Retromodo: Old Microsoft Ads Were Just As Weird As New Ones

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Retromodo: Old Microsoft Ads Were Just As Weird As New Ones

                               
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from Gizmodo: Top by Kit Eaton
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Do a quick trawl through Microsoft advertising history and you find something interesting: as weird as the Gates/Seinfeld comedy duo Microsoft ads are—weird enough to get them set aside for the "I'm a PC"campaign—they're just following in the footsteps of earlier ads. Checkout this one, dubbed "Soar," for Windows XP: what does it tell youabout the software's capability? Not much. But the Madonna sound trackisn't too shabby, and apparently using Windows can make you fly. Hmmm, that's pretty odd... but then there are even more obscure ones.
Popout"Everybodyis looking for the door to the new economy. But actually, it's awindow." That Windows 2000 ad tagline has a bit of punch, and waspretty timely back then. But there's a guy crashing a tractor into atin shack (oh, the irony), there're chickens and (just what every goodcomputer advert needs): a bleating lamb. That's way more confusing thanWindows-induced flying.
PopoutNolambs in this Windows 95 ad...but we do get a leaping tiger, and fastcuts of wrinkly old men and smiling kids interspersed with glimpses ofhot spreadsheet and Word document action. I'm not sure what I'msupposed to do with what this ad's telling me: should I go out and maketrouble? Or "just do something amazing" since, after all..."this stuffis powerful." The flight-sim glimpse of the Twin Towers is just anunfortunate coincidence, but adds to the shower of strange imagery.
And then there's this one. Okay, so it's for Office XP, but it's glorious, and the best of the bunch.PopoutMicrosoft taking the mickey (albeit gently) out of the moments when its own security techniques get right on your tits *ahem*.
So,do you feel better about Gates and Seinfeld now? I actually like thoseads, weirdness included. Ditto for the "I'm a PC" one, complete withDeepak Chopra's insightful ramblings. They tell me nothing, nada, zipabout Microsoft products...but they're just brand adverts, and theymake me laugh. And they're right in line with Microsoft's advertisingheritage. [Microsoft]