MIXED NEWS
A few days ago I'd posted about Microsoft $300 million ad campaign, with Jerry Seinfeld as a key $10 million spokesman. Well, it looks like there may be a change in plans there, as Valleywag reports:
"Remember those awful Microsoft ads with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates? Well, now you can forget them. Microsoft flacks are desperately dialing reporters to spin them about "phase two" of the ad campaign — a phase, due to be announced tomorrow, which will drop the aging comic altogether. Microsoft's version of the story: Redmond had always planned to drop Seinfeld. The awkward reality: The ads only reminded us how out of touch with consumers Microsoft is..."
Looks like Microsoft IS going a different direction at the New York Times reports:
"What follows is an audacious embrace of the disdainful label that Apple, Microsoft’s rival, has gleefully — and successfully — affixed onto users of Microsoft products: “I’m a PC.”
There's a full discussion on Techmeme if you want to delve into the implications of this latest Microsoft/Apple battle.
It's too bad...I was actually looking forward to the third commercial featuring Seinfeld and Gates, since the second one. As I said a few days ago:
"This commercial is a lot better than the first in the series in my view. It works in an odd sort of way as a 4 minute and 30 second pilot of a sitcom idea featuring two retired icons in their respective fields, doing a road trip to "connect" with ordinary people in any given episode."
Maybe they can release the rest of the commercials already finished but not released up on YouTube, kind of as a keepsake for the rest of us.
There is some better news for Microsoft on an unrelated front against Apple though, as this review of the new David Pogue indicates. Although David still loves the new Technicolor iPod Nano released recently by Apple, he does like the Zune for the following reasons:
"for hard-core music lovers, it’s a gem. The Zune blows the iPod off the map in music discovery and downloading..."
The catch is that one has to subscribe to a $15/month music subscription service from Microsoft. The benefit though is as follows:
"For example, every Zune has a built-in FM radio. When you hear a good song, you can click the center button to capture it, provided it’s a station that broadcasts song-title data.
In a Wi-Fi hot spot, the Zune downloads the song from the Zune store immediately. When you get home, the downloaded song gets copied back to your PC. (Even wirelessly, if you like, because the Zune can sync over Wi-Fi.)
It’s addictive, awesome and completely natural. What better way to discover new performers and songs than listening to the radio?"
Maybe Microsoft can make an ad about that feature, what do you think?
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