The $300 Million Churro: Seinfeld's Microsoft Ads Begin Airing

What do you get when you combine $300 million, Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld? Apparently a string of unusual commercials in which Seinfeld plays himself and Gates plays a what we can only hope is a caricature of himself. All set in a mall. (A mall? Couldn't find a Stuckey's or Tower Records to shoot in?)

The first of what we can only imagine will be a relentless onslaught of Microsoft commercials featuring Seinfeld began airing tonight during the season-opening NFL broadcast featuring the NY Giants and the Jim Zorn-led Washington Redskins.

The campaign, which aims at 'humanizing' Microsoft in the face of some really creative Apple ads, is worth a cool $300 million, with Seinfeld reportedly pocketing $10 million for his efforts. Plus all the fried Mexican treats he can eat, apparently.

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By Brad in News on September 4, 2008 6:17 PM

Comments [rss]

Troy Morris

I fucking loved the commercial.

You have to understand that this isn't an advertisement designed to sell anything. It's an institutional ad.

In that respect, I think it's great.

Brad

I nominate this as Microsoft's "jump the shark" moment.

Abbey

WTF?! What did I just watch??

BitterB

Yawn.

Simonian

I am dumbfounded. I really don't know what to say. Wow.

Public Relations

you humanize yourself by engaging in ethical business practices not by video advertisements.

Techies are not this superficial to be swayed by a video - there were just too many lawsuits and too many revelations about the past to be forgotten

But there is no denying that Microsoft - good or bad - has made extreme contributions to the tech industry and to the American economy