Kurt's Thoughts

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just skip this post.

1. No mudslinging.  No snappy retorts.  No anger.  No blood or “public hangings”.  No “crossfire”… 

   “The Future?  Delicious.”

2. Take a look at this photo to the left:  It’s what’s on the front page of Microsoft.com.  Look at the shirt & glasses Bill’s wearing and the side of the picture that he’s on.  Look at the jacket Jerry’s wearing and the side he’s on.  Does this look familiar?

   Note however that Bill’s a nice guy and not a buffoon in a collared shirt.

3. Conversations about cost savings and practicality.  Conversations about ‘things that fit’ and ‘feel right’ when purchasing them.  Conversations about choices and diversity, the future, and most of all, they talked about how you don’t need to spend a lot… even if you’re rich. 

   Everyday people choose ‘smart’ & ‘value’ over ‘cool’. And if you didn’t catch any of that, don’t worry.  They’ll be other episodes.

4. Innovation comes in all sorts of textures & flavors.  Stuff that you and I haven’t even thought of.  Moist & chewy?  Y’never know.  But it’s what Bill’s thinking about, and he’s a pretty smart guy.
    
5. People buying shoes don’t just speak English.  They speak Spanish too.  People other than the 1,000’s of techno-philes, college kids, and bloggers are interested in shoes.  Billions of people shop for shoes.
    
6. Did you watch it more than once?  I’ll bet more than a few people hit the 10 second rewind button on their DVRs or replay button on their screens to see it more than once.  It effectively captivated the watcher with curiosity.  People that knew what it was were “waiting for the pitch that never came”.  Those that didn’t know what it was watched it and likely remembered it or maybe even talked about it at the water cooler the next day.
    
7. There was a lack of condescension and preachiness.  In fact, it didn’t really feel like an ad.  It almost seemed like a Seinfeld episode.  No incessant pounding of a message.  No hard core marketing point to force feed viewers.  Just a lot of light-hearted dialog featuring two interesting people, leaving the content open for interpretation.  There’s more than one way to view Shoe Circus, and that’s what allows people to relate to it differently.
    
8. Anyone else notice that Bill’s Clown Club card used a photo – edited snapshot of the famous Albuquerque, New Mexico state police photo of him when he got arrested for speeding?

   Notice the digital removal of the “mug shot” board.

9. It’s part of a story.  The analogy someone I know used was the “Burma Shave” signs.  Burma Shave signs were outdoor billboards placed on US highways from the 1920s to the 1960s that told a little story in small pieces that evolved as you drove along.  The signs are found in museums and private collections today.

   

   Many more “signs” will be posted along the way.

   …and…
    

10. It’s worth repeating again:  No anger.  And besides: People are talking about it, discussing it, writing about it, blogging about it… right?  Heck, you’re reading this post to read my observations on it.  Now there’s MS haters screaming, “AhhhhM$isabunchof@#$%!” which is pretty much the norm.  There’s MS zealots going, “AhhhhhMSWTFyoushouldhavedoneXY&Zinstead?!?” which is pretty much expected.

    And in the middle there’s an awful lot of people that probably found the opportunity to see another “Seinfeld” episode – one featuring Bill Gates – enjoyable.  And probably talked about it with others because that it wasn’t like any commercial they’d seen before.

    And that was just the intro.  Hey – we have $300M to spend, right?