Via TechCrunch, there's a letter from Bill Veghte at Microsoft. The fact that he has to explain the ad should be a sign of the problem, but I guess the folks at MS are probably in "we've spent all this money, it must be good" mode:

This first set of ads features Bill Gates and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Think of these ads as an icebreaker to reintroduce Microsoft to viewers in a consumer context. Later this month, as the campaign moves into its next phase, we'll go much deeper in telling the Windows story and celebrating what it can do for consumers at work, at play and on-the-go. At that time, I'll be back to share more information about our plans to further strengthen the bond between consumers and Windows - one of the most amazing products, businesses and brands of all time, and, with the right tenacity, passion and agility from all of us, a story that has many great chapters to come.

Yeesh. MS doesn't need an re-introduction; Vista needs one. Regardless of the actual qualities of Vista, MS has allowed the notion that it sucks to spread. That's the problem they need to deal with, and having Seinfeld imagine the PC as a piece of cake at some nebulous time in the future simply isn't the answer. Tell us why Vista is good now - and hopefully, without any more of Bill Gates' butt wagging.

in the meantime, do yourselves a favor - fire the morons who dreamed up this campaign, and find someone who can tell a story that might mean something. The Burger King ads they did ranged between stupid and creepy - and they certainly didn't inspire a desire to have a Whopper. Likewise, this stupidity won't inspire a desire to run Vista.

Update: When I told my wife that these are the same guys who did the Burger King ad, she made the comment that those ads had a "weird menacing vibe throughout." They weren't "edgy" - they were idiotic. I think the same thing goes for this new campaign. Want to make your company look stupid? Go here, and hire these fools.

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