America's dynamic duo is back at it again. Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld's second foray into eccentric advertising is bebopping, scatting, and creating a ripple of reaction across the Internet. Love it, hate it, or don't care about it, you can't deny one thing: There's just something about these ads about nothing.
The latest Seinfeld-Microsoft collaboration puts the unlikely couple in an average suburban home, where the two pals feast on scalloped potatoes, gum-filled rolls, and booze-infused mustard (sorry, no churros this go-round). The media moguls painfully partake in the average life, searching for a experience that'll let them connect with "real people."
Getting the Connection
Connection may just be the key word in describing the unusual marketing approach; the term, after all, appears a full four times in this four-and-a-half minute spot. Microsoft's said from the start its goal is not to win you over in an instant, but rather to reconnect with you -- to build a relationship, introduce itself, and get you talking. In that regard, it's seemingly succeeding.
But what does that have to do with anything, you might ask? It's simple: Everything. Rest assured, future ads will go into specific details about Windows products and why you should buy them. Battering you over the head with that from the start, though, probably wouldn't work. (Not to say that waiting to batter you over the head with it till later necessarily will -- but it's certainly a more interesting approach.)
New Explanation
Microsoft's Vista team took the time to answer some questions about the spots this week, and their responses confirm the same sentiment: This is only the beginning.
"Just as somebody might tell a joke to lighten up a room or get somebody's attention before changing gears, these first ads were designed to tap people on the shoulder and say, 'Excuse me. We're back and we'd love a few moments of your time,'" Microsoft's David Webster explained.
"Will seeing Bill and Jerry enjoy each other's company make people run out and buy a new laptop? Or correct misperceptions some non-users might have about Windows Vista? Certainly not. We'd be crazy to think they would," he admitted.
Reaction Traction
So what does it all mean then? Why churros? Why mustard? And what the hell is a Conquistador?
Here's the real deal: It's all just stuff to make you react. Whether you chuckle, guffaw, scoff or spew, you're doing something -- and that's ultimately the point of the ads about nothing.
"When you set out to create advertising, the thing that keeps you up at night is not 'will some people not get it or like it?' Rather, it's 'will anyone pay any attention and notice?' I think we can safely check that box," Webster rationalized.
(Oh, and also: A Conquistador is a stylish pleather shoe. It runs tight.)
The Next Steps
As for what's next, that secret's in the vault, and no one's sharing. Microsoft has indicated the campaign will cover all facets of Windows, from Vista to Mobile and even Windows Live. The closest hint we've gotten to anything more specific is that it'll "tell the Windows story."
We can only assume, then, that story will somehow manage to tie tasty Spanish pastries and lawn-mowing grannies together with an operating system that may or may not be worth your while. Yowza...someone get Frank Costanza on the line. Jerry's got one serious feat of strength ahead of him, and a Festivus miracle sure couldn't hurt.
