First episode of Gates/ Seinfeld ad campaign is genius

Written on September 5, 2008 – 1:08 pm
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief

Here it is, the first episode of the Seinfeld/ Gates commercial series. It’s part of a $300 million Microsoft ad campaign, led by famous ad-agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky. It’s a product of Alex Bogusky’s extraordinary brain I can’t follow, ’cause the ad doesn’t get me excited yet. I realize that’s my own fault.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky is famous for its innovative and controversial ad campaigns for the Mini Cooper, Burger King, Molson and a recent mock porn movie made for Virgin Atlantic’s business travelers. Most of those ideas weren’t welcomed with warm applause either. Maybe this dull episode is the start of a surprisingly good and sophisticated series. It’s genius, but we, dazed and confused early adopters, don’t see it yet.

For now though, I’d like to quote Gizmodo’s Jason Chen:

Besides the slick and probably expensive editing designed to make Jerry Seinfeld look like the more awkward of the pair, there’s not a whole lot of special effects in this clip. In fact, there’s not really a whole lot of anything, including laughs, information or pimping of Vista.

Let’s see how we feel about this ad in a year.

I hope you like that post!

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ads, advertising, Bill Gates, Burger King, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Jerry Seinfeld, Microsoft, Vista

About the author: Ernst-Jan is blogger and co-organizer of BLOG08, who previously worked in New York to cover news at the United Nations. Next to writing, he's also a singer in the band Christina Five. Follow him on Twitter or read his personal blog Dutchproblogger.com .

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5 comments/trackbacks to “First episode of Gates/ Seinfeld ad campaign is genius”

Sep 18, 2008: Microsoft: No Genius After All
[...] where he claimed that the new Microsoft Ad campaign with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates was probably an act of genius but we just didn’t ‘get it’ yet: It’s genius, but we, dazed and confused early [...]

By riquard on Sep 5, 2008

I like it :)

[Reply]
By Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten on Sep 5, 2008

I’m marking my calendar. If we look back and decide it WAS a work of genius I’m buying you a bottle of champagne. Right now, I don’t see it…

[Reply]
By Ernst-Jan Pfauth on September 6th, 2008:
that sounds like a good deal :-)

[Reply]
By nancy on Sep 7, 2008

This is actually the first positive reaction to the ad I’ve seen. I have to admit I haven’t read too much about it but the general gist has been how unremarkable the ad is - and I felt pretty much the same way. We’re clearly missing something but I am far less optimistic than you…

[Reply]