I don't see why it's so difficult to imagine that deep thought and symbolism went into these ads. I mean, the agency that developed the campaign isn't getting millions of dollars so that their creatives can get baked and go "ohh mannn what if the grandma was like, awesome at everything though?"
Because I don''t think the joe average consumer these ads are meant to influence is putting any damn thought into whether the BigTop Shoe Company is an oblique commentary on the Windows ecosystem's value proposition.
But MSFT has a history and a rep for doing things ranging from unethical to illegal when it comes to their competitive practices. That's just how it is, it's a matter of record. And after several years of improving their image, these ads just look to me like they're lapsing back into their old ways.
Yeah i mean it's not like Microsoft went to Xerox and totally ripped off the idea for the mouse, or stole the GUI for the I-pod. Face it man, it's a cutthroat buiseness they run. But Apple is not the Patron saint of computers, there hands are just as dirty as microsofts. If you want to know the real reason so many people have a pc, look at it from an economical standpoint; you can get a decent computer for 500 bucks, with a monitor whereas with a mac you're gonna spend at least 800. That's 300 more dollars that i could spending on delicious churro's, or cheeseburgers, or god forbid gasoline. But i'm cool with the fact that the PC is the ford Taurus of computers. And i'm incredibly happy they're you know, actualy trying something new with advertising, but as far as jumping to this old lady is Steve Jobs, thats just grasping for straws. It's just-meant-to-be-cute, it's not a metaphor, it's just quirk. Just because apple launched a series of incredibly fucked up comercials against windows doesn't mean that Ms is gonna do the same. They just wanna give people something to laugh about.
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Apothe0sisHave you ever questioned the nature of your reality?Registered Userregular
edited September 2008
I think the old lady is a reference to Apple and Steve Jobs.
The "you're in my seat" and "We've had her for 12 years." is definitately an OSX vs Windows and Steve Jobs Reference respectively.
However, I think that you've rather missed the point of the reference if you think it's there to reflect negatively on Jobs. To me it looks rather more like a commentry on Apple - essentially the Apple shop relies entirely on Jobs to do anything and without him they'd be lost. So it's at once a compliment to Jobs (He can do and does everything) and a put down to Apple (the company itself bar Jobs is not innovative).
The first ad with the shoes bothered me. It was disjointed and confusing, and it didn't seem to do anything other than advertise 'hey guys bill gates is warm and cuddly'
The showering with the shoes on was strange, and just all of the interactions between the two was unnatural and confusing.
I don't see why it's so difficult to imagine that deep thought and symbolism went into these ads. I mean, the agency that developed the campaign isn't getting millions of dollars so that their creatives can get baked and go "ohh mannn what if the grandma was like, awesome at everything though?"
Because I don''t think the joe average consumer these ads are meant to influence is putting any damn thought into whether the BigTop Shoe Company is an oblique commentary on the Windows ecosystem's value proposition.
Microsoft's marketing for the last who-knows-how-many years has been almost entirely industry-targeted. What they've done with this ad is take the warm-cuddly-fuzzy image and shoot it through with stuff that people who've traditionally been their targets will still get.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
it was the smallest on the list but
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Meh, I have nothing but good things to say about 64bit Home Premium. I think it's a fairly solid OS that took a while to get on its feet.
I agree. I have nothing but good things to say about vista. My expectations were that I would have to fight tooth and nail to get anything to work and that the OS would be slow. I have found the opposite. No problems at all and my computer runs fast.
I'll be interested to see where the add campaign goes. Microsoft really does have a reputation worse then they deserve. I was going to be annoyed at them for not allowing/enabling directx 10 on windows xp, but after doing some research I found out it simply isn't possible to run DX 10 on windows xp and Microsoft isn't just being a jerk to make me buy Vista.
Edit: I also have vista 64bit home premium, for the record
I've never once had any problems with Vista. Ever. For anything. I don't understand the mindless frothing hate for the system, I don't understand the mindless frothing hate for Microsoft and Bill Gates, and I don't understand the mindless frothing hate for a bunch of harmlesscampy fun commercials. "They aren't directly pushing a product." So? I find that refreshing, I'd rather have a nerdy Bill Gates photo ID and a wacky old lady than Billy Mays shoving the OXI-CLEAN MIGHTY PUTTY-OMATIC in my face.
Qonas on
There is not in all America a more dangerous trait than the deification of mere smartness unaccompanied by any sense of moral responsibility. - President Theodore Roosevelt
I've never once had any problems with Vista. Ever. For anything. I don't understand the mindless frothing hate for the system, I don't understand the mindless frothing hate for Microsoft and Bill Gates, and I don't understand the mindless frothing hate for a bunch of harmlesscampy fun commercials. "They aren't directly pushing a product." So? I find that refreshing, I'd rather have a nerdy Bill Gates photo ID and a wacky old lady than Billy Mays shoving the OXI-CLEAN MIGHTY PUTTY-OMATIC in my face.
Probably because of microsoft's monopolistic business practices I guess. And the numerous critical security flaws which seem to accompany each new operating system. In the past, I've gotten 'new' operating systems and have had a terrible time with them while they were still fresh. XP, for instance, wrecked my computer, and I could only use it on that computer after they had tinkered with the system a bit.
As for the ads... no, they're not selling a product per se, but they are selling the company's image, which I can't help but find annoying. A corporation should be focusing on creating good products, not shelling out millions to a hack for a meaningless and confusing ad campaign.
Uh, I really can't remember where I found this, so if it's from a post here, I apologize for reposting it :P
It's an article about the ad agency they got to do these ads, and I thought it was a pretty good read; it's not entirely 100% linked with the topic, though. Here: link!
The thread in the tech sub-forum has a few interesting posts on how some things in the ads can be interpreted as jabs against Apple. Personally, I'd say it'd be a bit odd if they paid a lot of money to an agency and all they came up with in return were ads which seemingly have no meaning to them.
I'd say that even if people completely ignore the subtleties (if they are, in fact, intended; again, I'd be part of the crowd that says they are) the ads still work for being memorable, even if it's for being plain outright odd. Plus, it's easy to link them to Microsoft as compared to other ads which are memorable for being weird/different, but the product or brand they're advertising fades from memory: Bill Gates is in them.
Not to mention all of the anti-trust and other scandals surrounding MSFT in the USA and Europe. Purchasing a clean conscience is hardly new.
Those links completely failed to convince me of anything, except that sometimes there are very indirect and unintended negative consequences of very good actions.
Or, more accurately, you've convinced me that the media, if they look hard enough, can make a hero or a villian out of anyone they choose.
And since I like to play games on my computer, I like windows XP just fine.
This is why I got vista on my new computer (never tried vista pre service pack 1, don't buy brand new OS's). I want to be at least a little future proof and DX10 games are starting to come out.
If openGL is ever better then DirectX it will stir things up, for gamers at least.
As for the ads... no, they're not selling a product per se, but they are selling the company's image, which I can't help but find annoying. A corporation should be focusing on creating good products, not shelling out millions to a hack for a meaningless and confusing ad campaign.
The corporation is focused on the product, which is why they hire an outside group to handle the ad campaign.
And most ad content is meaningless in terms of promoting a specific product.
Not to mention all of the anti-trust and other scandals surrounding MSFT in the USA and Europe. Purchasing a clean conscience is hardly new.
Those links completely failed to convince me of anything, except that sometimes there are very indirect and unintended negative consequences of very good actions.
Or, more accurately, you've convinced me that the media, if they look hard enough, can make a hero or a villian out of anyone they choose.
Where's the list of all the billionaires who don't do jack shit to help other people out?
For instance, people like Steve Jobs. You know, that guy who traded on the legacies of MLK, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama to hawk computers? Maybe one day King will have a dream of 2 all-beef patties with special sauce, lettuce, and cheese on a sesame seed bun, too.
To be fair to Apple, the Dalai Lama is all about the 80 gig iPod, yo.
I have to say, I laughed at the end of the commercial. I prefer a commercial that is tongue-in-cheek over the pretentious shit the Mac commercials have become. Like the one where they talk about how the PC is disguised as a pizza so people will think he's as "cool" as a Mac? It's a fucking computer, not a status symbol!
I actually laughed at the pizza one. It's not so he can be as cool as Mac, it's so he can "lure" college students away from the Mac. heehee... doubly funny because of the voice whats-his-face is using when speaking as the pizza.
Not to mention all of the anti-trust and other scandals surrounding MSFT in the USA and Europe. Purchasing a clean conscience is hardly new.
Those links completely failed to convince me of anything, except that sometimes there are very indirect and unintended negative consequences of very good actions.
Or, more accurately, you've convinced me that the media, if they look hard enough, can make a hero or a villian out of anyone they choose.
Where's the list of all the billionaires who don't do jack shit to help other people out?
For instance, people like Steve Jobs. You know, that guy who traded on the legacies of MLK, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama to hawk computers? Maybe one day King will have a dream of 2 all-beef patties with special sauce, lettuce, and cheese on a sesame seed bun, too.
To be fair to Apple, the Dalai Lama is all about the 80 gig iPod, yo.
You've mentioned three political activists.
Only one of them has a benevolent legacy.
Gandhi is the worst thing an the Dalai Lama is at best a lesser evil than communist annexing.
And since I like to play games on my computer, I like windows XP just fine.
This is why I got vista on my new computer (never tried vista pre service pack 1, don't buy brand new OS's). I want to be at least a little future proof and DX10 games are starting to come out.
If openGL is ever better then DirectX it will stir things up, for gamers at least.
Well sure, but you can't really list that as a pro of the operating system itself, rather as a necessity because as a PC gamer you have absolutely no choice in the matter. Even I have a copy of XP installed on my comp, and all I can say about that is thank you for MSDN-AA.
"I'm a PC" is a good ad. Gates/Seinfeld is a good mini-series. I want the mini-series to continue. Those things are so much better without any constant shilling. I think everyone would've loved those if they weren't expecting to be sold something.
The mini-series is continuing, though, which is pretty nice. I was looking forward to the next one, so the initial reports of them being "cancelled" was quite disappointing.
(Wow. Looking forward to watching an ad...)
If you guys go to http://imapc.lifewithoutwalls.com/ there's a lot of short clips of people saying corny shit, but buried in there you'll find a great one featuring Steve Ballmer. It's worth hunting down.
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Because I don''t think the joe average consumer these ads are meant to influence is putting any damn thought into whether the BigTop Shoe Company is an oblique commentary on the Windows ecosystem's value proposition.
Yeah i mean it's not like Microsoft went to Xerox and totally ripped off the idea for the mouse, or stole the GUI for the I-pod. Face it man, it's a cutthroat buiseness they run. But Apple is not the Patron saint of computers, there hands are just as dirty as microsofts. If you want to know the real reason so many people have a pc, look at it from an economical standpoint; you can get a decent computer for 500 bucks, with a monitor whereas with a mac you're gonna spend at least 800. That's 300 more dollars that i could spending on delicious churro's, or cheeseburgers, or god forbid gasoline. But i'm cool with the fact that the PC is the ford Taurus of computers. And i'm incredibly happy they're you know, actualy trying something new with advertising, but as far as jumping to this old lady is Steve Jobs, thats just grasping for straws. It's just-meant-to-be-cute, it's not a metaphor, it's just quirk. Just because apple launched a series of incredibly fucked up comercials against windows doesn't mean that Ms is gonna do the same. They just wanna give people something to laugh about.
The "you're in my seat" and "We've had her for 12 years." is definitately an OSX vs Windows and Steve Jobs Reference respectively.
However, I think that you've rather missed the point of the reference if you think it's there to reflect negatively on Jobs. To me it looks rather more like a commentry on Apple - essentially the Apple shop relies entirely on Jobs to do anything and without him they'd be lost. So it's at once a compliment to Jobs (He can do and does everything) and a put down to Apple (the company itself bar Jobs is not innovative).
The showering with the shoes on was strange, and just all of the interactions between the two was unnatural and confusing.
Microsoft's marketing for the last who-knows-how-many years has been almost entirely industry-targeted. What they've done with this ad is take the warm-cuddly-fuzzy image and shoot it through with stuff that people who've traditionally been their targets will still get.
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Everytime I see those ads, I want to punch 'Mac' in the face and give 'PC' a delicious pizza while we go and play Rock Band together or something.
..and this:
I've never once had any problems with Vista. Ever. For anything. I don't understand the mindless frothing hate for the system, I don't understand the mindless frothing hate for Microsoft and Bill Gates, and I don't understand the mindless frothing hate for a bunch of harmless campy fun commercials. "They aren't directly pushing a product." So? I find that refreshing, I'd rather have a nerdy Bill Gates photo ID and a wacky old lady than Billy Mays shoving the OXI-CLEAN MIGHTY PUTTY-OMATIC in my face.
There is not in all America a more dangerous trait than the deification of mere smartness unaccompanied by any sense of moral responsibility. - President Theodore Roosevelt
Billy Mays is awesome though.
Billy Mays!
America's leading shower head recommends a pin sized hole.
Cool!
Probably because of microsoft's monopolistic business practices I guess. And the numerous critical security flaws which seem to accompany each new operating system. In the past, I've gotten 'new' operating systems and have had a terrible time with them while they were still fresh. XP, for instance, wrecked my computer, and I could only use it on that computer after they had tinkered with the system a bit.
As for the ads... no, they're not selling a product per se, but they are selling the company's image, which I can't help but find annoying. A corporation should be focusing on creating good products, not shelling out millions to a hack for a meaningless and confusing ad campaign.
For example: How many threads do we have discussing specific ad campaigns :winky:
It's an article about the ad agency they got to do these ads, and I thought it was a pretty good read; it's not entirely 100% linked with the topic, though. Here: link!
The thread in the tech sub-forum has a few interesting posts on how some things in the ads can be interpreted as jabs against Apple. Personally, I'd say it'd be a bit odd if they paid a lot of money to an agency and all they came up with in return were ads which seemingly have no meaning to them.
I'd say that even if people completely ignore the subtleties (if they are, in fact, intended; again, I'd be part of the crowd that says they are) the ads still work for being memorable, even if it's for being plain outright odd. Plus, it's easy to link them to Microsoft as compared to other ads which are memorable for being weird/different, but the product or brand they're advertising fades from memory: Bill Gates is in them.
And since I like to play games on my computer, I like windows XP just fine.
GM: Rusty Chains (DH Ongoing)
Or, more accurately, you've convinced me that the media, if they look hard enough, can make a hero or a villian out of anyone they choose.
This is why I got vista on my new computer (never tried vista pre service pack 1, don't buy brand new OS's). I want to be at least a little future proof and DX10 games are starting to come out.
If openGL is ever better then DirectX it will stir things up, for gamers at least.
The corporation is focused on the product, which is why they hire an outside group to handle the ad campaign.
And most ad content is meaningless in terms of promoting a specific product.
Where's the list of all the billionaires who don't do jack shit to help other people out?
For instance, people like Steve Jobs. You know, that guy who traded on the legacies of MLK, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama to hawk computers? Maybe one day King will have a dream of 2 all-beef patties with special sauce, lettuce, and cheese on a sesame seed bun, too.
To be fair to Apple, the Dalai Lama is all about the 80 gig iPod, yo.
Whooooops!
I haven't seen a campaign die this quickly since Bad Andy, Good Pizza
they go in the hole with all the E.T. Atari cartridges.
TV audiences never respond well to actually interesting stuff, even in commercials.
See: Arrested Development's ratings vs American Idol's ratings
You've mentioned three political activists.
Only one of them has a benevolent legacy.
Gandhi is the worst thing an the Dalai Lama is at best a lesser evil than communist annexing.
Well sure, but you can't really list that as a pro of the operating system itself, rather as a necessity because as a PC gamer you have absolutely no choice in the matter. Even I have a copy of XP installed on my comp, and all I can say about that is thank you for MSDN-AA.
Now they're not canceled?
Link?
(Wow. Looking forward to watching an ad...)