No more yada yada: Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates ads are ending

Microsoft is preparing to pull its TV ads featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Microsoft's co-founder and chairman Bill Gates.

Microsoft spokesman Frank Shaw said the end of the Seinfeld ads was planned well in advance, and wasn't coming in response to any criticism of the spots. "All along we said we were having a teaser campaign," he said. "We're getting ready to start the second phase. This was the plan all along."

The news, broken this afternoon by Valleywag, comes just days after Microsoft aired the latest in the series of commercials, produced by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, featuring the two men in comic situations. The ads have been largely panned as a strained effort on the software giant's part to not only promote Windows but also portray Microsoft as cool and in touch with regular consumers -- basically, to counter the stodgy image painted in Apple's "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads.

Seinfeld, who reportedly received $10 million for his efforts, was a superstar in the 1990s with his hit show. Using him now, in 2008, only added to Microsoft's image as being behind the times, critics said. Some viewers, such as the writers on Ars Technica, said the ads just left them scratching their heads. (If you can't easily find the ads on YouTube, Microsoft provides them on its site).

In the first ad, the two meet each other in a mall and pick out new shoes. In the next ad, which is in two parts, Gates and Seinfeld stay with a so-called normal family so they can work on a shared problem: To break out of their elite bubbles and connect with real people.

But the stay with the family doesn't go well, culminating with Bill Gates telling a little girl, "You're not so real." (I actually howled.)

Just unleash Gates, without the cardigan and avuncular image, sticking it to the smug "I'm a Mac" guy.

-- Michelle Quinn

Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld in a TV ad by Microsoft

Comments

[Andrew Warner]

Good. Why throw good money after bad.

Not one new copy of Vista was bought because of that commercial.

Worth a try.

[Rob Frankel]

This was a no-brainer. The agency that created the campaign is responsible for some of the worst, most ineffective and lemming-like junk on the air. I'm sure that all involved will back pedal and scurry around with rationalizations, but who was it that said something about lipstick and a pig?

[Chuckchillout]

Seinfeld is about all the innovation Microsoft can muster these days. The experience provided by this campaign is strikingly similar to that of Windows Vista. I guess one has to appreciate their honesty.

[Gerard Hosier]

I am no M$ fan. But I think the adds are successful in humanizing the M$ Conglomorate and their propriety product. After years and years of Corporate NewsSpeak and mind-numbing jingles this is a refreshing change. Quirkly funny, I think it did what M$ wanted it to do.

[Syd]

I never even knew what they were advertising.

[Witchie]

I loved them.... and so did my husband, who is a computer geek (I mean that in the most loving terms...his Masters in Computer Science has put food on our table for 37 years.) We were looking forward to seeing more of these... and more that showed the Vista is not that bad now that they have had a chance to work on it some. But what do we know... I mean we are the real people and not the advertising gurus.

[richard schrader]

The two-part ad was dead-on Seinfeldian, with Gates as a catatonic version of the great Bob Balaban. Anyway, it worked, mostly because of the cranky girl and the creepy leather giraffe. Who says Seinfeld's not programmed for the 21st Century?

[richard schrader]

The two-part ad was dead-on Seinfeldian, with Gates as a catatonic version of the great Bob Balaban. Anyway, it worked, mostly because of the cranky girl and the creepy leather giraffe. Who says Seinfeld's not programmed for the 21st Century?

[C. D]

I'm soo glad, they didn't end soon enough. I can't stand sienfield he really is NOT funny at all.

[C. D]

jerry seinfield sucks anyway

[ecm]

The shoe store ad had me (a mac user) and my hubby (a pc geek) scratching our collective heads. Who was Microsoft trying to reach?

[trimel]

I liked them, and was looking forward to more in the series.

[BG in NM]

I have to admit I did not like the first one, but after reading this I went and watched the second one. It was really funny. Gates is quite the straight man...although I'm not sure if he was trying to be or if it just him. Anyway, it won't help me because I refuse to use Vista and I am in charge of about 500 computers with XP.

[Trickle]

I didn't hate them, but what was the take-away?

[Esteban]

Seeing Gates and Seinfeld in one photo reminds me... (1) use open-source code and applications, and (2) don't watch TV.

[Cynthia]

I love the ads. The satire is fantastic. Here's Bill Gates just renamed the countries richest dude and he's out shopping bargains like the rest of us. The ads aren't meant to sell anything, they are to cause comment and conversation. And if you know Bill Gates and his connection to Microsoft then you are putting the two together without being hit over the head with geek talk. Seinfeld is really the second banana in these spoofs.
Are you supposed to love Gates and Microsoft? No, but you'll remember them the next time you see a typical tv ad.

[Mark F]

Personally, I thought the ads were great. But I agree: I'd love to see an ad where that smug "I'm a Mac" tries to get smart with Gates and Gates just shoots him down.

[Daniel Myrén]

The ads sure made me miss watching Seinfeld. I bet these ads sell more Seinfeld seasons than Vistas. I'd like to see more of these ads!

[paul doane]

Jerry Seinfeld IS mainstream America, and one of our greatest living comics. Brilliant move by Gates, and he gets points too for being in it. I've used windows for years and it works fine. Look at the billions of dollars Gates has donated to great causes, and the free computers for poor people all across America. He's a legendary American in every sense. Not perfect, but neither am I.

[Joe]

These ads were to comedy what Microsoft is to computing.

[CLIFTON]

I guess My Spouse and I are a little strange. We actually liked these commercials and are not happy they will not be aired anymore. Where's my Mac? At McDonald's of course...

[Not a Bazillionaire]

Didn't anybody else find it bizarre that two insanely wealthy guys are supposed to be "condescending" to live with a "real" American family? The whole thing is creepy; can't believe they aren't embarrassed.

[Dylan]

This was the worst set of commercials I have seen in a long time. You could tell they were trying to combat the Mac ads. All it did was make them look out of touch and super lame. The Mac commercials are sleek, funny, and modern. This commercial sealed the image of PC being outofstyle. I wonder if these good reviews are people who worked on the project, because every person I have seen the commercial with have been dumbfounded by its weakness.

[Erik]

I guarantee there is not one person here who is under 30 and liked these ads. The aim was to make Microsoft "hip" again. And when they chose Jerry Seinfeld to do it, we knew they would fail spectacularly. Seriously, if you want "hip," why not choose someone who has had a career in this decade? Just a thought. But If Microsoft thinks Seinfeld is hip, I'm sure Olivia Newton-John is also available.

[Jay]

All the advertising in the world won't hide what a poor knockoff the windows operating system is. Nice try Bill!