Seriously?
A puking woman, supposedly because she found porn on her husband’s computer, was supposed to help Microsoft sell Internet Explorer 8?
Clearly the video, designed for the Web – not TV, was supposed to push the edge a bit. But Microsoft misjudged the potential reaction and pulled it from its “ie8video” YouTube channel yesterday after a bit of a backlash. And 255,000 views.
Titled “O.M.G.I.G.P.” I found it on YouTube here, consider yourself warned:
According to this story in the Brisbane Times, the spot was described by one veteran technology commentator as the “worst tech commercial ever”…
And in a statement, Microsoft said the ad was intended to be a “tongue-in-cheek” look at IE8’s InPrivate Browsing feature using “irreverent humour”.
Great, I’ll get IE8 so my wife won’t know when I’m looking at porn, thus preventing her from puking over my lack of respect for her.
That’s the sales hook? Nice.
Here’s the PR spin from the Microsoft statement: “While much of the feedback to this particular piece of creative was positive, some of our customers found it offensive, so we have removed it.”
“Much…” of the feedback. “Some…” of our customers.
Better to have “some” buzz, then “much” respect, right?
Puke? Porn?
To me, the trouble starts with the fact the clip was directed by “comedian” Bob Goldthwait, who starred in the Police Academy movies. Not necessarily a barrel of laughs. Goldthwait also directed the three other spots in the campaign featuring actor Dean Cain. Those other clips are mildly amusing, but still odd to say the least.
Poor Dean Cain.
Take the time to watch them and decide for yourself. I will say that the most amusing of the rest is titled “F.O.M.S.,” the Fear of Missing Something on the Web:
Here’s another one, “S.H.Y.N.E.S.S.”:
And the final, least funny of the three, “G.R.I.P.E.S.”:
Read Wheel on the Web via email
