Dear Bill Gates: I Don't Get It

I don’t blame Bill Gates for wanting to get into the quirky commercial game. I mean, how long can the poor man go on being roundly lampooned in those brilliant, if ubiquitous and annoying and well past their prime, “Mac vs PC” ads? The Apple brand has positioned itself so clearly in those spots. They are young, hip, cool, and smug. Microsoft is paunchy, balding, middle-aged and completely unaware of its own shortcomings. I get it. I get what they are trying to do.

Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld doing various shenanigans? I’m not sure I get it.

Bill comes across as a good sport, and somewhat charming and lovable in the spots, particularly the one where Bill and Jerry shop for discount shoes (The Conquistador!), but what do they say about the Microsoft brand? I don’t think I should have to think about it. With the Mac ads the intention is clean, simple, and obvious. With Microsoft it’s just like “Okay, Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld are engaging in shenanigans. What’s the point?