If you are going to create an attack ad, it better be either irrefutably in-the-right or incredibly clever. This ad makes the case that the Chromebook is not a real laptop, that when it is not connected to the internet, it is “pretty much a brick.” I don’t own a Chromebook, and I’m not necessarily a Chromebook fan, but fair is fair. A “brick”? It took me all of 2 minutes reading reviews to dispel this myth.
I get the fact that the Chromebook might not be as useful when you are not connected to the net, given that it was designed with Google’s online suite of apps in mind. But not one review I read implied that the Chromebook is useless when off-line.
I was also bothered by the line the ad walks between reality series and marketing. This text is from the Microsoft Scroogled site that hosts the video.
At Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, it’s all about separating the real deal from the imitation—and the Google Chromebook sticks out like a sore thumb.
Rick and his crew are leery of the Chromebook—and you should be, too.
To me, there’s an implication (however subtle) that the gang from Pawn Stars is reacting to the Chromebook as they would to any item presented on their show. But, of course, they are presumably being compensated by Microsoft.
I think this ad is both badly written and mean-spirited, a terrible combination. Build a better product, hire a crack team of satirists, then take your aim.
Nobody outside of PR and HR uses the word utilise.
Build a better product period. Then it will speak for itself.
Since the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads finished 4 years ago, I don’t think Apple ads knock the competition. They just show what you can do with Apple’s product and let you decide that you want one.
All this Scroogled stuff from Microsoft spends more time mentioning the competitor product than the Microsoft one (so does the Nokia tablet ad). That seems like a risky strategy to me if the “no such thing as bad publicity” saying holds true…
With this ad and all the other ads they’ve done in the last few years, Microsoft has clearly demonstrated that they indeed “have no taste.” Their attempts at humor and satire have almost always fallen flat, and have sometimes even been outright offensive. If there were ever a time when they needed a new, fresh, young CEO with a vision and a willingness to take risks, that time is definitely now. They are seriously lost.
This is the company that featured a projectile vomiting woman in an ad for IE8. The bar for their advertising is so low you could trip on it.
I like how they define a ‘real’ laptop as one that runs Windows and Office.
“You might get to Reno” lol
Yeah, that’s the line that stood out for me. Clearly then by there definition MacBook Pro and MacBook Airs are not “real” laptops, unless they’re running Boot Camp. Microsoft is as ever completely out of touch.
I just opened my Chromebook Pixel, turned off all connections, and easily opened Google Drive with full editing capabilities. I didn’t test every app but the SDK provides offline options so those who make sense to work offline [games, productivity, etc] work. Those who don’t [social networks, etc] don’t.
Microsoft’s ads bring more attention to competing products than promote their own. I wonder how many people were made curious, or even aware, of ChromeBooks by these ads? If they honestly believe their only “advantages” over competitors are Windows and Office, they truly have no clue.
Hey Pawn Stars, how much for this Microsoft Surface RT? It has windows and office.
My first thought to your comment was “no, they don’t think Office and Windows are their only advantages” but in thinking…I really can’t think of another ad showing any other feature. Only other one is the new start screen [the tiles].
Interesting.
I’m genuinely surprised they used the word “iTunes” in a commercial.
Apple doesn’t knock the competition via commercials anymore because they are no longer seen as the underdog in these fights.
They need a new CEO that is outside of the Redmond bubble and new advertising and PR agencies.
They are completely out of touch.
They definitely think Office is one of their few advantages. They were treating “Office” as an exclusive software title for Surface and ignored the other successful tablet platforms. They thought the promise of Office for only their platform would make a huge difference in the consumer’s purchasing decision.
MS really is running out of advantages and cards to play.
I thought the same thing. Trying to leach off of apple any way they can.
Well, they never had any taste, so they cannot have lost it. SJ hit the nail spot on when he said that.
But the hint of deseperation is troubling. There must be at least someone with any clue in Redmond no ?
Remember the mock funerals they held..? That was rather lacking in taste too.
I’ll give you $1 for it..! 😉
Is the Guy realy saying that a real laptop has a built in application like iTunes? (0:35)
I’ll trade this Zune for it!
With the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads, a lot of people found them amusing, and PC likable. Microsoft now recognizes who it really is competing with, but has confused going on the offensive with just being offensive.
In all honesty, it is an advantage and a worthy consideration but, as I discussed with my wife last night, the Surface 2’s promise comes in form of an Office workflow and IE requirements. There aren’t many people looking for personal, work office specific tablets for themselves.
Yes, this kind of advertising is an admission that you’re not in first place. Like the Coke vs Pepsi ads that I’m pretty sure only Pepsi does. Not 100 percent sure on that, but I’ve only ever seen Pepsi do that kind of advertising.
I realize lots of people use Office, but does anyone love Office? I’m not sure it’s the advantage Microsoft thinks it is. I hate using Word, Excel, Powerpoint, I only do it when I have to because clients send me stuff in Word, etc. And I hear them complain a lot about using Office.
Good point re: personal vs business usage. For the past couple of decades, Office and, to some extend, IE, have been “business requirements”. As the proliferation of free alternatives such as Google Docs and OpenOffice, and now iWork; and as web apps become friendlier to non-IE browsers, these requirements are becoming moot. It’s much tougher for CIOs to insist on Windows platform other platforms offer same if not better solutions without busting the budget. Not to mention push backs from users, often at an executive level.
If Microsoft doesn’t acknowledge their weaknesses very soon and addresses them, they run a very real risk of becoming irrelevant. As Space Gorilla pointed out, very few, if any, love Office. They need to figure out why people hate Office and fix that before enough people flock to alternative solutions to render Office “non-essential” to businesses. Bad-mouthing others will not endear them to disillusioned users.
While we’re on the subject of MS being tin-eared, how about this for perpetuating gender sterotypes..?
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/we-got-your-back
Agreed.
I use to love Office. I even taught Office in a “community center” for well over a year but never use it, even while teaching. Google Docs is my default.
My daughter (7th grade) had work to do and she said “I need Word.” I asked why Word and not Google Docs. Her response was “there is a font I like to use.” 🙂 Needless to say, she used Google Docs and Word is not installed.
Edit:
I say the bit about my daughter because it shows the mindset is “I need Word” but very few need the robustness of Word. They need to type, style, and print.
It gets more cringeworthy: http://advertising.microsoft.com/en-ca/videos#uuid=269ecb97-bcf1-420f-a044-92b9982e4acd
Marketing and Sales do, too.
Accountants and analysts love Excel. Middle managers love PowerPoint because it allows them to pretend they can design.
I’d bet that this ad was created while Ballmer was still around. It has Sales bombast written all over it. Condescending snark from a team that fewer and fewer people will put up with, even for free drinks at the bar.
Marketing rule #1, don’t knock the competition. Apparently the folks in Redmond didn’t get that memo. All this kind of stuff does is make people wonder why MSFT are running scared of Google. It drives interest to the competition not to Microsoft.
Now i am glad I dumped cable! Bad reality show stars shows are taking over traditional educational channels for adults. History Channel, A&E and others are now just bad reality programing.
I really think a major difference is that the Apple ads were for the Mac. These MS ads are not for Microsoft as much as they are against Google.
I don’t think people love office per se. They use it and have learnt how to use it – and the love it simply because they already know how to use it.
Just like how people ‘love’ Windows imho. They ‘love’ it because that’s what they’re most familiar with and what most people are more likely to be faimilar with. And everything else is a bear trying to eat them.
We had that Pawnstar guy as a guest speaker once. He not only was full of hot air, he was rude to the driver who brought him from the airport to the point she was in tears. What a jerk. Just the kind of person Microsoft would like as a spokesperson I guess.