You know how embarassing it is when parents try to be cool in front of their children's friends?

[jducoeur]

Yeah, this is kind of like that. Thanks to TechCrunch for the pointer to this internal sales video from Microsoft:

It's a rock video by "Bruce ServicePack and the Vista Street Band", extolling the virtues of Windows Vista, and I'm afraid it manages to set new standards for lame...

Comments

[dreda.livejournal.com]

I believe that I am permanently six inches shorter from all the cringing I just did.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Ditto, and I wasn't very tall to begin with.

I wonder if people who loooove Vista (there must be some) find the video cringe-inducing?

When I was with NCD, they'd occasionally come up with sales meeting slogans which were horrible, but at least they didn't escape into the wild afterwards.

[dlevey.livejournal.com]

It appears that the commercial accurately reflected the product. I believe you used the word "lame". But I bet it looks better after a little Kool-Aid.

[dreda.livejournal.com]

Also, how many of the people on the internal sales teams were even alive when "Dancing in the Dark" was big?

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

Wait...this can't possibly be *serious*, can it?

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

http://gizmodo.com/380935/microsoft-throwdown-you-cant-possibly-make-a-stupider-video-than-us

[jducoeur]

Problem is, even granting that's true (it's plausible, although I could also believe that MS is simply saving face), it isn't actually especially *funny*. Even viewed as self-parody, it's still pretty lame...

[tafkad.livejournal.com]

::Blink:: ::Blink::

[sephiaowl.livejournal.com]

precisely. That was just...scary. In a weird, "what is the world coming to" kind of way.

[ladymacgregor.livejournal.com]

I will admit right up front that I didn't watch this video, not needing any more cringing in my life. However, I suspect that none of the people replying to this post are full-blooded sales critters, who just seem to have a different outlook on life. Having seen videos from our company's yearly sales conference, where sales guys (who evidently were NOT compensated any more for this) get up on stage in front of the entire company and "shake their booty" (quite enthusiastically, actually), or come out wearing a red dress, I gather they really thrive on this sort of thing.

[dsrtao]

It's part of extended frat-boy culture.

(I used to work as a sales engineer. Oy.)

[gyzki.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I remember when hardcore IBM sales guys would come and try to whip up team spirit at Lotus. You could hear the crickets chirping.

[baron-steffan.livejournal.com]

Wow. Those hep cats are just so...ante-millenial.

I can't help imagining "PC" and "Mac" (from the current Apple campaign)
competeing on American Idol.

[jducoeur]

...

Wow, I think you've just written Apple's next ad campaign...

[hfcougar.livejournal.com]

Oh my god.

I think the dictionary just got a brand new definition of "suck".

[serakit.livejournal.com]

Maybe this is just due to my relative age (or living with someone who sings advertising jingles), but I think it's cute. Not that it's going to ever make me use Vista, but it's a very cute video/music.