What is WITH these Microsoft PEOPLE? Microsoft pitch man Jerry Seinfeld gets kicked to the curb

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Remember those awful Microsoft ads with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates? Well, now you can forget them. Microsoft flacks are desperately dialing reporters to spin them about "phase two" of the ad campaign — a phase, due to be announced tomorrow, which will drop the aging comic altogether. Microsoft's version of the story: Redmond had always planned to drop Seinfeld. The awkward reality: The ads only reminded us how out of touch with consumers Microsoft is — and that Bill Gates's company has millions of dollars to waste on hiring a has-been funnyman to keep him company. Update: In a phone call, Waggener Edstrom flack Frank Shaw confirms that Microsoft is not going on with Seinfeld, and echoes his underlings' spin that the move was planned. There is the "potential to do other things" with Seinfeld, which Shaw says is still "possible." He adds: "People would have been happier if everyone loved the ads, but this was not unexpected." Update: CPB confirms that Seinfeld spots already in the can will not be aired.

http://valleywag.com/5051455/microsoft-announcement-tomorrow-no-more-seinfeld-ads

[madrchsod]

1. one of worse commercials in advertising history

who ever approved these commercials should be banished from the business.....

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. I'd call it "wince-inducing"...

One of those bits where, after the first few moments, you start to feel embarrassed for those involved, even if they don't realize how completely unfunny they are. I saw the clip on the Web, and just couldn't stomach watching the whole thing.

[oldtime dfl_er]

3. They should have hired Larry David

to do the writing.

[LiberalHeart]

8. Jaw-droppingly-bad commercials.

[Arugula Latte]

4. I don't want to think about Bill Gate's underwear creeping into his crack, m'kaythxbai

[nilram]

5. We PLANNED to not air those commercials we already produced

Jeeze, what kind of jokes would Steinfeld make about that!

[emulatorloo]

6. To me ads represented Windows perfectly -- dumb, lame, and illogical EOM

[Canuckistanian]

7. "aging comic"?, "has-been funnyman"??

He's only 54 years old and STILL very active. Hardly ready to be put out to pasture YET.

[Marlie]

9. Seinfeld will survive

He was paid ten million dollars for these ads. I'd suffer a little humiliation gladly!!
As far as Gates, he's back to being the richest man in the world again, so guess both of these
guys are laughing all the way to the bank.

[rucky]

10. They were mocking themselves by acting more like us.

what were they thinking?