Well. First impression is ‘huh?’.
Digging into the connotations of the ad (pardon the communications theory), we can go 1 layer deep (the only layer that matters), and the ad simply becomes one meant to introduce the persona of Bill Gates (perhaps to show people that he is, in fact, a real person).
Is this meant to drive business to partners? Not at this stage. As the internal Microsoft communiqué from Bill Veghte states, “This first set of ads . . . [are] an icebreaker to reintroduce Microsoft to viewers in a consumer context.”
Even though it’s not directed squarely at business customers (where the real $ is), the fact remains that business people are also consumers. So as B.V. suggests, it’s an ‘icebreaker’ – akin to an initial conversation with business prospects where we talk about the weather and attempt to build rapport.
Is it well done? Obviously not as sharp as the MAC vs. PC ads, but then we’re comparing 2 professional actors with Seinfeld and Bill Gates, who’s never been known for being a riveting speaker, never mind an actor.
Just as with the Mojave Experiment, Microsoft is inching into this campaign and not trumpeting the virtues of Windows vs. MAC, but by trying to make it ‘people’ focused. With Mojave, they accomplished 1 thing – it got the conversation started. This ad takes it to the masses via TV.
I think it’s a reasonable approach, but I’ll be disappointed if they don’t start getting more aggressive, and soon. There’s been too much talk about businesses waiting for Windows 7, and the sooner Microsoft dispels the Vista myths, the better. Mojave did that, but wasn’t main stream. Time to get this train moving a little faster.
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