Comments on: Open Forum Friday: Jerry Seinfeld’s Microsoft Ads… Success or Failure?

By: ProjectGenesis

ProjectGenesis — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:43:07 +0000

Funny you mention that. I flipped randomly to TCM this week and suddenly got caught up in a breezy, fun, gossipy movie involving four women sitting in a room talking smack about each other (in jest) and other women (seriously) I recognized Rosalind Russell, who for the record was pretty damn hot and cool, so I watched maybe forty minutes before before I HAD to know what it was. I went to TV Guide.com and Walter Thrill Hill low and behold it was the original 1939 The Women! A year some say was the best year of movies ever. Some say 1999. For me its probably ‘86. Platoon, Aliens, Ferris Bueller, Big Trouble in L China, Back to School, The Fly, Stand By Me, Hannah & Her Sisters, etc. I don’t know, let’s discuss it? A better topic than some crappy commercial, IMO.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:28:13 +0000

Well we’ve posted about commercials in the past and I think they are relevant to filmmaking. In this case I was more just interested in whether or not people think Seinfeld is still funny, but if you need a connection, I also mentioned that Michel Gondry directed one of the commercials too.

By: Drew

Drew — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:32:50 +0000

I think these would be great super bowl commercials, they should of waited to air them until then

By: Goon

Goon — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:01:08 +0000

I don’t know PG, slow news week really. I mean, what else would create around 20 posts on this site? Debate whether the new version of the Women matches the satiric bite of the 60-something year old original?

By: ProjectGenesis

ProjectGenesis — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:01:07 +0000

What a weak Open Forum Friday. What does this have to do with movies? I could care less about the latest Microsoft commercial. How about talking about our favorite Evil Cop movies in light of Lakeview Terrace. This is Film Junk not MediaBytes.

By: ProjectGenesis

ProjectGenesis — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:00:54 +0000

By: Baychuk

Baychuk — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:17:12 +0000

From Goon:“Finally, looking back if this ad had featured Bill Gates and say, Gary Busey, doing the EXACT SAME THINGS in this ad, I think it would be a hell of a lot better received and appreciated for its bizarreness. Having Seinfeld in there, and paying him 10 mil for it, makes people expect something else.”

Yeah, I think what is missing here is it being genuine. Overall it is awkward and obtuse at best. Maybe they should have done an “The Office” promo….Does Dunder-Mifflin do Microsoft? Why the fuck not?

By: Ryan M.

Ryan M. — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:30:46 +0000

@Sean: That article is right: Apple has to be the only company that could throw itself in the console ring and thrive. I’ve been thinking Apple should make a system since the beginning of this console generation…I don’t believe they are even thinking it at this point either but I know it could be a beautiful thing. If only Steve Jobs wasn’t so obsessed with iPhones right now.

By: Goon

Goon — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:40:11 +0000

Can’t a differentiation be made here? I mean, you can look at the ads themselves and say they’re not particularly great while at the same time say that the intent and off-beat method and marketing are genius. You know how people talk about artistic success and critical failure and vice versa, well there should be a category for conceptual and marketing among those three to mess around with.

I wouldn’t argue that they’re on a somehow higher plane of intellect merely because of the content of the ads, even though in a way I find bizarre humor often takes more intellect to create and appreciate than a lot of comedy. But I could also argue that they are because they absolutely are challenging what you can do with ads and commercials. Because of this ad I hope other companies consider doing something different and indirect about their brand. Unfortunately if this particular case doesn’t sell (forget if people give it a thumbs up, they’ll check the sales figures), then people may balk at that opportunity.

Finally, looking back if this ad had featured Bill Gates and say, Gary Busey, doing the EXACT SAME THINGS in this ad, I think it would be a hell of a lot better received and appreciated for its bizarreness. Having Seinfeld in there, and paying him 10 mil for it, makes people expect something else.

By: Baychuk

Baychuk — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:48:14 +0000

Jon Rocks…..I hope you aren’t saying these ads are somehow on a higher plane of intellect, because if you are insinuating it, you are taking them way too seriously.

By: Goon

Goon — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:08:18 +0000

I have not seen any of these ads until right now. I have nothing to say about the ad itself either way, positive or negative. it just kind of happened. the fact that they made it at all though is something i like.

I hate 95% of the Mac spots, hate Justin Long by association, yet somehow like John Hodgman more. The web banner ads they’ve done with those characters however, have been pretty damn good.

Now, if we’re going to get into any computer war arguments. I work on a Mac at work and a PC at home, and don’t really see much of a difference. I prefer Mac’s shortcuts, prefer Safari over Firefox and Explorer, but really do not care for iTunes over Windows Media Player and the other toys I have at home.

Also, the Mac’s I use have had so many more crashes and overheats, etc than I’ve ever had at home. They don’t “just work” and Mac cultists are infinitely annoying.

By: Jon Rocks

Jon Rocks — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:43:11 +0000

I thought they were great. People don’t like things that don’t have an easily understood catch. They were probably considered confusing.

Too many dumb people out there, I guess.