Microsoft pulls IE8 puke ad over complaints
Microsoft appears to finally have an ad campaign that is resonating with consumers, but not all of the ads did it quite the right way.
After the poorly received Bill Gates & Jerry Seinfeld commercials of a few months ago, Microsoft has been desperate to find an ad campaign that actually worked with consumers. The price comparison shopping for PCs vs. Macs also had mixed reactions from consumers and critics, so it looked like it was time for Microsoft to go some place it never really had tried before: humor.
With the current push to win back users to Internet Explorer, the company launched a new ad campaign called “Browse for the Better”. Supported by four online ads, the site tells you in a humorous way about some of the features of the latest version of Microsoft’s browser. Each ad is hosted by actor Dean Cain, best known as Clark Kent/Superman on the 90’s series Lois & Clark, who is playing a scholarly type character who will diagnose you with one of four problems: F.O.M.S. (Fear of Missing Something), S.H.Y.N.E.S.S. (Sharing Heavily Yet Not Enough Sharing Still), G.R.I.P.E.S. (Gritting Rage Internet Pathetically Extra Slow) and O.M.G.I.G.P. (Oh My God I’m Gonna Puke).
While Internet users have actually reacted positively to the ads for the most part, some have taken offense to the O.M.G.I.G.P. ad to the point that Microsoft has now pulled the ad from its site, as has the advertising agency that created the spots. The story behind the ad is that a wife borrows her husband’s laptop when he leaves the room and discovers what one assumes to be a pornography site he has visited. Whatever the site is exactly causes her to vomit, which the husband then slips on when he walks back in the room, and then the wife continues to vomit on to him. Disgusting? Maybe. Funny? Yes.
As to why the ad was pulled, CNET received a response from a Microsoft executive via email this morning:
We make a point of listening to our customers. We created the OMGIGP video as a tongue-in-cheek look at the InPrivate Browsing feature of Internet Explorer 8, using the same irreverent humor that our customers told us they liked about other components of the Internet Explorer 8 marketing campaign. 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.
While the ad has been pulled from all official channels, there is at least one copy floating around YouTube at the moment from another user. It is unknown if Microsoft will ask for it to be pulled, but for now it is the only way you can see the ad.
Related Posts:
July 2nd, 2009
*WARNING* Do NOT use Internet Explorer 8 – this web browser presents an unacceptable security risk.
July 2nd, 2009
Yes, that is pretty funny, and I suspect it’s a situation that happens all too often.
July 3rd, 2009
One positive thing I can say about the ads is that they don’t single out other browsers or insult their audience. The GRIPES one seems to hint at IE6 though. /suppress nightmarish memories. They also seem to sidestep the fact that IE8 is slower than all other modern browsers by using older browsers as an excuse for poor performance (which is true, but not the only reason)
They’re OK ads, with the obvious exception of OMGIGP
@ Ken: I totally agree. Everyone please get firefox 3.5
July 3rd, 2009
Opera Unite is doing it for me.. All the others literally denied me access to download them and instead demanded I upgrade before being allowed to participate.. I live on $400/month.. Upgrade with what..?
To that end, Firefox and Internet Explorer gets a great big fat zip, zilch, nada, #FAIL from behind this Keyboard.. On the other hand, Opera 10 gets a 10 for continuing to be accessible and, in fact, for becoming yet MORE USABLE with the latest build (requisite alpha glitches aside).. You guys working on THAT project *ROCKS*, bay-BEE..!
Warmest wishes from Talking Rock.. :wink:
July 3rd, 2009
Shoot, forgot to comment on the ad (which I had intended to put first).. A puking ad = not so much.. Yes, it’s some people’s humor and that’s their perogative, but for others it can be what is called a “trigger”..
Movies and such that come with things like DSV labels warn us that this kind of thing might occur giving us the opportunity to make educated decisions about whether to continue viewing or not.. Ads such as the featured one here occur in literally seconds and so don’t carry that warning label.. My wholly uneducated guess is this may be in part where some of the balk came from..
Hugs from Talking Rock.. :)