Microsoft dropping Seinfeld, picking up Hodgman impersonator

After the flop of the pointless, painfully unfunny Seinfeld Microsoft ads, they’re dumping Jerry.

One new Microsoft commercial even begins with a company engineer who resembles John Hodgman, the comedian portraying the loser PC character in the Apple campaign. “Hello, I’m a PC,” the engineer says, echoing Mr. Hodgman’s recurring line, “and I’ve been made into a stereotype.”

The fact that they’re using a look-alike shows how much they don’t get it. The whole point of Hodgman is that he’s a stereotype, an everyman. They could have thrown anyone into a suit. The fact that they got someone similar looking shows that they’re only capable of copying the superficial aspects of the ad, unable to grasp the deeper meaning.

2008/09/18
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Discussion

I disagree. While you may feel they “don’t get it”, they do. People remember the Apple/PC commercial, and the people in it. They’re playing off Apples advertising. People will begin to see the Apple ads and think Windows.

I think it’s pathetic they can’t come up with their own viral marketing, but atleast they’re doing something.

kris
2008/09/18

Honestly, I think they’d be better off doing nothing. They’re deep in the throes of cargo-cultism, as if pantomimic repetition of Apple’s ads will make them work the other way around.

People are not going to think of anything other than Apple when they see these. These have been out for two years now, and they’re instantly recognizable as Apple ads. Microsoft is just reinforcing the image that they’re following Apple’s lead.

Ian Eure
2008/09/18

Following Apple’s lead, except, you know, making intuitive, attractive visual interfaces that on stable hardware.

That’s a lot of fucking commas.

Niko
2008/09/23

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