Microsoft’s New “I’m A PC” Ads Air; Something Is Fundamentally Wrong
Tonight, during The Office, Microsoft began airing its “phase 2″ of their $300 million ad campaign (after giving Seinfeld the boot) which features regular, everyday users saying “I’m A PC”…yes, it’s a direct response to Apple’s I’m A Mac/I’m A PC ads.
The ads are actually better than I thought they’d be but something still just doesn’t sit right for me. I still don’t feel like they’re selling their brand or even their products. Sure, all of these people say they are “a PC”, but I’m not sure everyone will equate that to the Microsoft brand.
As John Gruber so eloquently put it, the problem here isn’t that the ads themselves are bad – in fact they are quite well made – the problem is that Microsoft effectively doesn’t have anything to sell. They don’t stand for anything. They’re just there. A “blah” company, if you will.
Where Microsoft is so painfully failing is that they don’t have a product worth selling. They can thrown money at branding campaigns but until they have something that actually creates a positive user experience for the masses, they’ll always been throwing away money by trying to improve their brand perception.
At the end of the day Microsoft has a fundamental product problem, not a brand problem.
Here are a few different versions of the new ads. Check them out and let me know what you think.
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#1 Michael says:Weren’t they supposed to say “I’m Pissed Off!!!” ??
#2 Mike says:Well, the ads do tell you one thing: Microsoft doesn’t even have enough inventiveness to come up with original ads.
#3 Elliot Swan says:I actually disagree, I think it’s a huge step in the right direction for Microsoft. Apple’s been making a big thing about being hipper, “funner,” easier to use, etc… Much of which I would say is true. Apple’s been doing a lot of their marketing from the standpoint of the little guy against the big corporation, and it’s definitely been working. However, with this campaign Microsoft is showing that all sorts of people–not just stiff guys in suits or college students (though they’re in there, too) use their products on a daily basis. They’re making it quite obvious that “the masses” *are* actually using their product–and successfully.
And yes, I’m an ex-PC user converted to the Mac world who’d never dream of going back. So this isn’t coming from any sort of Microsoft loyalty, I just find it to be a great ad campaign on their part.
#4 Matthew Harper says:“I’m a PC, and I wear glasses.”
Come on. Seriously. What’s next? I’m a PC, and I drink coffee? I squeeze my spots?
If the last ads were impenetrable, these are simply patronising.
#5 Andy says:I am not a PC
#6 MacRat says:“I’m a PC and I run Linux”
“I’m a PC and I run XP”
#7 John Galt says:I actually like the ads. Yes, they may have banked on the existing ad campaigns by Apple but i believe that’s an advertising/marketing strategy.
And i apologise, i dont think MS is a “blah” company. My first computer was a PC and i learned to appreciate the technology because of that; without the PC giving me a lead on how amazing computers are then i wouldn’t have come to love my Mac.
I give credit to the PC (MS) for opening my mind that great things are possible and to Apple for achieving them. I give credit to both companies as i use both their products in my everyday life. They are just tools to me, they’re not suppose to become the “benchmark” of my pride as a person.
I do believe, though, that PC’s have, generally, a “product” problem and i believe as well that they have to focus on this more seriously. BUT having a campaign that could strengthen the MS brand is would never hurt.
#8 Luca says:I havnt read any of the comments so that it wouldnt influence my answer but i was quite impressed with these ads. Microsoft are biting back at Apple at what was a good, but affectively childish pc, mac campaign. How often do you actually hear about companies fighting eachother and actually naming the bad things in their competitors in a tv add… Never, apart from a recent Tesco and Asda advert (the only one i can think of)
This microsoft add is ofcourse no where near enough. The mac adds actually have legitimate reasons for switching and why its better. Microsoft need to do that same in a different way.
P.S-im actually a mac also im just not biased about all this
#9 Ronald says:The ads are fantastic but, yes, fundamentally misleading (as all ads aim to be I guess). What all those nice people should be saying is: “I am a human being with work to do - and the solution I have right now is using Microsoft products. I don’t really know what else there is out there and although at times what I use might not do just what I need it to do it’s not a deal-breaker because I don’t have the time, wish or energy to look for alternatives. I just need to get my job done.” So the real message should be: “We use PC but we are not PCs” - Most Mac users don’t just use Macs they ARE Mac’s - it’s different.
#10 Mojo says:Microsoft is going down!!! DOWN DOWN DOWN DOWN!!!!!!!
HA HA HA
You know this will just raise people’s attention to the “fight” between this 2 companies. People who never thought to even try the mac will go “hmm what’s this all about? Got to try out this mac thing one of these days.”
#11 Simon says:“Where Microsoft is so painfully failing is that they don’t have a product worth selling. They can thrown money at branding campaigns” is absolutely right. I look at those people and I ask, “why do they use PC?” The answer is usually because most people do and it is cheaper. Are they satisfied? The answer is usually an unchallenged “NO!”
MacRat says it all, “I’m a PC and I run XP”!
Vista converted me to MAC effectively, and Microsoft did that without advertising!
#12 Sam Care I'm a Mac says:I love Apple products. I’m typing this on my macbook.
But these adds are brilliant. Uplifting and funny. And they reinforce the brand very well.
At the end of the day it really doesn’t matter whether anyone makes good ads or bad ads - it’s the product that counts. PCs are very good at what they do but Macs are a bit better.
#13 Brad says:I think what’s fundamentally wrong with what Microsoft is doing, and what makes these advertising campaigns not work, is that they aren’t a hardware vendor.
The reason Apple’s “I’m A Mac” advertisments work so well, in addition to actually being well done, is that Apple is able to define their product both throught he software you use,and the hardware you buy. If you get a Mac, you know it because your computer looks different than people who own PCs.
Microsoft is trying to do the same, except they don’t have the same kind of support. I can install Windows on my Mac (and I, along with a lot of other peope probably have), so what’s the advantage to buying a PC? Instead of trying to come back to Apple’s ads, Microsoft should just try to advertise based on the features of their operating system. Windows does have a lot of good qualities (It’s not as good as OS X, but it’s far from a “bad” operating system). If they were going to rip a page out of Apple’s playbook, why not advertise for things like managing your personal life through their photo program, movie maker, Windows Media Player, etc. Sure, having put my hands on iMovie and iPhoto, they’re not nearly as good, but still, try and sell your product based on what it has to offer.
As long as Microsoft keeps trying this approach, they’re going to keep running into the problem that they’re trying to brand an entire platform, which will not happen because there’s other very, very big names in the PC industry (Dell, Compaq, HP, etc.). Microsoft has to brand the product, not the platform.
#14 razmaspaz says:Isn’t this Coke Pepsi all over again? Pepsi calls out Coke with the taste challenge, Coke ignores it. Pepsi keeps calling out Coke. Coke responds to the taste challenge, and Pepsi gets instant recognition all over the place. Coke subsequently loses a huge chunk of the market.
#15 rfrancis says:#8 Luca -
Actually, in the 80’s there was a great and fun series of ads between McDonalds, Burger King and Wendys all poking at the other. It was always fun to see what the next round of commercials would bring from each of them.
I actually like this particular set of ads, and it could be quite fun to see how Apple responds.
The Microsoft ads I don’t care for are the Vista “Window Mojave” ads. Do any of these people actually use computers? Most of them seem to be responding almost as if they’ve never seen an OS before.
#16 I'm a PC says:Its funny. Apple’s market share is small (what 14%) compared to PC. I agree with #9 Ronald up there. If they created an ad campaign that said:
“I’m a PC, america’s infrastructure runs on me, I have real work to do” - they could pretty much stick it in Apple’s face. Then of course at the end they could bring Jerry back and say:
“You can buy a MAC and have fun….not that there’s anything wrong with that”
#17 OhWhatYouSaid says:#6, you read my (and probably everyone else’s) mind!
#18 Jens says:What effect will these ads have?…
Well look at the AAPL stock. It´s now going up! up! and up!
:-) 
We (the consumer/stockholder) knows what´s coming. These ads are just a cry for help!
#19 Jim says:“I’m a PC, and I haven’t got a clue.”
#20 golfdoc says:switched 3 yrs. ago from pc to mac. didn’t care about “cool” factor, i wanted a computer that was easier to use. mac is so much easier to use, now thats cool.
#21 Paulo says:I do not believe that Pharrell Williams uses a PC for sequencing and recording. All of the best music production software is for Macs!
#22 Nikos says:Couldn’t agree more with PC #16 (
)
The truth is that I expected something more offensive and less cool (wanna-be) - then we could grab some popcorn and enjoy the show
Now, what’s next - Canonical’s response with another series of ads which will say “I’m cool” too? Nahhh… Linux is liberal, Windows is classic and Mac is innovative. And that’s why I use them all - each tool for the right job
My 2 cents
#23 rwahrens says:I think Bras is right. Look at how the Apple ads work:
As each ad opens, the two utter their famous tag lines, “Hi, I’m a PC!” and “Hi, I’m a Mac!”
Notice that neither one says anything about an operating system there. But that is the whole purpose of the ad, to promote Mac OS X, because the Mac guy usually says something about how cool OS X is and what it can do, and the PC guy responds with some form of frustration over having to run Windows. Yeah, sometimes the order is reversed, and sometimes, they leave out the OS X name as an explicit mention, but the PC guy is ALWAYS expressing some form of frustration over how he is either stymied or frustrated or otherwise held back by Windows - or is frustrated by the Mac OS’ growing popularity or ease of use. The ad mainly is intended to emphasize the fact that the Mac OS runs on Apple hardware, and Windows runs on generic equipment, which explains their issues and problems. Hence the identification of the two actors with equipment, not Operating Systems.
In the new Microsoft ads, they NEVER mention Vista, and the “common folk” depicted never mention it either. They utter that famous tag line, “I’m a PC”, but do not align themselves with Vista or Windows at all. I think that is a mistake. Their ads bring up the image of the Mac ads by using Apple’s line, which has already been evoked through the imitation of the Hodgeman character! It is an axiom of advertising that the #1 never mentions the #2, because to do so lends credibility to #2’s claims and makes #1 look desperate. Microsoft should be building the Vista brand, not generic PCs, and should certainly not be allowing their target audience to think about Apple!
And they don’t even make PCs…
#24 rwahrens says:Dang, sorry, dude, that should have been, “Brad was right”
Doggone Dell keyboard I have at work! My Apple keyboard at home spells better…
#25 CamDotCom says:The latest Microsoft Ads are getting the blue screen of death! (video)
http://nosesplash.com/blog-news/154-im-a-p-of-c.html
#26 Allan says:Apparently the ads were made on a Mac.
http://cultofmac.com/microsofts-im-a-pc-ads-made-on-a-mac/2971
#27 Aaron says:“I’m a PC.” (… and I haven’t had a computer virus in 8 years.)
I have to respectfully disagree with your post. MS’s biggest problem IS their brand, NOT their products. Their products, although far from perfect, are beyond good and very competitive. The criticism that were laid on PC’s in “Mac vs PC” primarily stem from “cheap” PC’s, tech-wary users, and third-party (driver) blunders. Mac is trying to convince us that their “grass is so much greener”, but is it really? Not every PC is a tired gray box, and many, many people happen to love their PC’s (including your’s truly).
It seems to me that it has become entirely too “cool” and “trendy” nowadays to dis’ Microsoft and its products. “The big guy” is always fair game, of course, but it’s getting pretty extreme. You can say almost anything negative about Microsoft and you hardly need to prove it anymore. So I am glad that Microsoft is trying to make people like the brand again, it is probably the best possible place to invest the money.
Cheers!
Aaron
#28 Nikos says:@Aaron: Yes, it’s nice to try to make the people like the brand again, but with what? With PR? I don’t think that Mac users bought the $2000 Macbook Pros because of some stupid “I’m a Mac” advertisement. They usually watch the ads *after* they bought it and laughing maybe.
Where is the product’s (that is: Windows) innovative feature that will make it stand out from the competition? And what version of windows that is? Vista or XP(2001 software, if i’m not wrong)? Personally, even though I liked the aero look of vista I never (finally) enjoyed using them. They were too confusing, too heavy and really not straight-to-the-point.
On the other hand, MS OFfice (2007) really is beyond competition (at least for now). They could advertise *this* and build their marketing strategy *upon* their product. It’s completely stupid to try to promote a brand without a product! It’s also completely stupid (or I could say desperate?) to try to promote a product that people doesn’t like (at least a big percentage of them) and they have proven this!
Rebuild the product, make people like it and THEN take back the lost market from Apple (or whatever vendor that is).
#29 moun10addict says:I was a PC. Now I’m a Mac. I used to pull my hair out. Now I get work done. PC-me was often angry. Mac-me is happy now.
#30 u kidding says:#28. U r kidding right? That has to be the dumbest comment ever. So apple created all of these ads just for those people that already bought a mac they make ads not for sales. Now that’s a marketing department I want to work for!
#31 Nikos says:@”u kidding” (#30): First of all the dumbest comment ever would be: “This is the dumbest comment ever”, not what i said. Now, to the point: Have you ever heard of something “Customer Loyalty” or even fan-boy-ism if you like? That’s what these ads are for (my opinion though!). When apple wants to get a NEW customer they show him/her THIS PAGE: http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/300.html or for the more “advanced” users the video/keynote presentation where Steve Jobs announced Time Machine.
Marketing is NOT advertisements and advertisements are NOT only to get new customers. Marketing is a strategy and advertisements are made for publicity. (And in case you can’t figure it out yourself, marketing INCLUDES advertisements and advertisements may turn a viewer into a prospect client).
And btw, why don’t you send them you CV and also attach this comment? I bet they’ll offer you a job.
#32 Bill says:Well when I first saw these videos in internet I didn’t understand that they were comercials. I thought maybe this is a way of Bill Gates having fun. They don’t say much about MSFT products in these ads.
(I’m a pc)
#33 Tyler says:To everyone who thinks MS using “I’m a PC” is not representative of everything not apple you need to open your eyes. If you go out and buy a PC it’ll have Vista. It doesn’t matter if it’s HP or Dell or IBM. Linux and XP are a non-issue. Apple is the one who started referring to Vista and PC as if they were the same. I mean really, aren’t Macs PCs these days anyway? A Mac is as much a PC as a Dell running OS X is a Mac. None of you seem to have a problem that they don’t make the distinction in their ads. Most Mac ads don’t actually tout any unique features either. And to Niko who says that apple sends them to a url of that length instead of hoping these ads will sway them you’re on something.
I run OSX on one computer out of 17 between home and work. I tried using it for a while but it offers me nothing that I don’t already have and sits idle 95-99% of the time. I got an iPhone and liked it enough that I considered buying a Mac Pro for my next PC. After trying out the OS for a while I see it is nothing special worth paying the premium for (and if it was I wouldn’t have a problem paying it). But don’t mind this bit of third-party perspective. You can all get back to your circle-jerk and assuming that everything Apple makes is always at least a little bit better than the alternative.
#34 Matthew Harper says:@33—Sorry, but that’s just plain wrong. The Apple ads didn’t ‘invent’ the association of PC and Windows, they capitalised on it. Microsoft is responsible for misappropriation of the phrase ‘Personal Computer’ to mean any Windows machine. Apple’s ads are just a response to that.
Proof? See that game you just bought? It says PC on the side of it, right? It’s said PC for as long as any of us can remember.
The fact that you think Macs are only nowadays PCs just goes to show how completely out of things your comment is. Macs have always been PCs. Microsoft forced a false dichotomy by associating PCs with Windows.
#35 Connor says:It hit me reading this. I’m a Mac means the whole package, Microsoft is not a PC because they only make software. Apple and Harley Davidson sell you a lifestyle and that’s what is winning people over.
#36 YardRat says:I actually liked the ads, certainly better than the Seinfeld adds, which were a little confusing. I did like Gates in those ads though, maybe they could just have Gates tells us about his product…I mean it works for every Ma & Pa local commercial, right? Show us a Gates family experience on the computer using Vista or something. But I do like the humor of the “I’m a PC and I’ve been made into a stereotype.” LOL! but there is a little bit of a defensiveness to the rest of the commercial…seems a little desperate. Listen, I am in the market for a new laptop…I’ve used plenty of PC’s at work and I have been using a Mac at home. I like the Mac. I dunno. But if these commercials are geared at someone like me with cash in hand and ready to buy a laptop. I’ve been waiting since July to buy the new versions of the MacBook Pro. Microsoft hasn’t changed my mind. I NEED A NEW LAPTOP. And I am waiting for the newest one that runs OSX. So, I’d say Microsoft, your ads are just not completion for my computer budget. I want more for my money…frankly I don’t know how you are going to catch up with OSX, and the suite of software they give me free…not to mention hardware that doesn’t just appear cutting edge…I know it’s cutting edge in both content as well as design. How about at least competing for my dollar? As it is I am waiting months not to buy your product. You got your work cut out for you. BTW, I’m a PC too…and A Mac… I’m just gonna be a Mac again.
#37 Sergeo says:I saw this add on TV the other day and missed the frames with Bill Gates in it. Every time someone says that they’re a PC, the first thing that comes to mind is that they are a collection of electrical components that has the capability of performing computational tasks in a package catered to an individual, i.e. they have a CPU, hard drive, keyboard, and monitor. While I am sure this is not what’s intended, the advertisement’s rapid repetition reinforced my initial imagery before I had a chance to think about what was really meant. My second thought was that a personal computer manufacturing or retail company, possibly even Apple, was trying demonstrate how pervasive their personal computing technology is in the world. Despite the irritation of the advertisement’s repetition, I was still curious enough to see if it was HP, Dell, Apple, or some other hardware company. When it was finally clear that it was intended to promote Microsoft, predominantly a software company, the ad curdled in my mind; I wanted to know what other people thought of the ad.
So far I have found too many Mac vs PC wars out there. Many Mac advocates appear to bash the add based on it’s passive aggressive attack on Mac rather than advertising the Microsoft brand or its products. In response many PC advocates talk about the hardware itself, saying that the Apple hardware is far more expensive. Apple is competitively priced for what you are purchasing, but how competitive depends greatly on the timing of your purchase because Apple doesn’t really change their prices as much as they periodically change what you get for your money. Anyone can verify this now that Macs are using Intel CPUs and taking advantage of OEM suppliers on things like graphics cards that typical PC manufacturers use; just make sure you’re looking at every level of detail such as the quality of the display (not just its size), the controller type on the hard drive, and the quality of the memory (rarely ever stated in an ad or in specifications). So yes if you don’t want or can’t afford the Cadillac or Lexus, purchase the Civic instead… just don’t expect it to drive or ride the same. Also realize that those that are purchasing PC hardware (which doesn’t run Mac OS) are generally running Microsoft operating systems because it has been generally easier to use and more compatible than alternatives and due to a long history of its usage in the industry (widely believed to be cause by Microsoft’s early business practices).
Interestingly enough the explanation of why Mac hardware prices appear to be more expensive than other PCs is rather significant in how Apple has approached a number of issues regarding hardware production and sales. First, the company has greatly limited the variety of their production lines which allows them to focus more of their resources on other tasks such as quality. Secondly, the company has reduced their exposure to incompatibility with third party products by providing as many features as possible in every level of their product lines. Third, relatively high quality components reduces the probability that an obscure error/failure will occur in them, limiting the association between Apple hardware and hardware failures. Finally, they have attempted to stabilize their revenue stream and increase the predictability of their market demand by keeping a fixed price per unit, which is rather important in allowing the company to continue producing hardware in a consistent manner.
The points mentioned above provide much of the backbone early in Apple’s buy a Mac campaign. However, more recently Apple’s ads have shifted into attacking Windows Vista. Really, Apple could have been a little more magnanimous, but every release of a Microsoft operating system has been fraught with bugs, incompatibility, and wasted resources in relearning how to do things compared to the previous release… dating back to their Quick and Dirty Operating System (AKA MS-DOS). While Microsoft still holds much of the operating system market, it’s not a stretch to say that their new advertisement campaigns demonstrate that they’re not making their expected revenue in Vista sales. The likely reason is that most of the operating system seems to have been re-written, which kept their expenses high and the product’s cost high. This also means that there is significant proprietary code that hasn’t really been exercised and the combinations of system configurations that Microsoft would have to test in order to achieve significant quality assurance is astronomical. As a result, the operating system is commonly associated with system crashes and incompatibility issues. However this I’m a PC campaign doesn’t even come close to addressing that issue.
It is not difficult to surmise that Microsoft used its market dominance to offload much of it’s quality assurance testing to hardware manufacturers. One such mechanism for doing this is the little Microsoft sticker affixed to major PC and peripheral manufacturer’s hardware for which a manufacturer must perform a certain level of compatibility testing (among many other things). The problem with this type of mechanism is that it is highly dependent on the expectation that the sticker will mean something in terms of the manufacturer’s unit sales. As one of these manufacturers that just spent a lot of resources perusing Vista compatibility, suppose sales are drastically under the expectations set by images fed through correspondence with Microsoft representatives and expenses are not being met. Suppose there are numerous companies around the world in this situation, perhaps even competitors, complaining to Microsoft. If this were true, it seems that Microsoft would find it necessary to elevate the image and sales of PCs, otherwise their clout in future development would be tarnished to the point that any major future release would be insurmountable.
Now imagine you’re Microsoft and you’re trying to repair relationships with these companies. Clearly you cannot bank entirely on your own image, as you’re having troubles with your own image. Clearly you cannot advocate any particular vendor over another. And clearly you cannot just provide funds to individual companies as there would be no cohesive campaign and funds alone would not resolve the problem. Microsoft found one avenue and took it. The fact that they took on the I’m a Mac and I’m a PC campaign merely demonstrates that they’re blind to the fact that we’re in an economic crisis. They don’t understand that the first people to stop purchasing computers are the ones looking to extend their already weak dollar and likely wouldn’t be purchasing a Mac. They don’t understand that companies are reducing their expenses and re-utilizing their existing computers. All this just makes Microsoft seem desperate because the demographics that have filled their pockets for so many years can’t support them now. Finally the vagueness in who they are addressing and the message they’re sending the I’m a PC campaign makes it very weak and appear purely argumentative. Perhaps Microsoft is trying to go after the Mac’s market share, but you would think they would do it with an actual product rather than saying, “I am bigger than you and can squash you like grape.”
#38 John says:This is a strange ad. I’m wondering how much these ads our really shaping our opinions. http://anothertechreviewblog.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/is-marketing-still-shaping-our-opinions/#comments
#39 patrick says:I Really think this new Ads of microsoft have only the mission of lost the real problem: WINDOWS.
- PC (personal computer) in not a microsoft product.
- PC is a free origin plataform and it can content any type of OS.
- PC is not WINDOWS
- Nobody put the gun on our heads to we use Windows. We are who buy Windows.
- To be exact the Ads should have to communicate “I am Windows” This is the problem and the Ads move it to the hardware.
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