Via CrunchGear the above video is allegedly being used by Microsoft as an internal promotion tool for encouraging sales of Vista. We’ve defended Microsoft’s takeover offer for Yahoo a number of times previously, but watching this you sort of understand why Yahoo employees are scared.
Update: Long Zheng notes that this video is the real deal (not a spoof) as Kevin Turner, Microsoft’s Chief Operating Officer makes an appearance. Other reports are suggesting that it’s a Microsoft developed internal spoof. What ever it is, it’s bizarre.
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by
Duncan Riley
on
April 16, 2008
Responses
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Bruce ServicePack and the Vista Street Band / Vista, Microsoft, Werbevideo, Internes, musik, medien, werbung, kunst / Web Adventures
April 16th, 2008 at 4:26 pm -
TechCrunch Japanese アーカイブ » Microsoftはたしかにスゴイことをするが、これは違う
April 16th, 2008 at 6:34 pm -
ethomaz » Bizarre Microsoft Video
April 16th, 2008 at 8:12 pm -
אנקדוטות » מיקרוסופט מביאים אותה בספרינגסטין
April 17th, 2008 at 12:37 am -
Microsoft’s Amazing Way of Ramping Up Vista Sales? | Ridz.sg
April 17th, 2008 at 6:32 am -
tech-talk.biz » Blog Archive » Vista SP1 video: Is this a viral marketing campaign from Apple?
April 17th, 2008 at 9:22 am -
Vista SP1 Video: (Expletive Deleted) | Micropundit
April 17th, 2008 at 10:31 am -
Demente Vídeo de Microsoft Vista SP1 - talishte
April 17th, 2008 at 11:28 am -
Oh. Dear. Me. : Colin’s Blog
April 17th, 2008 at 12:55 pm -
(Promovare) Vista cu… cântec | CNET.ro
April 17th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
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“but watching this you sort of understand why Yahoo employees are scared”
Classic
What is this?????? Seriously, WTF!
Ok, No I am really scared of Microsoft!
Hahaha!!!
So much cheese in that video…
I need some crackers.
damn, i just bought 10 copies of vista. i guess that video works.
I’m never upgrading to Vista on principal now.
whiskey tango foxtrot
Craptacular!
Wow that was just insanity…
…I think I’m going to cry
…and yet I couldn’t divert my eyes from the train wreck. Ugh. Gonna buy my first Mac in 20 years…
Luckily this stays true to Springsteen’s adoration of large corporations and sensible profit at all cost principles.
I think I just puked a little in my mouth.
that was pretty bad… who approved this?
Aydin.
I watched only part of that. Even with the sound off, I horrified.
Geeks may be cool, but the people that video together are just complete dorks. Someone stop them before they dominate world culture with bad taste.
I’m an upcoming college grad fielding a full-time offer from Microsoft. Nothing has made me want to work there less than seeing this video. I love when a company is willing to poke fun at itself. But you’re not really “poking fun” at yourself if you actually look retarded. Have to agree with Aydin above… who in the hell approved this?
What are those amazing things you speak of??? List them please…
It is hilarious how bad this is, but after seeing it posted today on basically every web site I read (including my own twitter feed), I’ve realized they made it horrible on purpose.
Otherwise, it would have gotten no attention at all. Instead, it’s being posted everywhere and everyone is talking about it. That is marketing at its absolute best.
Seriously, think about it. The people behind this are geniuses.
Give them a break! It’s just some good ol’ internal banter that’s not meant for the eyes of the public. Doesn’t everyone deserve to have some good, clean fun, and a joyful laugh in the process?!
The tune is kind of fun, actually. However, the faux-Springesteen video is sucktastic and the lyrics are corporate kool-aid at their best.
Run Yahoo, Run!
I’ve been reading this blog for 2 years (great blog) and I have never commented on it. This has made me comment.
Is this really a MSFT video or someone just made it up? It is horrible and unwatchable. Even for a fun internal commercial, it is really really bad. If they spend this time and money on getting Vista better, it will a better used.
I think someone in some MSFT department has to justify his/her salary and options (are they worth much?).
I have to go with Sean (#17). I wouldn’t call them geniuses but they clearly know the video itself is extremely laughable in a sucky and ridiculous way.
what is SP1?
This is typical output from the morons who are shunted from sales or product management into “channel marketing” in a misguided attempt to circumvent the Peter Principle.
Once in channel marketing they they pursue small, hidden perks (luxury travel, sports and concert tickets, cheap flattery) by diverting their employer’s financial resources from critical company functions and to consulting companies offering kickbacks. Their work is often embarrassing.
Channel marketing folks hide their shame by drinking more than their share, and by yelling “Woo-hoo!” at inappropriate moments.
Now, about the band. Someone must have strong proof of them involved in acts of, shall we say, animal husbandry.
I read a perfect comment on youtube about this explicit act of bad taste, and I quote:
“Bruce Springsteen should lead a torchlight parade to Microsoft, and burn it down.”
That’s it! …and I thought that nothing could beat the monkey dance.
This is just way too funny!! I am not sure if my respect for MS just went way up or way down … ney!! way down!!
I just died a little, on the inside.
Remember when Microsoft promoted their MS-DOS5 Upgrade? Here is a link to the YouTube video. Probably the same producer! http://youtube.com/watch?v=dmEvPZUdAVI
Oh good GOD no
i kind of enjoyed it…anyone else?
I’m switching to linux, this is nauseating.
whats vista?
well that video suited it’s purpose for viral marketing, it made it onto Techcrunch plus many other sites
Wow. I couldn’t stop watching…. That was amazing! Thought I was finished, until Jason posted the DOS 5 upgrade video!
I’ll pass on the crackers, I need some wine to go with all that cheese!
Horrible. I had to watch the whole thing. 2x.
YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK!
It’s supposed to cheesy. Absolutely no one has any sense of humor.
This reminds me of their MS-DOS 5 Upgrade Video.
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1774935
OK if the purpose was to be viral it worked. But once you are infected exactly what message are you left with? I think if I saw John Hodgman in the street (”I’m a PC”) I would turn and run.
It’s Vista_licious…embarrassingly bad!
I don’t know how one could live with oneself, having anything to do with such a lame and corpoego fluff piece. Shame. Shame.
When the product basically stinks, and the preceding product has more goodwill (XP), the left behind product marketing teams end up with this type of empty, waste, palaver.
Thank you for posting this. It made my day. That is the funniest thing I have seen in a long time. The best part is I can see the people at Microsoft loving this video. Definitely funny, and definitely won’t make me want to get Vista. If it was supposed to be seen outside, I think it is going to back fire.
funny…
YUCK! POOR LYRICS EVER !!! (Is there another words than “poor” ?)
Is it April 1st again already?
I liked the way the fake Bruce and the fake Little Steven made those crazy faces at each other when they shared a microphone. If it wasn’t for the zany jumps that look like an old Toyotathon commercial, I might almost think this was serious.
Nothing will ever beat the Bank of America “One” cover. God I love that one.
do you guys really not see what’s going? has the internet really become as uptight and anti-MS that whatever they do is automatically serious and old?
To those who think the creators of the video are “geniuses” - Is this video going to somehow cause consumers to buy new PCs with Vista installed? What would be the point of such an ugly viral video? Viral marketing worked with Hotmail, but this video is just disgusting. I don’t think anyone involved with that video is a genius. I feel dumber for watching it. I feel like I caught some kind of disease from it and am going to go wash myself.
I just upgraded to Vista - It ROCKS. I’m sending my resume into Micros$oft right away…
this is hilarious.
props to MS. hahahaha. you guys should get some sense of humor. no wonder you people from tech are so boring and uptight… pffftt. go tweak so 0s and 1s you boring people.