I don’t know, Peter. We already have two posts on the new commercial which means that it will stay on our front page even longer. Seems like the point is to generate conversation, good bad or indifferent. Which is seems to be doing.

Personally, I think the commercials are hilarious. I have no idea whether they will sell a single computer or how effective they will be. But they are hilarious.

Doug

Alright Doug – seeing as you find them hilarious – can you please explain to those of us who sit here for four minutes scratching out heads – what exactly makes these things funny?

The Mac ads are funny – fanboy or not – PC is funny. In these things I just don’t see the funny, and personally I think the marketing people should be ashamed for taking one of the most important technology figures in recent history and making him look like a complete moron.

I’m with Peter. If you have something to say, say the dammed thing and stop beating around the bush. I don’t have time for subliminal BS that makes me “think” about if I really like Microsoft or not – and frankly when your products are sucking as bad as they are (Visturd), as a company they don’t have time to beat around the bush either. When major companies are considering moves to the competition (*nix and Mac) – you need to focus on winning those people’s hearts and minds back, not making them think you’re off your rocker.

I have to agree with Doug here… They are generating conversation, they have some good dry humor, and they are pretty painless. Thats all they are suppposed to do…

“The Mac Ads are Funny”

I have never once saw one of the Mac vs. PC ads and thought that it was funny or clever. You really see humor in them? I tend to now either ignore them completely, or see how Apple tried to stretch the truth or further this time to promote their products.

I guess belittling and humanizing Bill seems a much better idea than creating commercials that infuriate a large percentage of people that know better… Apple was very effective with their iPhone campaigns, so I cant believe they have gone this long with this poor mud-slinging campaign for Mac….Do you really think some IT guy in charge of a Corporation’s computer infrastructure is going to see a Mac commercial, and say Oh yeah…..We should go Mac… We like the skinny geeky uninformed kid over the dorky heavy set guy…

I like these Ads, but they are better to see on TV cut down than watch the whole Web version at once…

Well, I will admit that the Mac vs. PC ads were funny. Not all of them. Some of them have been infuriatingly misleading. But some of them are pretty funny.

This is a different kind of humor though. This is a humor born from taking a familiar icon and putting him completely out of his element. It is kind of the same thing that was funny about the Brady Bunch movies. Here were these characters we all knew and loved, but they were completely out of their element.

Like I said though, whether this ad campaign will sell computers or not, I have no clue. But it has people talking about MS and Windows in a positive way. I have heard more people talking about these ads and referencing Windows in the conversation than I have in a long time. So, on some level they are having the intended impact.

Doug

I still can’t see the humour in this, mind you I watched it again with a better sound option, (that’s nine minutes of my life I won’t get back)in case I missed anything. Nope!
The only vaguely amusing/ironic thing, was the idea that Bill and Jerry were so alienated from society, by their fame and riches, ” I’ve got so many cars, I create my own traffic jam”, and the realisation that Gates’ company is responsible for the majority of online connections in the world. It didn’t even make me smirk though.

PC/Mac ads are funny.

I think Microsoft has done this sort of campaign before, Better!

I said straight up, “is really vague, and I suppose that is what gives it power, and draws attention to it.” but as for hilarious, not getting that at all, Ho Hum comes to mind

Ok, so these 2 sets of commercials are both running hard right now. Tried watching the Pizza box Mac Ad and the Throne one. Didnt see anything worth a chuckle. My 3 year old likes the guy in the crown, though….. My wife has already stated she doesnt care for those commercials either… and she loves the iPod!

So then when the condensed version of the MS commercial came on, I didnt say a word and I watched and my wife who really enjoyed it and then I heard her later talking to her friend on the phone about it and mentioned seeing Gates do the robot and the rear wiggle…

And C’mon the grandma in that video rocks!

Again, Id much rather not watch the 9 minute Internet version… Of course I dont want to watch a 9 minute commercial for anything ever…

I guess in the end it all boils down to your personal sense of humor. I don’t get it – but my sense is definitely a little off kilter from many people