I'm a PC ... and I Love My iPhone!

Celebrities in New Microsoft Spot Have Divided Loyalty

Posted by Rupal Parekh on 09.19.08 @ 08:03 PM

Windows may have 1 billion users, but how faithful are they to the Microsoft brand? It seems all those celebrities featured in the new spot for the company have room in their cheating hearts for certain Apple products.

When comedian Jerry Seinfeld appeared with Bill Gates in the first round of a new consumer campaign from Crispin Porter & Bogusky, the blogosphere gleefully pounced on the fact that Seinfeld's sitcom apartment prominently featured a Mac. Seinfeld trivia on IMDB.com, however, states that "Although Jerry uses a Apple computers/Mac through out the series, he has various IBM-PC Microsoft office products (Word, Excel, MS windows) on his desk next to his computer."

And Apple actually used the sitcom star in an ad first. See here a young Seinfeld in an old "Think Different" campaign spot.

Now Seinfeld has been sidelined in favor of other stars who appear in Microsoft's latest ad, which broke last Thursday. Each declares in the ad "I'm a PC." That's their prerogative, but a few simple Google searches turn up some questionable Apple love.

Here's Deepak Chopra blogging a couple of years ago on Huffingtonpost.com writing about Iran and iPods: "It seems that our children and grandchildren may grow up in a world with more atom bombs and more iPods. I'm disturbed by the first part but not the second. It's good to sell more iPods. They are entertaining and harmless (leaving aside potential damage to a kid's hearing, as old rockers can attest). They're American, and each one sold overseas brings money back home. But atom bombs are the exact opposite."

A blogger swears he once saw Eva Longoria Parker using a Mac in an airport, while Pharrell Williams here proudly displays his gold iPhone.

So where was the due diligence? According to Eric Hollreiser, director of corporate communications at Microsoft: "We focused only on being inclusive of people who used and had passion for PC. That was and is our only criterion. They represent all walks of life: be it race, nationality, gender, profession, interests, etc." Um. OK.

Meanwhile, the PC from Apple's campaign -- actor John Hodgman -- was spotted on a New York City subway toying with his iPhone.

Sheesh. What's next we wonder? Justin Long jamming to tunes on a Zune? Gates toting a MacBook Air?