Sherlock Holmes backs Family Guy, Microsoft has double standards
Just a fortnight after announcing the deal, Microsoft got its knickers in a twist and pulled out of sponsoring Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show. But never mind, because another sponsor has stepped into the breach. Microsoft, meanwhile, has been shown to have what most people would consider double standards when it comes to which shows to advertise on.
A week before Windows 7 launched, Microsoft trumpeted its latest move to gain publicity for the new operating system. It would sponsor Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show, a variety show on Fox written and starring Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein. The show was to feature Microsoft and Windows 7 heavily, with sketches based on the company and the OS.
Unfortunately, two weeks later the company pulled out. An early version of the show was viewed by some Microsoft execs who had a sheltered upbringing and they decided the show wasn’t a right fit for advertising Windows 7. The racy humor was clearly a little risqué for their delicate palates.
Contact Music has now reported that Warner Bros. has stepped into the breach. Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show will now be sponsored entirely by Sherlock Holmes, the new movie due for release in December which brings the classic detective right up to date and features Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. So, Stewie will suddenly have competition for the plummiest English accent on display.
Interestingly, a little digging from The L.A. Times has exposed Microsoft for being a little confused with where it spends its advertising dollars.
The research suggests that Microsoft spent $3.2 million last season buying commercials on Family Guy, with an extra $1.4 million spent on reruns of the show. The company also spent $4 million advertising during Two and a Half Men, a show clearly not as potentially offensive as Family Guy but which isn’t always family friendly.
Then there is the bankrolling of Breaking Bad, a hard-hitting drama which deals with drug dealing and violence, Nip/Tuck with its oodles of sexual content, Rescue Me, and South Park. Microsoft clearly thought these shows were “a fit with the Windows brand” much more so than the MacFarlane special is likely to be. Which is a little bizarre.
Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show is to air on Nov. 8 at 8:30 p.m. on Fox. And I’m sure the publicity garnered by Microsoft’s in/out won’t do the show’s ratings any harm.
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