Microsoft enlists Seinfeld in Vista battle

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 21 Aug 2008 at 12:21

Microsoft has signed up comedian Jerry Seinfeld to its $300 million Vista PR blitz, as it attempts to turn around the negative perception surrounding its operating system.

The strategy of signing up high profile comedians is a path already well trodden by Apple, which has scored a number of hits on its arch-rival with its "I'm a PC..." advertisements fronted by John Hodgman and Justin Long in the US and Mitchell and Webb in the UK.

The Mac campaign particularly incensed Bill Gates who described it as "dishonest", but it now looks like the former Microsoft boss is ready to strike back.

Details of Seinfeld's role are sketchy but reports suggest Gates will also appear in the ads, which given the comedy timing he displayed in his "Bill's Last Day" video, and the deadpan manner of Seinfeld could result in a huge hit for the company.

Microsoft is reportedly paying Seinfeld $10 million for his role which will focus on the slogan "Windows, Not Walls," and will stress the need to "break down barriers that prevent people and ideas from connecting."

The advertising campaign follows on from the recent Mojave experiment which attempted to prove that Vista's biggest problem is perception, rather than actual flaws.