I *love* it:
Lots of people don’t, but that was completely predictable. It’s quirky and funny. It doesn’t take potshots at Apple. It doesn’t try to convince you that Vista is more awesome than OS X. After being entertaining, all it really contains is a promise that the future will be delicious.
Oh, and people are talking about the ad – that in itself makes it pretty successful.
The tricky part will be producing more quality ads. The Gates-Seinfeld shtick probably won’t work a second time.
Apple’s agency is surely writing furiously today, creating Mac vs. PC scripts that mock this commercial. They MUST be. Wonder if they will produce any of them…
I think that this commercial will not accurately reflect where this campaign is going. CP+B has done some terrific work, including introducing Burger King’s “The King” character and some absolutely fantastic work for Volkswagen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtaXjzQQGE8
I think this spot was just released to introduce the tone of the campaign. I expect, with a few exceptions that the campaign will be targeted towards a more general consumer segment.
If they just wanted to appeal to geeks they would have gotten someone other than Seinfeld. Seinfeld is only key to a strategy for mass consumer penetration – though personally I think celebrity endorsements don’t work.