Newsletter Sign-Up

Receive the latest technology news and information.

Seinfeld-Windows TV commercial premieres to a baffled audience

Like Seinfeld's show, it was basically about nothing

By Eric Lai

September 5, 2008 12:00 PM ET

In news

In blogs

Computerworld - Microsoft Corp.'s $300 million advertising campaign for Windows starring comedian Jerry Seinfeld launched Thursday night with an extra-long television commercial almost entirely devoid of any talk of Windows, Microsoft or anything, really.

(Update: Microsoft explains Seinfeld-Windows TV ad: just a 'teaser')

That was oddly appropriate, considering that Seinfeld's eponymous '90s hit comedy was described by both admirers and detractors as "a show about nothing."

The minute-and-a-half commercial can be seen below.

It co-stars Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and is set in a shopping mall. Seinfeld, who did most of the talking, helps Gates buy a pair of shoes called the Conquistador. He also asks if Gates ever wears his clothes in the shower. The commercial ends with Seinfeld asking Gates if Microsoft will "come out with something that makes our computers moist and chewy like cake so we can just eat them while we're working." Gates wiggles his rear to answer in the affirmative.

The commercial ends with the Windows logo and the phrase "Delicious."

It was aired early during the broadcast of the first National Football League game of the season.

Immediate reaction online was almost uniformly negative, with bloggers calling the commercial baffling and unfunny.

The part that bloggers liked the most was when Gates showed off his "Shoe Circus Clown Card." The picture was of Gates' notorious mug shot when he was caught speeding by New Mexico police in 1977 at the age of 21.

Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld in a Windows commercial.

Comment Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Jump to comments

microsoft

Additional Resources

WHITE PAPER

Do You Know the 7 Steps to Successful Data Migration?

Approximately 60 percent of data migration projects overrun time or budget, while some fail completely. Download this white paper, "Enhancing Your Chance for Successful Data Migration," to learn the critical steps you need to take to execute a data migration project with minimum cost and risk to your business.

WHITE PAPER

Total Cost of Ownership of Server Computing Vs. PCs

Read the Gartner research note to learn why the TCO of a server-based computing deployment used to deliver all applications to users is around 50% lower than that of an unmanaged desktop deployment.

WHITE PAPER

IDC White Paper: Linux in a Global Recession

Economic downturns have a tendency to accelerate emerging technologies, boost the adoption of effective solutions, and punish solutions that are not cost competitive or that are out of synch with industry trends. This IDC White Paper presents the results of an IDC survey of 330 companies in Western Europe, Asia/Pacific and the Americas that measures the receptiveness to Linux and takes into consideration changing views driven by the disruptive economic environment that businesses face today.

What People Are Saying

140 comments | Add new

See all comments (140) | Add new

	Computerworld Daily News (First Look and Wrap-Up)
	Computerworld Blogs Newsletter
	The Weekly Top 10
	Cloud Computing

resource center

Newsletter Sign-Up

Seinfeld-Windows TV commercial premieres to a baffled audience

Like Seinfeld's show, it was basically about nothing

Microsoft ads

In news

In blogs

microsoft

Additional Resources

What People Are Saying

White Papers & Webcasts

Computerworld Reports

White Papers

Sponsored Links