Video: Microsoft Ad Campaign Enters Phase 2: "I'm a PC" - Now We're Getting Somewhere!
Microsoft's $300 million ad campaign stepped into phase 2 yesterday, initiating the "I'm a PC" commercial phase, and unlike the previous Gates & Seinfeld head scratching monstrosities, I actually like these.
Yeah, I said it. I like something Microsoft came up with.
Stay away from my Apple card.
The ads actually take the "Get a Mac" ad campaign Apple has been using to decimate the perception of Vista in the public eye and effectively turns the famous "I'm a PC" line uttered by John Hodgman into a rallying cry, using a humanistic approach to connect the concept of a "PC" with real people, instead of some caricature:
Most priceless line in the commercials:
"I'm a PC, just like BG!" (referring to Bill Gates.)
After watching these new ads, I can't help but almost wince at the Apple ads. They seem almost insufferably pretentious and malicious in comparison. Kinda like the feeling I get when watching McCain ads, minus the "pretentious" aspect.
Nice job, Microsoft.
What do you think? Do you agree?
You can find the other two spots after the break.
Den Den Boy
Posted to Hot Stuff, In the World, Miscellany, Videos on 19 September 2008
· Comments (6)
Other stuff like this: ads, Bill Gates, I'm a PC, Microsoft, Vista, Windows
Eh, while I've always winced at the insufferable Mac Ads, I can't help but say this one is insufferable in different, equally obnoxious ways.
The only things I'd say it has going for it are:
-some of the people are just so darn likable (I want to give that lady surrounded by all those children a big hug)
-they minimize Bill Gate's time onscreen
-the terminally obnoxious Seinfeld is nowhere to be seen
What pretty much bubbles up in my mind, though, is just how snooty so many of them sound about their PC status.
And really, was anyone stupid enough to think the frumpy guy in the Mac Ads representing the PC also represented the people USING PC's? I never got that impression. I may be one of the few, but I saw those annoying mac ads as saying "PC's are ugly devices caught in the past and poorly designed while Macs are New and Stylish (albeit insufferably pretentious about it)."
I feel like instead of attacking the Mac Ads about it's actual message they are making up their own message to refute.
Yes, people who use PCs can be anyone, including smart and interesting people. That doesn't mean the PC itself is well designed or the best for everyone.
Oh, Mars, you hit the nail on the head!
Advertising in never about saying exactly what you mean to say, but about framing the debate. If you can frame the argument to make you look better, you win. Very much like politics.
I think this is a pretty slick move, but not quite brilliant. It's reactionary, which is about all MS has left. It's a nice springboard though, to get mindshare back from the masses, before moving into another phase, hopefully one that is original and exciting.
I actually liked the ads. I just feel they may be a bit late to the party with them.
The "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads seem to have been on forever now, and MS is just now getting around to trying to counter them. If I remember correctly the Mac ads were around before Vista was even released, and that would have been the time for MS to start a counter campaign.
I'm a Mac user (note I say "I'm a Mac user," not "I'm a Mac"), and I agree with David; I like the ads. They kind of remind me of the "Where the Hell is Matt" dance video that just makes me smile. I also agree that they're late to the game.
What I find really amusing, though, is that the photos posted from the Microsoft ad were made on a Mac. Boing Boing reports about it here: http://www.boingboing.net/2008/09/19/microsofts-im-a-pc-a.html
reactionary pretty much sums it up.
If you want life without walls, why wouldn't you just use something Open Source?
Hello Everybody
Windows vista is also causing lots of boot problems, so I often get questions like this:
I have a Dell Dimension, which won’t boot to Windows (Vista), and none the repair variants work:
Startup repair: Reports fix fail due to problem with registry
System Restore: Reports no restore points available
Windows Complete PC Restore: Reports no backups available
Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool: No memory problems
Command Prompt.
Can’t think of any appropriate command to use here.
So I booted with the system DVD (as one would with XP) but the upgrade
option has been greyed don’t want to do a new setup. I want to fix existing
installation.
What should I do?
------------------------------------------------------------
So here is the answer:
You can't do a 'repair install' because you need to launch the Vista DVD
from within Windows, not, as you have been doing, booting straight from the
DVD; that is why the 'upgrade' is greyed out.
If you cannot launch Vista and none of the repair variants will work a clean
install is the only other variant.
To save problems in future it is actually a good idea to make image of the hard drive, using program like True Image. What I do is install operating system, download all updates, check system I working okay for a day or two, activate system, then create image of the whole drive/partition. Any time I get a problem I can re-image the drive/partition quickly and be up and running without much trouble. And minor repairs are done by using any registry fix software, there are plenty of them on the market today.
Regards,
Carl