I'm a PC

Sean Siler, an actual Microsoft employee featured in the ad campaign

"I'm a PC" is the title for a television advertising campaign created for Microsoft by ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CPB) in mid-September, 2008 in order to "revamp" the reputation of the Windows Vista computer operating system. The new series of commercials replace those that featured the pairing of Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates.

The $300 million dollar advertising campaign was designed to challenge what critics call Apple's "elitist Mac user vibe" "Mac Vs. PC" campaign by showing everyday PC users, such as scientists and teachers, noting the virtues of their platform of choice. It also featured prominent and popular individuals saying "I'm a PC" and had appearances by personalities such as medical doctor and writer Deepak Chopra, ultimate fighter Rashad Evans, actress Eva Longoria Parker, photographer Geoff Green and singer Pharrell Williams.

Campaign

"Meaghan" identifying himself as a PC user while underwater in a shark cage.

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". The Microsoft spots typically opened with an image of Sean Siler, a Microsoft employee claiming "I'm a PC, and I've been made into a stereotype".

The composition was made to be initially resemble that of the Apple campaign, as Siler bears a resemblance to John Hodgman, the "PC" counterpart to Justin Long as a Mac in the Apple commercials. The series of commercials also feature common international users as well as noted celebrities like Deepak Chopra, Rashad Evans, Geoff Green, Eva Longoria and Pharrell Williams, all noting "I'm a PC".

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 whiteboard 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.

Criticism

The campaign has been criticized for having used certain individuals that also may have a connection to various Apple products as well as its commercials being revealed to have been created, at least in part, on Apple computers.

Shortly after the new campaign began investigation by various Internet groups determined that the series of "I'm a PC" commercials were created, at least in part, on Apple's Macintosh computers, using the Adobe graphics editing program, Photoshop CS3. Initially discovered by a Flickr user who noted traces of Apple's operating system and Adobe's CS3 graphics program embedded within press-released images of the commercials. Computerworld magazine concurs, noting that when the file properties of those images, made available on the Microsoft press site, are examined, the designation "Adobe Photoshop CS3 Macintosh" can be seen. After the discovery began circulating, Microsoft responded overnight by digitally scrubbing the Apple-related metadata from the images.

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."

Further criticism notes the choice of spokespeople used in the "I'm a PC" campaign. Seinfeld's eponymous character from Seinfeld uses a Macintosh,.

External links

• Microsoft's PressPass gallery, displaying the images
• Flickr page noting the Apple OS and Adobe CS3 metadata