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Microsoft dumps 'Seinfeld' ads
Initially, the team of Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld sounded interesting. But the pair’s two ads for Microsoft only left people scratching their heads in confusion.
Well, the confusion ends now.
Viewers can now watch TV in peace because Microsoft has ended its weird two-week ad campaign featuring the two mega-rich men. The ads — one featuring Gates and Seinfeld bantering in a shoe store, while another had the two living with a suburban family — were reportedly yanked after they were poorly received, reports The Associated Press.
In the ads, Seinfeld asks Gates bizarre questions about the future
of computing, and Gates responds nonsensically, enhanced by a really
bad hip shake and an awkward dance move.
Mich Mathews, a senior
vice-president in Microsoft's central marketing group, claimed the ads
were designed to grab people’s attention in a tongue-in-cheek way, and
the company always planned to replace the them with ones that focused
on Windows.
“We wanted to be sure that when we do come out with our (new) major message, ‘Life Without Walls,’ more people would be paying attention than they would otherwise,” contends Mathews. “My goodness, did we do that.”
The new Windows-focused campaign, which is set to debut during the return of The Office next week, is intended to compete with Apple’s Mac ads.
Microsoft also has ads prepared for print, web and public spaces for Windows, Windows Mobile and Microsoft’s Live services.
In the meantime, Microsoft said the company is “exploring options” with Seinfeld for new ads.
Were the ads confusing or did you like them? denette@tvguide.ca