Contrary to popular rumour; Microsoft may have not yet pulled the plug on the Gates/Seinfeld advertisment series.

According to Gizmodo.com:-

“From a trusted Crispin Porter source, we’ve learned that some sites have jumped the gun and that the Microsoft Gates/Seinfeld ads have not been axed. It’s true, Microsoft apparently asked the agency to focus on the new “I’m a PC” spots. And it’s true, the agency has gotten plenty of “I don’t know what this means” response in their measured statistics of the Gates/Seinfeld ads. But no one has pulled the plug on the dynamic duo just yet.”

There are more Seinfeld/Gates adverts in the pipeline then: That’ll come as a relief to Apple; who thought the Softies might be about to produce something that would be more effective in countering the successful Apple advertising campaign.

But according to other reports; Microsoft are ready to step up a gear after their ads which have got everybody talking about Microsoft. In the next series Apple’s strategy is ripped into with a Microsoft engineer resembling a character in Apple’s ads appearing with the words “Hello, I’m a PC, and I’ve been made into a stereotype.”

The renewed campaign carries the theme “Windows. Life without walls”. Microsoft intend to turn Apples own tables on them; by using the image of the PC that the Apple ads have attempted to generate – but against Apple.

It appears that Seinfeld has no further part to play in the forthcoming advertising campaign; at least initially and for the foreseeable future; although Bill Gates is set to remain very much a player, along with Eva Longoria, author Deepak Chopra, and singer Pharrell Williams – These stars play regular PC users who confirm their happiness at running PCs utilising Microsoft software. (I really do hope that they’re not still trying to convince the public that Vista is any good though; otherwise the new ads will be about as effective as a Windows ME salesman giving away a pound of apples with every purchase.)

Also starring in the Advertisments are 60-plus other Microsoft employees (Including and extra to Bill Gates.) – An unusual example of how; in a few cases, being company-employed can make you rich – all of whom publicly display their email addresses: Spammers take note.

Microsoft want to take back the initiative from Apple and be positively realistic about the benefits of the PC. Apple have tried with some success to negatively caricature the PC; but Microsoft want to reverse this without dragging Apple through the mud. If it works it could strengthen the flagging dominance of Microsoft as a market-leader possibly; but having said that the proof of the pudding is in the eating – Microsoft are going to have to ensure that Windows 7 is a markedly better than and totally bug-free operating system compared to Vista; which is still being compared to ME as a total flop.

Advertising agency Crispin Porter; who produce the Microsoft series of advertisments ,appear to have thusfar acted true to form by first getting everybody talking prior to the main thrust of the campaign designed to reverse the tactic used by Apple of PC mockery whilst glorifying the Mac.

What do you think about this strategy?