Microsoft Let's Loose New “I’m A PC” Ads

Well there you have it. Microsoft did in fact ditch its Seinfeld / Gates campaign at least temporarily, in favor of a new run directly targeting Apple’s “I’m a Mac” ads. The new series of commercials features an eclectic bunch of people, all claiming to be PC users. The message in theory being that PCs don’t necessarily have to hide in pizza boxes to attract an interesting customer base. Instead, they are used by people in all walks of life and are “connected to over a billion others worldwide.” The slogan of this new campaign, “Life Without Walls,” is an effort to show viewers how versatile and capable PCs are - contrary to the notion conveyed in Apple’s ads. A few celebrity cameos within the first run of the “I’m a PC” series include William Gates himself, Mrs. and Mr. Eva Longoria and BGR pal Pharrell Williams. The commercials also features a number of Microsoft employees and offers an email address along with each one, including Mac commercial “PC guy” look-alike Sean Siler (sean@windows.com). While we think these new ads are fine and good, they’re still missing one of the key factors that makes Apple’s “I’m a Mac” commercials, and even it’s iPhone and other commercials so compelling. Features. Apple’s commercials use interesting scenarios and catchy themes to highlight actual capabilities of its products. In fact the key theme behind just about every “I’m a Mac” commercial is, “I can do this, this and this. PC can’t.” Here’s to hoping that this first “I’m a PC” run is just a little taste to get us used to the campaign and that eventually Microsoft might actually show us all of the great things about PCs as opposed to just telling us that “real people” use them.