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			{{short description\|Microsoft television advertising campaign}}
	]
			]'s "PC" character in Apple's ads]] ]
	'''"I'm a PC"''' is the title for a television ] created for ] by ad agency ] (CPB) in mid-September, 2008 in order to "]" the reputation of the ] computer ].<ref>{{cite web
			"'''I'm a PC'''" (also known as '''Pride''') is a television ] created for ] by ad agency ] (CPB). The series first began to appear in September, 2008.<ref>{{cite web \|last=Carlson \|first=Nicholas \|date=19 September 2008 \|title=Microsoft's new "I'm a PC" commercials want you to "Think Different" \|url=http://valleywag.com/5052167/microsofts-new-im-a-pc-commercials-want-you-to-think-different \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080930054930/http://valleywag.com/5052167/microsofts-new-im-a-pc-commercials-want-you-to-think-different \|archive-date=30 September 2008 \|access-date=2008-09-30 \|website=Valleywag}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Keizer \|first=Gregg \|date=18 September 2008 \|title=Microsoft's 'I'm a PC' ad images made on Macs \|url=http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9115120 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923065422/http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9115120 \|archive-date=23 September 2008 \|website=Computerworld}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news \|date=19 September 2008 \|title=Microsoft ad campaign: I'm a PC, declared with pride \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/sep/19/microsoft.advertising \|access-date=7 August 2024 \|work=The Guardian \|language=en-GB \|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The new series of commercials replace those that featured the pairing of ] and ].
	\| last = Carlson
	\| first = Nicholas
	\| authorlink = http://valleywag.com/people/AlleyWag/posts/
	\| coauthors =
	\| title = Microsoft's new "I'm a PC" commercials want you to "Think Different"
	\| work =
	\| publisher = Vallywag
	\| date = 19 Sept. 2008
	\| url = http://valleywag.com/5052167/microsofts-new-im-a-pc-commercials-want-you-to-think-different
	\| accessdate = 2008-09-30}}</ref><ref name="computerworld.com1">, By Gregg Keizer, ] ( on ], Spetember 20, 2008)</ref> The campaign replaces a series of commercials featuring the pairing of ] and ], which failed to find an audience.<ref name="smh.com1">, by Asher Moses, ], September 24, 2008 ( on thevine.com.au)</ref><ref name="betanews.com1">, by Jacqueline Emigh, ], September 22, 2008</ref><ref name="mashable.com1">, by Mark Hopkins (mashable.com)</ref>

			The $300 million advertising campaign was designed to challenge ] ] campaign, in which a ] ] is personified as an uninteresting office employee overly concerned with work, by showing everyday people to be PC users, thus breaking the perceived stereotype depicted in the Get a Mac commercials.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|last=Moses \|first=Asher \|date=25 September 2008 \|title=New Microsoft ads made on a Mac \|url=http://www.thevine.com.au/news/articles/new-microsoft-ads-made-on-a-mac.aspx \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721221611/http://www.thevine.com.au/news/articles/new-microsoft-ads-made-on-a-mac.aspx \|archive-date=21 July 2011 \|website=TheVine}}</ref>
	The $300 million dollar advertising campaign was designed to challenge Apple's "elitist Mac user vibe" "]" campaign by showing everyday PC users, such as scientists and teachers, noting the virtues of their platform of choice.<ref name="smh.com1"/> It also featured prominent and popular individuals saying "I'm a PC" and had appearances by personalities such as medical doctor and writer ], actor ], photographer ] and singer ].

	The campaign has been lampooned since it's commercials were revealed to have been created largely on Apple computers, and some of the endorsers are notable supporters of various Apple products.<ref name="computerworld.com1"/> an embarrassment compounded by Microsoft's responding by purposely ] Apple-specific "]" from images of the commercials.<ref name="informationweek.com1">, by Dave Methvin, ] blog, September 21, 2008</ref><ref name="smh.com1"/>

	==Campaign==		==Campaign==
			The ad series features prominent and popular individuals saying "I'm a PC" and has appearances by common international users as well as personalities such as writer ], mixed martial artist ], actress ], photographer ] and singer ].
	]
⚫	The ~~"I'm a PC" advertising~~ campaign was created by the CPB advertising agency and exhibited normal PC users to be found everywhere. It was the second phase of Microsoft's 2008 efforts to displace the ubiquity of Apple's "~~Mac~~ ~~Vs.~~ PC" ads, which portrayed the Mac as "cool and intuitive" and the PC as "boring and clunky".<ref name="~~smh.com1~~"/> The Microsoft spots typically opened with an image of ],<ref ~~name~~="gizmodo.~~com1">, By Mark Wilson,~~ ], ~~September~~ ~~19, 2008</ref>~~ a ~~Microsoft~~ ~~employee~~ ~~claiming~~ "I'm a PC, and I've been made into a stereotype".

		⚫	The campaign was created by the CPB advertising agency and exhibited normal PC users to be found everywhere. It was the second phase of Microsoft's 2008 efforts to displace the ubiquity of Apple's "Get a Mac" ads, which portrayed the Mac as "cool and intuitive" and the PC as "boring and clunky".<ref name=":1" /> The Microsoft spots typically opened with an image of Sean Siler,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Wilson \|first=Mark \|date=19 September 2008 \|title=So What's Up With That New 'I'm a PC' Guy, Anyway? \|url=http://gizmodo.com/5052411/so-whats-up-with-that-new-im-a-pc-guy-anyway \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826173002/http://gizmodo.com/5052411/so-whats-up-with-that-new-im-a-pc-guy-anyway \|archive-date=26 August 2017 \|website=Gizmodo}}</ref> an actual Microsoft employee dressed as ]'s personification of a PC stating lines such as "I'm a PC, and I've been made into a stereotype" and "I'm a PC, and I am not alone."
	The composition was made to be similar to that of Apple's campaign, as Siler bears a resemblance to ], the "PC" counterpart to ] as a Mac in the Apple "Mac Vs. PC" television ad campaign.<ref name="upi.com1">, ]</ref><ref name="computerworld.com1"/> The campaign ads also feature common international users as well as noted celebrities like Deepak Chopra, Geoff Green, Eva Longoria and Pharrell Williams, all noting "I'm a PC".

			The composition was initially made to resemble that of the Apple campaign, as Siler resembles Hodgman, the "PC" counterpart to ] as a Mac in the Apple commercials.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web \|date=21 September 2008 \|title=Magazine: Microsoft ad uses Mac software \|url=https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/09/21/Magazine-Microsoft-ad-uses-Mac-software/24661221976279/ \|access-date=7 August 2024 \|website=UPI \|language=en}}</ref>
	The advertisements are also interspersed with various non-famous users who proclaim "I'm a PC" from a variety of places and in a number of methods. One such is user "Meaghan", displaying the words written on a ] while underwater in a shark cage. When the shark bumps the cage, Meaghan flips the whiteboard over to display the additional, humorous message, "and I'm afraid". The intent is to demonstrate how PC users are ordinary people, contrasting the "Mac Vs. PC" campaign's negative portrayal of Windows users. <ref name="macnn.com1">, (MacNN.com)</ref>

			The advertisements are also interspersed with various non-famous users who proclaim "I'm a PC" from a variety of places and in a number of methods. The intent is to demonstrate how PC users are ordinary people.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 September 2008 \|title='I'm a PC' ad pictures made on a Mac \|url=http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/09/22/im.a.pc.pics.made.on.a.mac/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506151423/http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/09/22/im.a.pc.pics.made.on.a.mac/ \|archive-date=6 May 2016 \|website=MacNN}}</ref>
	==Criticism==

			===Windows 7===
	Departing from what has been negatively deemed "enigmatic teaser" commercials featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the new advertisements directly challenge the "Mac Vs. PC" campaign by Apple in what '']'' reporter Stuart Elliott notes as a typical CPB counterstrike campaign.<ref name="nytimes.com1">, by Stuart Elliott, ], September 17, 2008</ref>
			Touting the then-upcoming ] as Microsoft's best ever operating system, ] said during his CES 2009 presentation "That's why we say, 'I'm a PC and proud of it'!".<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Griggs \|first=Brandon \|date=8 January 2009 \|title=Microsoft's Ballmer touts 'best version of Windows ever' \|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/08/microsoft.ballmer/index.html \|access-date=27 October 2023 \|website=CNN Edition}}</ref>

			Upon the release of ], Microsoft aired several advertisements under this campaign demonstrating the features of their new operating system. The ads typically focus on one person and end with the tagline "I'm a PC and Windows 7 was my idea."
	Advertising industry insiders noted how the aggressive new campaign is reminiscent of the response by ] to ] "We're Number 2" ad campaign with the ] campaign, responding to the challenger brand by pointing out that while Avis was proud of being in second place, Hertz wanted to point out why it was number one.<ref name="valleywag.com1">, (valleywag.com)</ref><ref name="nytimes.com1"/><ref name="idealog.co.nz1">, By Vincent Heeringa, ], Originally published in Idealog #6, page 110</ref>

	As noted earlier, it was revealed that the entire series of "I'm a PC" commercials were created on Apple's Macintosh computers, using the ] ], ].<ref name="computerworld.com1"/> Initially discovered by a ] user<ref name="fool.com1">, by Tim Beyers, ], September 22, 2008</ref> who noted traces of Apple's ] and Adobe's CS3 graphics editing programs embedded within press-released images of the commercials. '']'' magazine concurs, noting that when the file properties of the campaign images made available on the Microsoft press site are examined, the designation "Adobe Photoshop C3 Macintosh" can be seen.<ref name="computerworld.com1"/> After the discovery began circulating, Microsoft responded overnight by digitally ] the Apple-related ] from the images. which ballooned the image file size from 272 KB to 852 KB.<ref name="roughlydrafted.com1">, by Daniel Eran Dilger (RoughlyDrafted.com), September 19th, 2008</ref><ref name="informationweek.com1"/><ref name="smh.com1"/>

	In an official press release, Microsoft stated "As is common in almost all campaign workflow, agencies and production houses use a wide variety of software and hardware to create, edit and distribute content, including both Macs and PCs."<ref name="smh.com1"/> John Paczkowski of ''Digital Daily'' notes that "(t)he irony is enough to make your head explode. The latest evolution of Microsoft’s (MSFT) new ad campaign–the one designed to seize back control of the Windows PC image that Apple has so mercilessly tarred and feathered–wasn’t even made on a PC."

	Though considering the statement a "non-denial denial", Tim Beyers of '']'' notes that the campaign initially appears to have achieved its goals.<ref name="fool.com1"/> Conversely, Jack Loftus of '']'' noted that if Apple were smart, they would have another Hodgman/Long ] making fun of this oversight "produced and in the can ''yesterday''".<ref name="gizmodo.com2">, ]</ref> Zach Epstein of ''BoyGenius Report'' also points out that the irony of the discovery is detrimental to Microsoft's efforts.<ref name="gizmodo.com2"/>

	Further criticism notes the choice of spokespeople used in the "I'm a PC" campaign. Jerry Seinfeld, Deepak Chopra, Eva Longoria and Pharrell Williams are all notably vocal Macintosh owners and fans.<ref name="smh.com1"/> Seinfeld's eponymous character from '']'' uses a Macintosh,<ref name="gawker.com">, (gawker.com)</ref> and Longoria personally uses a ]. Chopra uses one as well, and Williams uses a Macintosh in his recording studio.<ref name="macmod.com1">, by Chris Tangora (macmod.com), September 20, 2008</ref><ref name="jossip.com1">, by David Hauslaib (jossip.com)</ref>

	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist\|2}}		{{reflist\|2}}{{Microsoft}}
			]

			]
	==External links==
			]
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			]
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	]		]
	]		]

Latest revision as of 11:43, 12 August 2024

Microsoft television advertising campaign

Sean Siler, a Microsoft employee featured in the ad campaign resembles John Hodgman's "PC" character in Apple's ads

"I'm a PC" (also known as Pride) is a television advertising campaign created for Microsoft by ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CPB). The series first began to appear in September, 2008. The new series of commercials replace those that featured the pairing of Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates.

The $300 million advertising campaign was designed to challenge Apple's Get a Mac campaign, in which a Microsoft Windows PC is personified as an uninteresting office employee overly concerned with work, by showing everyday people to be PC users, thus breaking the perceived stereotype depicted in the Get a Mac commercials.

Campaign

The ad series features prominent and popular individuals saying "I'm a PC" and has appearances by common international users as well as personalities such as writer Deepak Chopra, mixed martial artist Rashad Evans, actress Eva Longoria, photographer Geoff Green and singer Pharrell Williams.

The campaign was created by the CPB advertising agency and exhibited normal PC users to be found everywhere. It was the second phase of Microsoft's 2008 efforts to displace the ubiquity of Apple's "Get a Mac" ads, which portrayed the Mac as "cool and intuitive" and the PC as "boring and clunky". The Microsoft spots typically opened with an image of Sean Siler, an actual Microsoft employee dressed as John Hodgman's personification of a PC stating lines such as "I'm a PC, and I've been made into a stereotype" and "I'm a PC, and I am not alone."

The composition was initially made to resemble that of the Apple campaign, as Siler resembles Hodgman, the "PC" counterpart to Justin Long as a Mac in the Apple commercials.

The advertisements are also interspersed with various non-famous users who proclaim "I'm a PC" from a variety of places and in a number of methods. The intent is to demonstrate how PC users are ordinary people.

Windows 7

Touting the then-upcoming Windows 7 as Microsoft's best ever operating system, Steve Ballmer said during his CES 2009 presentation "That's why we say, 'I'm a PC and proud of it'!".

Upon the release of Windows 7, Microsoft aired several advertisements under this campaign demonstrating the features of their new operating system. The ads typically focus on one person and end with the tagline "I'm a PC and Windows 7 was my idea."

References

Carlson, Nicholas (19 September 2008). "Microsoft's new "I'm a PC" commercials want you to "Think Different"". Valleywag. Archived from the original on 30 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
^ Keizer, Gregg (18 September 2008). "Microsoft's 'I'm a PC' ad images made on Macs". Computerworld. Archived from the original on 23 September 2008.
"Microsoft ad campaign: I'm a PC, declared with pride". The Guardian. 19 September 2008. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
^ Moses, Asher (25 September 2008). "New Microsoft ads made on a Mac". TheVine. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
Wilson, Mark (19 September 2008). "So What's Up With That New 'I'm a PC' Guy, Anyway?". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017.
"Magazine: Microsoft ad uses Mac software". UPI. 21 September 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
"'I'm a PC' ad pictures made on a Mac". MacNN. 22 September 2008. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016.
Griggs, Brandon (8 January 2009). "Microsoft's Ballmer touts 'best version of Windows ever'". CNN Edition. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

Microsoft Corporation

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"Where do you want to go today?" (1994)
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