News Bits: Microsoft's Seinfeld Ads Worse Than We Thought

Written by Erin Barker

Friday, February 6. 2009 at 11:20 AM EST Post a comment

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Hey, remember the infamous Jerry Seinfeld ads Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) unveiled in September? Well, they were even worse than we thought, according to a study by market research company Brand Keys.

Brand Keys showed 400 Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Microsoft users various ads from the two companies. After watching Microsoft's "Shoe Circus" Seinfeld ad, both groups reported "a more negative perception of Microsoft in the areas of innovation, technology, trouble-free design, and warranty and pricing."

By contrast the "I'm a PC" ads Microsoft introduced later "worked well to lift PC users' perception of the brand as technologically and environmentally advanced."

This is all despite the fact that the Seinfeld ads had, as of Oct. 3, generated 4.3 million more viral video views than the "I'm a PC" ads.

The next phase of Microsoft's $300 million Windows advertising campaign will debut this Sunday during the Grammys. The ad, which according to The Seattle Post-Intelligencer stars a 4-year-old girl, will "put a spotlight on how Windows enhances your life regardless of your age."

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