New Microsoft Ad Says Being Sexy Isn't Everything

by Jane McEntegart April 6, 2009 at 8:11 AM

Microsoft has released the latest installment of Laptop Hunter, the company’s advertising campaign which endeavors to find customers a laptop that meets their requirements all the while keeping within a certain budget.

This next advert focuses on Giampaulo, a “technically-savvy” young man who seeks portability, battery life and power for under $1,500. Giampaulo eventually settles on a HP (again, really?) with 4 GB of RAM, a GeForce 9600M GT, Windows Vista (Home Premium) and a 500 GB hard drive. Again, the buyer briefly considers an Apple computer before deciding that while the MacBook was “so sexy” he didn’t believe in paying for the brand as opposed to the performance.

This ad addresses the problem I had before (about Lauren visiting the Apple store first) and offers a logical reason for not buying an Apple machine. Giampaulo doesn’t believe in paying a huge price for a certain brand and makes it clear that he doesn’t WANT to buy one, and probably wouldn’t even if he had the money.

Click here to view the commercial on YouTube.

That said, while this ad hits the spot for me with the PC/Mac price argument, I can’t help but notice Microsoft has yet to advertise something manufactured by the company. Sure, point out that Macs are more expensive, and PCs are a much smarter option if you’re working from a specific budget or want something customizable, but if the Microsoft is counting this as part of the same campaign as those Bill Gates/Jerry Seinfeld ads (which also didn’t advertise anything), the company is spending $300 million shouting about hardware it can’t lay claim to. Sure, for every PC purchases, the average consumer will purchase a copy of Windows, but if I remember correctly, Microsoft has a new OS in the pipeline, surely it would do well to save its money advertising something it’s spent a lot of time, money and effort in creating?

Keeping the Mac vs. PC arguments to a minimum (if you can), do you think Microsoft would be best off spending its $300 million on products it can actually take credit for or do you think it’s pushing something that will ultimately up the sales of Windows is just smart marketing? Leave your thoughts below.

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Jane McEntegart @tomsguide

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Top Comments

theJ 9 years ago

Eh, i'm up for any ad that stops the Apple brainwashing. People need to know that Macs aren't more technologically advanced than PC's.

But, i do agree that HP, Dell, etc should be the ones advertising this. Meanwhile MS should focus on advertising the features that makes their OS more desirable.

I remember a Mac ad from a year or more back advertising their "unique" feature that would automatically backup your system every day without prompting, thus saving the users data in case of a system failure. Where was MS? They should have been advertising System Restore the next day.

But i digress. Yes, their marketing strategy is questionable.

Other Comments

Anonymous 9 years ago

This is the right approach. Windows users are losers who live in trailer parks. Of course money is important.
Think of how many cigarette packs they can buy with the savings.
LATTEH 9 years ago

XD if you look at the comments in the youtube channel its funny!
theJ 9 years ago

Eh, i'm up for any ad that stops the Apple brainwashing. People need to know that Macs aren't more technologically advanced than PC's.

But, i do agree that HP, Dell, etc should be the ones advertising this. Meanwhile MS should focus on advertising the features that makes their OS more desirable.

I remember a Mac ad from a year or more back advertising their "unique" feature that would automatically backup your system every day without prompting, thus saving the users data in case of a system failure. Where was MS? They should have been advertising System Restore the next day.

But i digress. Yes, their marketing strategy is questionable.
engrpiman 9 years ago

I live in a trailer park? Thank you for opening my eyes! My Ubuntu Notebook had pulled the shades over my eyes, and I forgot all about the dump I had been living in.

I liked the add and I think that it works. Why plaster the add with the Windows logo when you can bash apple and sell product at the same time. I am also in the same boat as the guy in the add. I wanted a Mac Book but when I looked at the price tag I decided to go for a sony VAIO instead.
roofus 9 years ago

I wouldn't acknowledge Apple as a threat to begin with. They have a small market share and it actually shrank in 2008. Their numbers are skewed to begin with because of academic "requirements" to purchase one in some universities. You always know when someone has got over that hump around here because there is a flood of the things that they "wanted so bad" for sale.
Anonymous 9 years ago

Microsoft's ads would be a lot more impressive if they weren't so obviously scripted - and if they were advertising a product that was stable, reliable, and reasonably priced. Microsoft products are unstable, unreliable, and priced outrageously (not to mention the dizzying array of "flavors" of their flagship operating system - how is Joe Consumer supposed to guess which one he really needs?).
Anonymous 9 years ago

i would say more students are "required" to purchase pcs than macs. especially for med school, law, and engineering. be careful before using blanket statements like that roofus.
gwellin 9 years ago

They are relating to the majority of computer users. If you buy a PC you are buying M$. The adds don't have to advertise a particular product to be successful. Everyone of you remembers the Bill/Jerry adds because they were funny and didn't push a product down your throats.
Anonymous 9 years ago

I honestly don't think this will cause Apple execs to raise too many eyebrows. Apple long ago decided they don't WANT to be a larger company on the scale of Microsoft, and they don't want tens of millions of people using their computers. Otherwise, they'd have to increase their support staff multi-fold in order to handle all of the users (hence, less money in the big guy's pockets). They seem to be completely happy and content in the fact that there is a subculture of Apple zombies who will buy anything with the logo on it with no questions. Most of us are bright enough to realize that buying a computer with half the processing power for twice the price isn't a good deal, so we can be happy in knowing we're not getting the shaft for the sake of a Titanium case and glowing piece of fruit on the cover. Let the others enjoy their fruit.
JMcEntegart 9 years ago

gwellinThey are relating to the majority of computer users. If you buy a PC you are buying M$. The adds don't have to advertise a particular product to be successful. Everyone of you remembers the Bill/Jerry adds because they were funny and didn't push a product down your throats.

Fair enough but I still maintain it wasn't worth the $10 million they paid Seinfeld.
Anonymous 9 years ago

This is possibly one of the worst ad campaigns in history. The apple ads (i'm a mac, i'm a pc) are not at all about how sexy a mac is (although they are sexy). The ads are about functionality, the earliest ones were about not having viruses or crashing. This is Microsoft's version of the anti-Obama ad calling him the world's biggest celebrity, and ignoring all of his substantive policies. Just because something looks good, does not mean that it is functionally better on the inside. Apple's ads have never been about what processor you get, the hardware is a platform on which the software functionality is served. Microsoft still doesn't get it, and they only make software.
matt2624 9 years ago

I think it's a great ad. I'm not "anti-Apple", per se, as I own an iPod Touch and it's an amazing device. But not everyone can afford their "premium". I especially don't appreciate how Apple locks everything down, and places you in their own little jail. PCs have much more flexibility, are easier and cheaper to upgrade and customize, and, all around, provide more 'bang for the buck'.
onerec 9 years ago

come on guys, APPLE is selling products with high prices but the hardware is not good enough. Its like a person with a nice look but have no money.
Anonymous 9 years ago

I wonder if Microsoft wouldn't rather spend that 300 Million in solving ALL of the Windows Vista problems!
If I stand correct, I use both Vista and MacOS (in diferent laptops) and I work much faster in Mac: let's see, the software doesn't take so long to load or close, as I close down the lid, it goes into sleep mode, I lift the lid it wakes up instantaniously, weights half as much as the PC and looks great!
I sincerely hope Microsoft works out a better OS with Windows 7 a gives Apple a run for their money (competition is healthy!) but I can't see how! For years they got money from customers who bought windows and other Microsoft software because their wasn't anything BETTER in the market, now that there is, everybody goes to a SIMPLER computer with EASIER software (Apple Mac's come preloaded with a bunch of software). As an example I just bought a PC for desk and my Graphic board and motherboard don't bring any MPEG2 decoder for DVD! DVD MAN!!!!! Old fossil optical discs! In my mac I just get it in the drive and open front row (which by the way supports IR remote natively) but in the PC I had to download an extra codec! (freeware in this case)!
Anonymous 9 years ago

Say what you will about being against Windows, BUT.....the FACT REMAINS that 94% of the entire world's needs are done with Windows. That includes everything from cash registers, bridges, navigation, you name it! Unless and until that HUGE STATISTIC changes much toward another OS, I'll stick with the proven leader! Enough said! (If you can't keep windows running right, either you try to tweak too much without knowing what you are doing to start with, or you just don't "GET IT!") Gotta ask yourself why YOU are having so many problems while the world sails on. Would be nice if third-party software developers got wiser.

Windows runs most of the entire WORLD'S computers, whatever they do. THAT is a FACT. Why go with anything less? For me, I will stick with the leader.
Anonymous 9 years ago

Say what you will about being against Windows, BUT.....the FACT REMAINS that 94% of the entire world's needs are done with Windows. That includes everything from cash registers, bridges, navigation, you name it! Unless and until that HUGE STATISTIC changes much toward another OS, I'll stick with the proven leader! Enough said! (If you can't keep windows running right, either you try to tweak too much without knowing what you are doing to start with, or you just don't "GET IT!") Gotta ask yourself why YOU are having so many problems while the world sails on. Would be nice if third-party software developers got wiser.

Windows runs most of the entire WORLD'S computers, whatever they do. THAT is a FACT. Why go with anything less? For me, I will stick with the leader.
Hatecrime69 9 years ago

the only part i find interesting is that this 'guy' cared about battery life, yet buys a laptop that reviews claim under 2 hours battery life..now I don't really like attack ads in general, but if your gonna do it at least pick a better choice than a ~15 pound, desktop replacement

But these ad's scream to me as hp paying microsoft to do the ads, in both commercials they both end up with hp laptops? It's not like they are the only laptop maker in town
Anonymous 9 years ago

Microsoft - being a software company is totally missing the point here. I mean kudos to HP for getting free adverts!

Not trying to start anything here, but Jobs was right when he said it's all about "software software software". Why is Microsoft advertising hardware?
niz 9 years ago

I think Microsoft would be better spending the money on windows itself, making sure their next operating system doesn't suck as bad as Vista.
Microsoft do very well at advertising and hyping stuff up. What they don't get is that its more important that the product itself is good.
hardwarekid9756 9 years ago

IMO, I think microsoft is taking the right tack. They are advertising hardware, sure, but that is what microsoft is good at: playing nice. They can be a jerk sometimes, but the idea of MS is that they place nicely with hardware and software, or at least moreso than Apple. You GET the choice, the price flexibility, and the software expansion. Microsoft IS the company of "And me" (All of your choices of software, and me) not "Only me." (only the hardware we give you, and only me) Advertising that you can use it with other people's brand is a big deal, imo. Windows 7 will sell itself thanks to the hype-machine.

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