Is an advertising campaign successful if it creates a “buzz” about the product or service from a company? One can argue that success can be measured in a heightened awareness of the “brand” but is this occurring in the Microsoft Advertising campaign that is featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld? I know that it has been a while since this has been out, but I’m still intrigued about what this advertising campaign was trying to accomplish and why it died away without a blaze of glory.
With the launch of the first advertisement showing Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld meeting at a shopping mall while Bill is buying a pair of shoes, one has to wonder what the advertisement is actually about. The discuss has little to do with anything that remotely resembles computers, operating systems and software. In fact, there is no mention of anything other than shoes for the first minute or so of the commercial. Yet the Microsoft Ad that is the start of a $300 million campaign had been successful in getting the media and bloggers in talking.
The commercial is truly about nothing! It does nothing to meet the goal of what this Microsoft advertising campaign was meant to do and that is “freshen” the Microsoft brand. It is simply Bill and Jerry talking about buying shoes, showering with clothes on and bantering back and forth with an subtle undertone that would have made Freud proud.
While many critics have indicated that this ad was totally bad, and that it did nothing to freshen the entire brand, one must not lose sight that this is the first in a series ofadvertisements that is part of the new Microsoft advertising campaign. Plus, I actually liked the new Microsoft ad because at the end, it did hint at something “bigger” to come from Microsoft. Being a fan of Jerry Seinfeld and the TV show made it easier for me to like perhaps, but it was refreshing from the point-of-view that it was not bashing the competition, it was not touting its wares, it was a relatively simple concept that has done what it set out to accomplish; create a buzz around the advertising itself.
There are many media outlets and many bloggers writing about the Microsoft ad, and if it was not effective, this would have simple not happened. It’s made me wonder what will happen in the future adverts, and what is Bill Gates hinting at when Jerry asks if there’s something “big” being planned. Yet the advertising campaign has seemingly disappeared. Why? Is it the recession or just a lack of success in the campaign?
For advertising, the key is getting a buzz started. This advertisement by Microsoft is very successful at doing that. Now the future ads will be more anticipated and watched more closely. Look for some great things about to happen in this $300 million advertising campaign by Micrsoft.
For those who have not seen the advertisement, you can view it below.
