Microsoft’s Dumb Commercials - A Better Idea
Microsoft really seems to be struggling to convince people to buy Windows Vista these days. To say that they really missed the mark with their Seinfeld and Gates ads would be an understatement of the decade. But then they get worse.
What the heck is up the tricking people to try “Windows Mojave”?! You have to lie to your customers just to get them to even try it? And then no one even says anything useful about it. It just looks neat. Well duh. If looking neat was all that we wanted out of an operating system then it wouldn’t be so hard to make a good one! Everyone would be doing it!
I have to admit that the spinning of the Mac vs PC ad to “And I’m a PC” concept at least has some merit. The idea was good, at least if you’re trying to combat the Apple threat. It’s not really going to sell much of anyone on Windows, but at least Microsoft stops looking like a complete chump. The commercials could run a lot shorter though, with more variety. Split them up into like four short ones, and then run them more often and switch them up. It’d be a lot less annoying that way. Maybe even almost cute, like the old Energizer Bunny fake-ads that made you want to actually see what would come next.
But still, again, not going to sell Windows.
The biggest problem with selling Windows Vista, in my opinion, is that it’s Windows Vista. It’s the operating system that couldn’t even get file deletes right. Such a simple low-level command shouldn’t take forever or lock up your system. And it didn’t get much better from there.
If Microsoft really wants to sell people on Windows Vista then how about this for a simple ad:
| The scene: A small network admin / IT department office in any company across America. Two admins are sitting in front of a computer. The senior admin is showing the junior some sort of snappy Aero-cool process in Microsoft Windows Vista. Senior Admin: “So with Service Pack 2 Microsoft Windows Vista no longer suffers from (insert any bug or number of bugs that are pissing off IT departments here).” Junior Admin: “Cool. So does that mean that we finally get to update everyone’s computers?” Senior Admin: “Yep.” Senior Admin hands Microsoft Windows Vista SP2 install disk to Junior Admin. Junior Admin looks exceedingly pleased with anticipation. (Yes, I know, not very real. It’s a commercial.) Senior Admin: “Go to it!” Junior Admin: “Great!” Junior Admin happily skips out of the IT room and over to a cubicle where he sticks the install disk into a computer. And here’s where there’s an option to go with the commercial. Either A ) The camera fades out on the Junior Admin’s smile, or B ) The camera fades out on the fact that it’s a Mac that Microsoft Windows Vista is being installed onto. Personally, I think B is the better way to go, but I’m not sure about the legality of doing that in a commercial. Even if Macs can run Windows. |
But you see, with this one simple commercial you show a bit of Vista’s visual appeal as well as convince the IT departments that it’s time to upgrade. And, of course, if it’s good enough for your IT department, then of course it’s good enough for a home user. I think people would really get that point, especially if you make at least the Senior Admin dressed up as a super nerd. If it’s good enough for a super nerd…
Anyway, you get the idea. Inspire awe. Calm fears. And make everyone envy the upgrade to Vista. Oh, and actually fix Windows Vista.