With all luvin' respect M...i was speaking from the perspective of someone who works in marketing not as me, Leigh, the target market. Personally I like the creative idea of a commenter on Loren's site who said "If I were Microsoft, I’d hire Drew Barrymore’s next boyfriend, make him the PC Guy and say “See? They may go Mac, but they always come back.” - leigh himel

also speaking as a marketing guy - i think the true problem is Vista just isn't good enough, period. so no matter how clever/funny they get, the bad vibes and w-o-m problems for vista will override it. Conversely Macs work very well and have very strong w-o-m, so their clever campaign actually "feels" more clever... - Jeremy Toeman

I know, Leigh -- but my point was that whether you think it's stupid as a marketer doesn't really matter either, I don't think. There are plenty of products that succeed with consumers that have the stupidest advertising or marketing imaginable. - mathew ingram

Matthew's right, largely because products aren't sold by advertising as much as they are bought because of positioning. People buy Vista because that's what PC owners do: buy Windows. Which explains, contrary to Jeremy's comment, why Vista is the most successful MSFT OS to date. - Mark Ury

Come now people. Advertising doesn't matter? Right. And that's why the Toyota Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe - the EXACT same car out of the EXACT same plant are considered by the public to be equally good???? (not....) - leigh himel

I'm not saying advertising doesn't matter, Leigh -- I'm saying whether you and other marketers think it's "smart" may not matter :-) - mathew ingram

ok you so aren't getting lunch bought next time round.....your argument is totally nonsensical. I mean in the grander scheme of things, no one's opinions matter about anything. Should mine matter bc i happen to have worked in advertising for the past 12 years? hum...apparently not. Sorry i have to go now and go drown myself. - leigh himel

please don't say that ... about lunch, I mean ;-) - mathew ingram