Reaction to ‘Delicious’ largely vicious
By John Lister
The $10 million Microsoft paid Jerry Seinfeld was a waste of money if media commentator responses are anything to go by. Most writers seem utterly baffled by the way ‘Shoe Circus’ fails to actually say anything about Vista, Windows or Microsoft in general.
The most scathing commentary came from Computer World’s Preston Gralla who said “without equivocation it’s one of the worst, most pointless ads in history… The ad isn’t funny, has absolutely no point, and is about as boring a minute and a half as you’ll ever spend.”
It’s not just the technology media that is slamming the campaign. Advertising strategist Leslie Smolan tells the Wall Street Journal that the advert shows Microsoft has plenty of money and little creativity. The Baltimore Sun’s David Zeiler, admittedly a primarily Apple-based blogger, says he “smells fear” from Microsoft. And Britain’s Financial Times points out that the sheer nothingness of the ad makes it more reflective of the Seinfeld ‘brand’ than of Microsoft itself.
There are some supporters of the commercial though. PC World’s senior editor believes Gates’ presence is enough to bring the Microsoft branding, while arguing the message is that Microsoft isn’t trying to be cool. The same site quotes stand-up comedian and former advertising staffer Iliza Schlesinger as calling the ad “hilarious” (though admitting that she’s going to stick with her Mac).
And the Sydney Morning Herald’s gadgets blogger Adam Turner says the lack of specific claims about Microsoft products was a smart idea because it avoids being viewed as a response to Apple’s campaigns.
Still, most of the response, both in the blogosphere and the off-line world, was so bad that Microsoft publicity staff have reportedly been phoning reporters to argue that the detail-light ad is designed solely as a teaser to raise interest in future spots.
My take? A 90-second spot – three times the standard length – is obviously designed to be an event as much as a commercial. But this seems typical of advertising agency staff who seem more interested in winning awards for creativity than getting a clear message across. And it’s certainly noticeable that the Mojave ‘experiment’ videos (however misleading) were far more effective despite being created by Microsoft staff on a minimal budget.
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