Microsoft's "I'm a PC" Campaign

When companies have to resort to knocking the opposition you tend to worry about the quality of their own products. That was my initial thought when I saw Apple's "I'm Mac, I'm a PC" adverts, and it has been re-enforced by the latest from both Microsoft and Apple.

This post though is to analyse the current Microsoft advertisement. Is there an unwritten law that says, the larger the company, the more banal their advertising? I am certain someone has already made the connection between the "I'm a PC" slogan, and the hopelessly PC approach to its make up. We are presented with a series of testimonials from "quirky" individuals, conveniently made up of photogenic "characters" from all races, backgrounds and age groups. All with a musical bed stolen from Seinfeld, to emphasise the zany nature of the advert.

There has been some money spent on this campaign, with high production levels and impressive software on the accompanying website, but throwing money at a project has never resulted in quality. We start with a blatant pastiche of the Apple adverts, before being force-fed diversity, worthiness and credibility. There are supposedly challenging elements such as the graffiti artist, and the embarrassing moment when a bearded man claims his facial hair is his individuality. The music stops, we are given a beat to take in the hilarity of his claim, and to wonder if it shows just how conservative the company really is.

The art direction is also poor, following the American trend of placing a world renowned landmark in every foreign location shot. Although, I heard a very Kermodian remark recently stating that, "no one ever got poor underestimating their audience".

I've been ill these last few days, and the number of times it has been on the television has been shocking. There is no doubt that it will work.