The three new non-Seinfeld commercials, which the New York Times described earlier this week, still don’t talk about Vista features. But they do try to break the stereotype that cool and interesting people use Macs, and everyone else is on a Windows machine.
The ads features a number of Microsoft employees and include email addresses for each. The star, Sean Siler, has an autoresponse to his sean@windows.com email address (try it):
Hello! I’m a PC – and I can’t answer your email right now. I’d like to say that I’m out climbing Mt. Rainier or biking across Europe with the Swedish Beach Volleyball Team, but in fact I’m probably just chained to a desk somewhere in the depths of Redmond pounding out product specifications.
Now that I have been in a commercial, Microsoft has given me access to super-secret “BillyG” level of executive resources. That’s right – I have my own email auto-responder!
This, as you have probably surmised, is my pre-prepared auto-response (All natural, no filler. No animals were harmed in the making of this response. Except for a ferret.) I really would like to have answered you myself, but if I did, (a) I’d probably get no work done, and (b) then I’d get fired, and (c) then I’d have no chance of doing any more of those really awesome commercials.
So let me try to prognosticate a few of your questions and answer a few of them.
Why did they put you on TV?
I think it’s my devastating good-looks and animal magnetism. No, really – there’s a ferret stuck to my leg right now.But really – you aren’t even an actor!
No I’m not. But I play one on TV. I really am a Microsoft Program Manager. I work on IPv6, and other things that you haven’t heard of.How did you get selected?
I auditioned along with a couple of hundred others. I guess I looked very Engineery. And the ferret probably helped.Are you interested in more acting?
Oh no, I think that Engineering is MUCH more fun.What’s with Windows Vista?
You’ve been watching those commercials again, haven’t you? Windows Vista rocks. Listen to real users, not actors.-The Real PC, Sean Siler
The three new commercials are below:
I reckon they are pretty good.
Although the current Apple ad on the New York Times site is fking AWESOME!!!
http://www.nytimes.com – check it out.
You know what’s weird/funny: you can’t see the ads with IE8. Then again, why am I using IE8?
I’m a PC, and I invented Google. Pretty good to come out of the closet.
I be usin’ IE8 and be havin’ no problems. Arrr…….
(It’s National Talk Like a Pirate Day!)
Apple videos are superb!
maybe if they focused on offering small business videomercials there search product might be deisired. these commercials wont help them.
EngineLocator.com
You couldn’t locate your head if it was in your butt!
i love your hair. precious.
StylistLocator.com
spamtastic. no one clicks on your links.
I’m a Mac, and I can run a PC
I’m a PC, and I can’t run a MAC OS because of tightwad monopoly-like legal reasons via Steve Jobs.
i like mac ads better these ads are ok but mac vs pc ads are more funnier.
I feel like I am watching Michael Jackson’s black and white video with those Microsoft ads.
Apples vids are entertaining. Focused and to the point. Simple easy to use computers. Microsoft is trying to be everything to everybody.
If Microsoft has to spend 300 mil selling Vista how good can it be?
Well, using that same logic, since Apple spends an even more ridiculous amount of money on advertising and marketing, its products must be even more awful.
I think its rather safe to say that the 3 new Microsoft ads are pretty focused and to the point – everyone uses a PC, no matter who you are or what you do.
Did you see that the new Microsoft ads were made on a Mac?
I’m a PC… and I copy the MAC…. I don’t innovate….
In fact no.
I’m a WINDOWS PC.
I forgot I can also run LINUX….
lol – I love it, much better than before.
It’s contagious: I’M A PC
Does Silverlight = Eternal Loop? They never stop.
Are you watching them on this site? They’re from YouTube, meaning they are running in Flash.
My bad. I missed that the post had changed since you wrote this.
*shutting up now*
I agree it’s not cool to stereotype. It’s also not PC – to use people’s foreign accents for TV commercial comedic material.
sanjay, who said the purpose of a diverse group of pc users was supposed to be funny? And if all the PC users were white male from San Francisco with no accents that would be far more PC, right? You can’t have it both ways pal
There was some smiling and laughter after the remarks from foreigners.
Sanjay – I just read your comments aloud in an “Apu” voice.
That’s funny!!
yo think thats’ funny??
i’m a mac guy, but will say that those were pretty good. well made and potentially catchy.
Direct counter to the Mac’s ad and it’s brilliant!
Hi, I’m a PC too!
I’m also a PC.
Olivia and Andrew review the commercial {seesmic_video:{“url_thumbnail”:{“value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/wKkS26wl7K_th1.jpg”}”title”:{“value”:”Olivia and Andrew review the commercial ”}”videoUri”:{“value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/RaQAAWIYx3″}}}
I am a PC too
I’m a Mac, but now we’re talking. These ads are pretty good. Finally…
Anyone know where to get them all non-silverlighted? I’m on linux.
Looks like TechCrunch is converting them to YouTube as they come available. Hit Refresh, the first one is already a YouTube embed…
Those are much better than the Seinfeld ads. It may be a direct copy of the apple ads, but at this point what else are they going to do? Apple steals more market share every day!
What they should have done is instead of giving the probably millions to Jerry Seinfeld, give that money to John Hodgman (PC Guy in Apple Ads) to have him come over and counter ad all the Apple ads…
Good idea but I would assume that Apple has some kind of deal with that guy where he can’t be in a Windows commercial…
i bet the pc guy in mac commercials gets paid way more then the actor. If not then he needs to renegotiate and get that money.
Well, the PC Guy in the Microsoft commercials is a MS employee, actually. His name is Sean Siler:
http://www.greghughes.net/rant/MicrosoftsNewCommercialsAndThePCGuySeanSilerARealLiveMicrosoftEmployee.aspx
…and just so no one is confused.. The PC guy in the Mac commercials is “John Hodgman.”
Sean Siler was only chosen because he’s a John Hodgman lookalike…
Bill (The PC NAZI) to Seinfeld: “No more ads for you!”
I’m also a PC and I do creative things.
Says you.
I’m a Mac and there is no way I am going to download Silverlight just to watch a commercial. Perhaps a good product decision MSFT, but bad WOMM decision.
Wow, much much better. They’re right not to focus on Vista features off the bat. No matter how hard their agency tries, they’ll make their features sound like something only an IBM consultant could love.
Microsoft has to try be human and cool, because Apple and Google are.
Microsoft never fired Jerry Seinfeld. The whole thing was staged. Seinfeld is behind the new ads too.
I really like the new ads, but I wish they had of kept the “Personally Connecting” bit in place of the “Life Without Walls” crap.
Its ok, but come on… yes, its a direct counter to the Mac ads, but how long did it take them to actually counter Mac. They are copying Apple. They are not innovating, just like Vista, they are copying Mac.
No matter which side of the OS line you stand you have to admit… Mac is here to stay and they are only going to get bigger. Most of their users are college kids and when these college graduate they are going to be the next set of biz leaders… what OS are they going to choose? Mac OS X…
LEADERS INNOVATE! FOLLOWERS MIMIC! Case closed!
What large business doesn’t use MS Office?
Try using high-end architecture software on OS X.
Do you really care about an OS that much?
You need to get a life, it’s just a tool.
@Lee: those are the senseless comments of an apple fanboy
Apple’s copied plenty from Windows as well…
Alt-tab, right-click context menu, ’switch users’ screen.
But leaders innovate yeah?
My first computer was an Apple and used Apple computers all the way up to my first career job. Then I was given a PC.
I now have 2 PC, and a Mac on my desk at work.
I like both the companys ads. I love and hate both Apple and MS products.
“LEADERS INNOVATE! FOLLOWERS MIMIC! Case closed!”
You should have talked to Steve before you posted that…
I see people who use Mac as those who have nothing else to show off at my college
I’m a Mac, and I’m pretentious.
I’m a PC and I have an inferiority complex…even though I have over 90% marketshare….
man that ad on NY Times is insane. again mac is new and fresh and pc is still trying to figure it out. but i blame the idiot behind the computer that causes the computer to fail in the first place mac or pc. Get some lessons people on proper use of your computers and they will last you a whole lot longer. Im still on One of the first sawtooth G4 macs running better then most pcs of today. Now i basically only use it for internet and music but it still does a bang up job.
Lee, you’re close. I think the saying goes: “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Microsoft is the best in the business at stealing, improving upon and making a business out of an idea. I don’t fault them for that.
no… stealing is making something your own, repossessing it and convincing others that you’ve found an innovative new way to use it
copying, on the other hand, involves coming out with a browser or media player and leveraging your big richard
Wow.. totally lame.. what a shock
I’m a Mac and I love those ads.
Decent ads, but I don’t think they really wanted to teach me that SILVERLIGHT EMBEDS BLOW HARD!!! Where’s Gillmor?
Out giving bear hugs, of course.
Hahahahah… totally lame. Like completely embarrassing
Wow.. Microsoft is in a worse shape than I thought.
I’m a PC and proud of it!
Great ads! Love that they are stealing Apple’s thunder and throwing it in there face!
Now MS just need to do more with the I’m a PC meme. Where is the badge for my website? Where is the “I’m a PC” facebook group? Come on MS, keep it coming!
Molly
PS. GO HAWKS!
I was thinking the same thing about web badges, so I decided to make some, check them out.
http://tinyurl.com/3garcd
I’m a PC and… Where the hell is Mac?
Bernie Mac?
The usual 70% ok we’ve got to expect from microsoft. everything they do is only 70% the rest is crap… I mean what are they doing with the money and decades of development… .VISTA??? I can’t see a single advantage over xp…
They are so dead in the water… simply because they lack capability. The only thing that could save them is pick the 200 brightest top notch dudes within the company worldwide, found a new company and develop the next kick ass OS… within ONE YEAR….
If they need antoher 7 years for the next vista…. then they’re toast… the web services make them more and more useless… I’d have a few ideas
Seriously – you can’t see a SINGLE advantage in going from XP to Vista? How long have you been using Vista to make the judgement?