The second installment of Microsoft  's "Seinfeld" campaign launched Thursday night during the reality TV series Big Brother. Like the first commercial in the $300 million campaign staring the well-known comedian Jerry Seinfeld, the spot didn't discuss Windows .
The two-and-a-half-minute ads show Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Seinfeld living with a typical American suburban family in hopes of "connecting with people." The cast of characters includes three kids, a cranky grandma with many skills, and mom and dad.
"Why are we doing this?" Gates asks Seinfeld. The comedian responds with his trademark humor about how the duo is out of touch with regular people, referring to Gates' "moon house hovering over Seattle" and his own vehicle collection that causes him to "get stuck in my own traffic." The bottom line, Seinfeld says, "We need to connect with real people."
Memories of Seinfeld
The commercial depicts Gates reading technological bedtime stories, playing video games with the kids, and filling an above-ground pool with a garden hose. Meanwhile, Seinfeld plays a tag-team ping-pong match with the household mom before clipping his toenails in the teenaged daughter's bedroom. She walks in on him and expresses her distaste.
The disgusted daughter sets up the famous duo by putting the family's prized leather giraffe in Seinfeld's backpack, for which they are punished. They confront the girl for her clandestine deed and leave the home, looking for the next connection down the block. The commercial closes with Gates and Seinfeld rolling their luggage down the street.
Brand marketers were confused by the first commercial, in which Seinfeld helped Gates pick out some shoes at a discount shoe retailer. Do these new spots hit closer to the mark? Some advertising pros are answering with a resounding yes. Others are still confused.
"I am fairly intelligent and understand branding. I have no clue as to what these commercials are for. Neither does my husband," said Ginny Cooper, president of Divine Events & Marketing.
Two Thumbs Up for Gates
While some are still confused, others are giving Gates two thumbs up. Dave Racine of MindSpike Design loved the new spots. He called them offbeat and irreverently fresh as Gates and Seinfeld are obviously "connecting" with real people.
"This was Crispin, Porter + Bogusky's message. The humor is on and these non-attacks on Mac will win over some customers to get Microsoft some traction in the PC marketplace," Racine said. "If nothing else, Microsoft is hell-bent on changing the Mac-is-hipper perception." (continued...)
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