The New and Improved (?) Microsofts Ads

September 19, 2008

Now that Seinfeld is out and the new "I'm a PC" commercials are in, most of you feel the same way that I do about them — they are totally copying Apple's "Get a Mac" ads! The first installment with Seinfeld was at least somewhat original, but waay too long to be used as commercials. These ones? Catchy, but lack originality. Microsoft, you had my attention with Seinfeld, and lost me at "I'm a PC."

To see the other two Microsoft commercials, just read more.

32 Comments

kcwebgirl 4 years 35 weeks

cool people, boring commerical. i think they could have done a better job. basically, mac and hp are kicking their buds on the computer front.

ilanac13 4 years 35 weeks

well i get the point of the new set more than i did about the seinfeld ones. i still don't understand what they were pushing but oh well. the interesting thing is that the same creative shop did both sets and they are VERY different.

gemsera 4 years 35 weeks

Oh, microsoft ads. The first two were terrible, but these were liked by me (and my Mac loving BF). They aren't perfect but pretty good :)

gemsera 4 years 35 weeks

I didnt know the debate was this hot! Wow! I use a PC (laptop) at work and a 24" mac at home which is a 1 year loaner from a business friend. Mind, I also have our web server which is PC (windows) and my old pc is a development server in the server room at home. I tend to think I'm a computer user, not preferable to either. Its nice to have a big screen and something not too complicated at home, and its great to have something that works with all my work applications at work. Everything has its place, and everyone has their opinion. Neither is "better" per se. Whatever suits you :)

gemsera 4 years 35 weeks

I didnt know the debate was this hot! Wow!I use a PC (laptop) at work and a 24" mac at home which is a 1 year loaner from a business friend. Mind, I also have our web server which is PC (windows) and my old pc is a development server in the server room at home.I tend to think I'm a computer user, not preferable to either. Its nice to have a big screen and something not too complicated at home, and its great to have something that works with all my work applications at work. Everything has its place, and everyone has their opinion. Neither is "better" per se. Whatever suits you :)

mnp 4 years 35 weeks

Amen, lattegoodness. =) I like this ad and Calamari is right; this does dilute the campaign.

ehadams 4 years 35 weeks

They're not bad but maybe a touch too long.

aistea311 4 years 35 weeks

I thought it was creative.

aistea311 4 years 35 weeks

I thought it was creative.

looseseal 4 years 35 weeks

I've never felt uncool for using PCs. For that matter, I never felt like Apple made me feel uncool for using PCs. That's not the impression I ever got from those mac ads, anyway. It always seemed pretty clear to me that those characters in the mac ads are supposed to be stand-ins for the companies, not the users.Those Apple ads would be utterly useless if they really only appeal to people who are already using macs. I can't speak for everyone else, but those ads appealed to me even when I was using PCs only and had my doubts about macs. It wasn't because the mac character was "cooler" than the PC character (They're both adorkable in my eyes - yeah, that's right, that was not a typo ;) ). It certainly wasn't because those ads insulted me and made me feel bad for being a PC user.I couldn't care less if my computer is "cool". Those mac ads spoke to my sense of frustration with some of the annoyances that comes with Windows. Now, I wasn't totally sold just by that, but it did give me a little nudge to have a look at macs and consider a mac for my next computer. The OS and the computers had to be good enough to finish the job of winning me over.This "I'm a PC" ad doesn't have to do the job of getting people to "switch". Quite the opposite, it has to get people to "not switch". And it does what it's supposed to do all right. But only by appealing to people's hurt feelings from this imagined "insult" by Apple. That's kind of weak, IMO. What's the matter Microsoft? No wonderful software features to lure people with?But it's undeniable, manipulating people's feelings works, and so this ad works.Anyway, I can now kind of believe that thing Microsoft's ad agency said before about how "they planned it this way all along". Because this ad would have just been meh if it came out by itself. But coming after the Seinfeld thing? Suddenly it seems way better just because I can't help but automatically compare it to the Seinfeld ads.Sooo... Bravo? I guess?I'm a PC USER and a MAC USER. I'm NOT a PC or a MAC. I'm a human, I'm not the personification of a computer company, and I'm not a computer ;)

looseseal 4 years 35 weeks

I've never felt uncool for using PCs. For that matter, I never felt like Apple made me feel uncool for using PCs. That's not the impression I ever got from those mac ads, anyway. It always seemed pretty clear to me that those characters in the mac ads are supposed to be stand-ins for the companies, not the users. Those Apple ads would be utterly useless if they really only appeal to people who are already using macs. I can't speak for everyone else, but those ads appealed to me even when I was using PCs only and had my doubts about macs. It wasn't because the mac character was "cooler" than the PC character (They're both adorkable in my eyes - yeah, that's right, that was not a typo ;) ). It certainly wasn't because those ads insulted me and made me feel bad for being a PC user. I couldn't care less if my computer is "cool". Those mac ads spoke to my sense of frustration with some of the annoyances that comes with Windows. Now, I wasn't totally sold just by that, but it did give me a little nudge to have a look at macs and consider a mac for my next computer. The OS and the computers had to be good enough to finish the job of winning me over. This "I'm a PC" ad doesn't have to do the job of getting people to "switch". Quite the opposite, it has to get people to "not switch". And it does what it's supposed to do all right. But only by appealing to people's hurt feelings from this imagined "insult" by Apple. That's kind of weak, IMO. What's the matter Microsoft? No wonderful software features to lure people with? But it's undeniable, manipulating people's feelings works, and so this ad works. Anyway, I can now kind of believe that thing Microsoft's ad agency said before about how "they planned it this way all along". Because this ad would have just been meh if it came out by itself. But coming after the Seinfeld thing? Suddenly it seems way better just because I can't help but automatically compare it to the Seinfeld ads. Sooo... Bravo? I guess? I'm a PC USER and a MAC USER. I'm NOT a PC or a MAC. I'm a human, I'm not the personification of a computer company, and I'm not a computer ;)

isahrangme 4 years 35 weeks

but also, i don't know why replying to the mac campaign with this one means that microsoft has their socks in a bunch... but maybe i also like things that have references... (like the matt damon/jimmy kimmel/ben affleck videos. i had to see them all, not just one haha)

isahrangme 4 years 35 weeks

but also, i don't know why replying to the mac campaign with this one means that microsoft has their socks in a bunch...but maybe i also like things that have references... (like the matt damon/jimmy kimmel/ben affleck videos. i had to see them all, not just one haha)

isahrangme 4 years 35 weeks

i like these ads! but i love the idea of "togetherness" hehe and i agree, a lot of mac users i know are snobs. they're always trying to make me change by bashing on pc's. the only person who has ever gotten me interested in a mac was by telling me why he liked macs, not by bashing on my pc

isahrangme 4 years 35 weeks

i like these ads! but i love the idea of "togetherness" heheand i agree, a lot of mac users i know are snobs. they're always trying to make me change by bashing on pc's. the only person who has ever gotten me interested in a mac was by telling me why he liked macs, not by bashing on my pc

a1stbornunicorn 4 years 35 weeks

I thought the ad was cute. <3 PCs and Microsoft!

a1stbornunicorn 4 years 35 weeks

I thought the ad was cute. <3 PCs and Microsoft!

calamari 4 years 35 weeks

I like these ads. But I DON'T think Microsoft should be erratically jumping from one campaign to another, it dilutes their message. That said, I think these ads are clever. Taking your competitions message and turning it around is a proven advertising strategy. Don't forget that Apple did the same thing in the '80s when IBM used the "Think" tagline and Apple came out with the "Think Different" campaign. It gives PC users a bit of a rallying message. I'm a Mac btw -- for the past 10 years.

calamari 4 years 35 weeks

I like these ads. But I DON'T think Microsoft should be erratically jumping from one campaign to another, it dilutes their message.That said, I think these ads are clever. Taking your competitions message and turning it around is a proven advertising strategy. Don't forget that Apple did the same thing in the '80s when IBM used the "Think" tagline and Apple came out with the "Think Different" campaign.It gives PC users a bit of a rallying message.I'm a Mac btw -- for the past 10 years.

omilawd 4 years 35 weeks

I like this commercial. :] Oh, and I'm a PC.

omilawd 4 years 35 weeks

I like this commercial. :]Oh, and I'm a PC.

MusicnBones 4 years 35 weeks

I like it :) It kinda shows that its not Mac or nothing out there. I'm a PC!

MusicnBones 4 years 35 weeks

I like it :) It kinda shows that its not Mac or nothing out there. I'm a PC!

intensebandgeek 4 years 35 weeks

Like I said in the previous post, I love my MacBook but I think these commercials are well done. :)

ChicBookFiend 4 years 35 weeks

Hi, latte. Thank for the reply.By the way, the Microsoft -- the company, not PC users in general -- and the "socks in a bunch" thing is not "being defensive," just stating an opinion. :)

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32 Comments

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