But looks can be deceiving. Gates’s “Vision” commercial, full of optimism for the future, is part of a public-relations blitz aimed at countering the hard reality the company faces after its long antitrust trial. Two weeks ago Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson branded Microsoft an “untrustworthy” monopoly and ordered the company to be broken in two. Gates’s warm and fuzzy new ad aims to convince consumers that Microsoft is not a ruthless predator, while also transforming his image from conniving monopolist to the nerd next door. Or as Advertising Age ad critic Bob Garfield puts it, “less like Dr. No and more like Mr. Rogers.”
But Bill’s soft sell is playing to mixed reviews. Some advertising and crisis-management experts say the commercial lacks substance. Gates’s failure to directly take on Jackson’s ruling in the ad have some wondering if that’s Nero’s fiddle playing in the background. “In crisis control, it’s always best to hit the crisis head-on and get on with business, and he’s doing neither,” says Donny Deutsch, who creates commercials for Mitsubishi and Domino’s Pizza. The script, about software advances of the future, strikes some as legalistic. “Right down to the powder blue sweater, this commercial sounds like it’s been programmed,” says Jerry Della Femina, who created the famous Joe Isuzu ads of the 1980s. Even Gates’s former adman isn’t convinced. “This comes off as a marketing ploy,” says Chris Wall, who created Microsoft’s “Start Me Up” Windows 95 commercials. “Bill Gates did not become the richest man in the world by being Mr. Rogers.”
Yet others see Gates riding to the rescue of his besieged company just as Lee Iacocca did for Chrysler 20 years ago. “Bill Gates is the guy who invented the process and built the company,” says Iacocca’s former marketing adviser Arthur (Bud) Liebler, now vice president of marketing at DaimlerChrysler. “He comes off as at least believing what he’s saying.” Indeed, Gates’s earnest performance strikes some as presidential. “This commercial comes across as a political ad,” says Richard Kirshenbaum, who creates ads for Tommy Hilfiger. “They might as well just slap ‘Bill Gates for President’ at the end.”
Microsoft officials hope the Gates commercial will serve as an antidote to the harsh press coverage the company has been getting since the break-up order. “Bill Gates is an icon for the Information Age, and when people see him speak out, they tune in,” says Microsoft spokesman Greg Shaw. The spot was actually filmed at a studio on Microsoft’s Redmond campus a few days prior to Jackson’s ruling. The spare ad was inexpensively produced, but Microsoft is spending big to air it on prime time. Just 30 seconds of air time during the NBA finals costs an estimated half-million dollars. The ad is also running on shows like ABC’s “20/20.” Gates plans to make more commercial testimonials for his company. And Shaw insists consumer reaction has been “overwhelmingly positive.” In fact, recent public-opinion polls show that consumers continue to admire Gates for building the world’s biggest software company and they view Microsoft as still a good place to work.
So what would Gates’s critics have him do to defend his embattled company? Della Femina suggests Gates do a guest appearance on CBS’s wildly popular castaway show, “Survivor.” “He could shout: ‘I’m stuck here on this island and the government is after me’,” he says. Failing that, Della Femina suggests that Microsoft hire a likable celebrity like Paul Newman to defend Microsoft’s honor by appearing in commercials to proclaim, “Bill Gates is really getting screwed.” Others advise Microsoft to avoid famous faces altogether and just show the company’s contribution to wiring the world.
No one, of course, expects the Mr. Rogers defense to sway the Supreme Court. Microsoft knows antitrust battles are not won with ad campaigns. But still stinging from Judge Jackson’s accusation of being untrustworthy, Gates is intent on clearing Microsoft’s name in the court of public opinion. Given the early reviews, however, he may not want to give up his day job. ^
