Microsoft/Seinfeld Ads Continue to Baffle

Sam Gustin writes: The second installment of Microsoft's ad campaign featuring Jerry Seinfeld has been released and it's not garnering much better reviews than the first one.

In the new ad, Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld have moved in with a suburban family in order to connect with "real people." They eat dinner, play ping-pong, and do other domestic-type activities.

As Seinfeld explains to Gates, "You and I are a little out of it. You're living in some kind of moon house hovering over Seattle like the mothership. I've got so many cars I get stuck in my own traffic. We need to connect with real people."

But many people continue to be baffled by the ads. TechCrunch's Michael Arrington says he "remains confused" by the campaign.

"Microsoft is highlighting the fact that they are out of touch.," he writes. "But instead of saying they'll mingle with real people to build better products, the message seems to be that the real people need to get with the program."

In a blog post, Microsoft's Chris Flores attempts to explain the ads by calling them "icebreakers."

"Just as somebody might tell a joke to lighten up a room or get somebody's attention before changing gears, these first ads were designed to tap people on the shoulder and say 'Excuse me. We're back and We'd love a few moments of your time.'"

Flores insists that the full campaign will "tell the Windows story." I can't wait.