Attractive, Sassy, Red-headed PC Buyer Not for Real

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 by Brennan Knotts


It's quite a bit more expensive to hire an actor and write a script just to simulate real people doing something seemingly real.

What I mean is, why did Microsoft hire an actor and go through all the traditional video production headaches when they could have easily found a naturally charming, attractive girl really looking for a cheap laptop?

I'm sure we've all seen this commercial by now. I guess because at Cantaloupe.tv I'm surrounded by authentic web video everday I didn't think to question whether the scenario was real or fabricated. It's so easy to shoot something like this without having an actor. We do it every day.

Why lie to us Microsoft? It would have been just as easy to do the real thing, and a lot cheaper, not just in dollars, but in brand equity.

If you're not sure how to pull something like this off, I know a great web video company in Indianapolis that might be able to help you out. They also have a great online video platform called Backlight.

Comments for Attractive, Sassy, Red-headed PC Buyer Not for Real

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by Josh:
It's called "Desperation". It's amazing that Windows is spending so much money trying to market a product that people clearly haven't been satisfied with (Windows, not PCs... how deceptive!) rather than trying to make the OS a bit more user-friendly.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by Jason:
Yes, I love it! I've been wanting to vent about these ads. This advertisement is the worst. The line, "I'm not cool enough to be a Mac person," is the most obviously scripted part and the part that makes me cringe even though the entire ad is sickening. What I really love, also, are the ads in which they actually hire kids to claim they are "PCs". Pointless.
Thursday, April 2, 2009 by Sean:
Hello...it's a commercial...imagine an advertisement that is scripted...wow...how shocking. Would it have been better if it was real/non-scripted - sure. Would it have been better if it had actor Justin Long playing cool...perhaps. Does it make the point that Microsoft computers are cheaper and more accessible than Macs...you bet.

Leave a comment





Captcha