jeff]

What's worse is that, not only do they perceive Apple as a threat (because, you're right - simply the fact that they are focusing advertising efforts to counter the Apple ads shows they are concerned), but they can't even manage to do it in an original way. They are basically ripping off Apple's marketing campaign in an effort to weaken said campaign. But, hey, if you can't be original, it's always a good idea to copy those who are.

Seriously speaking, Microsoft's marketing firm needs to be fired. Actually, as a Mac guy, scratch that suggestion. Keep up the great work guys!

You = dork.

[bigtallmofo]

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.

You miss the point

[Tau Neutrino]

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."

Re:You miss the point

[notaprguy]

Give me a break. It's clearly a personification of the PC and the people that use them. There's nothing inherently evil about what Apple is doing - it plays into their brand which has a certain amount of exclusivity. What's different about Microsoft's ads is that they don't make any direct slam on Mac users. They're just showing that there are millions of PC users from all walks of life and certainly different than the Hodgeman character. It's a pretty good campaign in my mind. Very empowering and positive and true to what PC's are about.

Re:You miss the point

[thetoadwarrior]

What MS really needs to do to kick Apple's ass is to show a side by side comparison of Vista and OSX to show people how different they are and why Vista is so much better.

Re:You miss the point

[BlueStraggler]

The Apple ads are not saying PCs are boring. That's insecure geek talk. PC is actually quite likeable. But he is hapless. He's going to fail. He's Wile E. Coyote, to Mac's Road Runner. Everybody likes Wile E. Coyote (who is anything but boring), even though you know he's gonna end up crushed or burned or worse.

That's why the ads are pure genius. People like, identify with, and root for PC guy. But they know that he's gonna lose to Mac, and the comedy is in how bad it's gonna be, and how annoyed PC guy is going to be with smug Mac guy. He's a classic anti-hero, you empathize with him, but you know it's not going to end well for him. Everyone who thinks the ads got it wrong because they don't like Mac guy has missed the point. Or rather they got the point, but didn't understand Apple's real objective, which is appealing to PC users, not preaching to the choir.

Dunno. I think the opposite.

[DrYak]

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).

You = (person - humor)

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

Title says it all.