Next Microsoft Gates and Seinfeld Ad Debuts Tonight

By Alice Hill
RealTechNews

You can also watch the ad here now if you don’t feel like waiting for the television debut. The question remains…does not talking about Windows Vista or even Microsoft or any sort of project or philosophy help in the Mac vs. Apple battle? Is the battle even worth addressing?

Alice’s Take: It’s a much, much better ad that the first one. And it makes Bill G almost lovable, if such a thing could be possible. But with Bill and Jerry retired, what does it really say about what they left behind?

Mike’s Take: The ad is 4:30 long, about the length you might expect during the Super Bowl, but not normal prime time. But here, while there’s no sign of Windows yet, we get to see at least “the point” that Microsoft is trying to make, something hinted at in the first ad.

The ad shows Seinfeld and Gates (let’s call them SG from here on; it’ll save typing) have seemingly been “adopted” by a family of middle-class people, right down to having leftovers at dinner.

About one minute into the ad, Gates asks Seinfeld (in what looks to be their bedroom), “Why are we doing this again?” And the reply:

“Why Bill? Because we discussed, Bill, you and I are a little out of it. You’re living in some kind of moon house hovering over Seattle like the mother ship. I got so many cars I get stuck in my own traffic. We need to connect with real people.”

So, that’s the point. Connecting with real people.

It also looks like the “series” will maintain continuity as you see Gates trying to break in the shoes from the prior ad.

I have to admit I found this ad to be more humorous than the prior ad. One “bit” showed Gates reading a bedtime story involving polymorphism to his “brother,” who asks: “Are there any monsters in this story,” to which Gates replies “Yes, but it’s OK; there’s a firewall.”

SG moved out at the end, after the daughter “set them up” as thieves and called them “lamos.” She wanted her room back, hence the set-up.

As they walk out, SG chat:

S: I think we connected with them.

G: In a way.

S: Bill, you’ve connected over a billion people.

G: I have.

S: I can’t help wondering what’s next. Frog with an email? Goldfish with a website. Amoeba with a blog? If it’s yes, give me a sign. Give me a little robot (thankfully, no butt dance like last time).

Gates does a robot dance.

S: Power down. All right, power up. Let’s go.

Fade to “Perpetually Connecting. PC.”

Better? Definitely. Gates was smoother (if you don’t count the robot dance) and less stilted. He seems to be getting more comfortable with the whole acting gig. I am interesting in see what happens when they really start trying to “sell” Windows or other Microsoft products.