There was an old Saturday Night Live game show skit that parodied '80s stand-up comedians, and Adam Sandler kept spouting the line, "Who were the ad wizards who came up with that one?"
I couldn’t help but recall that line when reading about Microsoft's recently pulled "puking ad" for Internet Explorer 8, which includes ex-Superman actor Dean Cain talking about IE8’s new “privacy feature” that lets users basically hide any Web surfing history from family members (let’s call it the anti-porn feature). The ad features a wife borrowing her husband’s computer and seeing what he was looking at, and basically vomiting for the rest of the ad.
After the online-only ad began making headlines across the Internet, Microsoft today pulled the ad from all Microsoft and third-party video Web sites - including the dedicated IE8 site, Browser for the Better.
A Microsoft spokesperson, via e-mail, said "We make a point of listening to our customers. We created the OMGIGP video as a tongue-in-cheek look at the InPrivate Browsing feature of Internet Explorer 8, using the same irreverent humor that our customers told us they liked about other components of the Internet Explorer 8 marketing campaign. While much of the feedback to this particular piece of creative was positive, some of our customers found it offensive, so we have removed it."
This isn't the first time a Microsoft ad has created controversy, or at least buzz. Here's a list of some more (least?) memorable ad efforts from Microsoft:
Songsmith - GarageBand killer?
After viewing this ad, I want to slap anyone who even considers buying a copy of Songsmith (is it even out?) instead of GarageBand for creating music on their computer. I'd rather buy glow-in-the-dark towels.
Seinfeld and Gates: Ads about nothing?
Last year, Microsoft paid Jerry Seinfeld a lot of money to do ads with Bill Gates, and after one (or two?) ran, they ditched the ad campaign. The first video had Bill and Jerry buying shoes together, and the second one had Jerry and Bill staying at a "normal" family's house. The second ad is a bit funnier than the first one, but a lot of people watched the ad and went, "what does this have to do with buying a PC?"
Cute kids are smarter than you
I joke with my wife that my kids one day are going to be rewiring my home network faster than I can, but I don't really believe it yet. But maybe Microsoft thinks so with this ad, in which a four-year-old is showing how easy it is to edit photos on a Windows PC. But the implication I get from the ad is that this kid is a genius, and I'm not.
Laptop Hunters: Lauren gets a PC
As a way to combat the "Mac vs. PC" ads that Apple brilliantly produces, we get the latest version of ads from Microsoft, showing that PCs are less expensive than "cooler" Macs, and have better hardware. The first ad was from "Lauren", who goes shopping for a PC, walks into an Apple store, comes out and says, "I'm not cool enough to be a Mac person." She then goes to a Best Buy, finds an HP Pavilion for under $1,000, and an off-screen guy gives her the cash.
On the surface, it's a cute ad, but then it was revealed that Lauren was an actress, which leads me to doubt the "reality" of these people shopping for PCs. Plus, they never mention Vista.
"DOS is going bye-bye!"
At first glance, this looks like a parody ad, but you soon realize that this was a real ad touting the new features of Windows 95, complete with cheese, cheese and cheese. And it's almost 9 minutes!
Microsoft gets sexy
On the surface, there's nothing wrong with this ad. I'm just not sure that Microsoft is the first thing you think of when you think "sexy". I guess this was banned in the U.S.
Windows XP flirts with Madonna
I really like Windows XP (I'm using it right now). But Microsoft is obsessed with celebrities, and in this commercial they used Madonna's "Ray of Light" song to advertise Windows XP, along with flying happy people.
Steve Ballmer as Crazy Eddie (or Billy Mays)
Ugh, the '80s. Enough said.
Finally, there's Bob
OK, this is not an ad per se, but just watching this will remind you how awful Microsoft Bob really was.
Seriously, Microsoft needs some new ad wizards.
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Lauren gets a PC
I actually thought it was a good ad - "I'm a PC and got just what I wanted". And of course they didn't mention Vista - would you boast you had Swine Flu?
I think the Apple, "I'm a PC" ads are good but elitist - Probably boosted Mac sales and made the Microsoft ad guys wince but did they really notice any dents in their sales against projections? If the opposition have to mock you then you must be doing something right (not exactly sure what, but you know what I mean).
And Lauren's an actor??!! Shock of shocks! 'Mac' and 'PC' are actors too - America, lighten up.
BTW, I'm a Linux but I doubt Apple or Microsoft really care - they're probably thinking more about "I'm a Google".
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