I've been enjoying the heck out of these Seinfeld/Gates Microsoft advertisements. I know, that's not cool to admit in my social circle, but if you aren't enjoying these advertisements, you're overthinking them. That's been exactly the case in almost every write-up I've seen around the blogosphere decrying these ads.
You don't have to go far to find a negative review. Just do a search on your favorite social media tool or search engine and look at the first screen full. If your filters are tuned for someone interested in technology, you're seeing everyone universally and categorically pan the commercials.
Mike Massnick at TechDirt rounded out the coverage pretty well. A peek at the headlines he gathered show you what I'm talking about:
Tip for MS: Fire the Advertising Agency
MSFT Ad is to PC/Mac Campaign as Zune is to iPod
Bill Gates, Jerry Seinfeld ad airs - Apple has nothing to worry about
Internet disses new Microsoft commercial
New Microsoft Seinfeld-Gates ad campaign starts with a dud
What's the deal with this commercial? No, seriously.
Microsoft Commercial Is Anything But Funny
Microsoft Seinfeld Ad Not Exactly a Hit
Bill Gates + Jerry Seinfeld = What?!!???
Seinfeld-Gates TV commercial -- vague, baffling and unfunny
Seinfeld Vista ad is out, and it's bizarre
First Microsoft/Seinfeld Ad Bombs
Seinfeld & Gates: Was this ad supposed to be funny?
First Gates-Seinfeld ad leaves us scratching our heads
In that same post, Mike wonders why folks aren't comparing it to Jerry's earlier campaign for American Express, where he toured the country with Superman. Like this campaign, I was a huge fan of that one, too. If you watch any of the ads from either campaign back to back, you can see that they're both architected in the same fashion - lots of inside jokes, and meant to appeal the general public
Why I Love the Ads...
More importantly, though, I love how the ads make me feel. I watched most of the Seinfeld series when it was on, I've followed Bill Gates since I was a kid, and I recognize the nuance and thinly hidden jokes and barely exaggerated personalities they both play in the commercials.
Jerry comes off how he's always come off - a funny guy who knows he's funny (and rich). Bill comes off how geeks like me always imagined he did in person: a little aloof, almost geek savant, and a sense of humor about himself that only the richest nerd on the planet can afford.
I already like Seinfeld (it's not hard to love a clown), but these commercials, at least for a few minutes, made me really like Bill Gates as well. The commercials made me want to hang out with him.
Just Relax and Learn to Love It!
These advertisements by tech pundits and the media savvy public are being evaluated on the merits of standard 30-second commercials. These aren't commercials, though. This is sponsored theater.
I don't normally cite the same person three times in one article, but Mike Massnick is the only one who seems to agree with me that these are decent commercials, and in a different and unrelated article, he asked the question "[w]ho says content and advertising can't mix?", and it's the perfect question to ask in this case.
He was speaking of the latest offering from the Eepy Birds (the ones who made the original Mentos/Coke video). Their current video is sponsored by Coke, ABC Family and OfficeMax. With all that product placement and sponsorship, the video is remarkably enjoyable and doesn't give you the feeling that a marketing message is being shoved down your throat.
I'd much prefer that commercial interruption was dominated by this style advertisement rather than the typical fare. In that context, would you rather watch Jerry and Bill's excellent adventure continue ad infinitum, or would you prefer the future of commercial interruption be "Viva Viagra" and "not so fresh feelings"?