Is Seinfeld's Microsoft Partnership a Joke?

No Vista for you?!

In what is viewed as an attempt to take a bite out of competitor Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT) enlisted comedian Jerry Seinfeld, 54, to headline a $300 million advertising campaign that will net  the former sitcom star a reported $10 million.

That's double the $5 million American Express (AXP) paid him ten years ago, when he was fresh off the success of his eponymous sitcom's finish. Is he really twice as popular today?

That very question is on the minds of technophiles and marketing strategists. Even though Macs only represent an estimated 8%  of the U.S. market share, Apple has long lobbed shots at Microsoft in “Mac vs. PC” ads that displayed a decidedly cooler Mac guy (Drew Barrymore's ex, Justin Long), next to a stodgy PC man (who closely resembles MS icon Bill Gates). Will Seinfeld give Microsoft the last laugh and a needed dose of hipness?

'SEINFELD MAY HELP'
Maybe. “Jerry's image may reduce the negative reactions from Apple's commercial and help revitalize the Microsoft brand as a whole,” says Dan Schawbel, a Generation Y personal branding expert.  The new advertisements might rebut Apple's previous campaign, which positioned the company as primitive and dull, says Schawbel.

'THIS IS GOING TO BOMB'
Others disagree. Using an actor whose namesake show featured a Macintosh that was updated throughout the years might not be the best solution, says Rob Frankel,  a Los Angeles -based brand expert. “Seinfeld is a good comedian, but has zero credibility,” says Frankel.  “This is going to bomb out big time –you should never use celebrity. Celine Dion did nothing for Chrysler and Sarah Jessica Parker practically tanked the Gap (GPS).”

The new campaign slogan is reportedly variations of “Windows, Not Walls”, and features Jerry Seinfeld in various parts of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Still, the question remains whether Seinfeld can break down barriers –particularly among the younger generation or the “creative class.”  Seinfeld went off the air in 1998 and his last role was a voiceover in the animated film flop: Bee Movie.  But with a fan base that skews more towards 28 - 50, Seinfeld is the “perfect match because most of Microsoft's customers are corporate decision makers, who are typically older,” says Schawbel.

But a few things they are missing with this marketing are that size and money are completely irrelevant to creative people, says Frankel. “Creative people take pride in not going along with the crowd, and the different crowd is growing,” says Frankel. After years of being hammered, Apple is growing in market share.

"Do you really think Seinfeld will convince your kid to not get an iPod and to get a Microsoft product?” asks Frankel. Adding that the software giant’s biggest mistake is responding to Apple.  Referencing the Pepsi-Cola (PEP) challenge to Coca-Cola (KO), which saw the larger Coca-Cola responding to Pepsi and allowed the smaller corporation to pick up steam, it’s a no-no.  Frankel says, “When you’re the big competitor, you don’t answer competition.”

If anything, “they’re now going to enhance Apple’s position.”