4 ms·

Microsoft Pulls IE8 OMGIGP Vomit Ad

11 points by JacobAldridge 17y ago

JacobAldridge 17y ago
I find this interesting, given the discussion here two days ago - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=681764 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=681764 Especially, snprbob86's comment that the vomit ad was the only one of interest.
jsz0 17y ago
It's more creepy than offensive mostly because of her extreme reaction. It forces you to kind of use your imagination. It's obviously not some soft-core girl-on-girl porn she's seeing. It's obviously something far worse which is just really creepy. My first thought was child porn. I doubt that's what Microsoft intended but you gotta be careful suggesting something is REALLY bad or people will assume the absolute worst in many cases.
- ZeroGravitas 17y ago
  I don't know why you were downvoted. I'm guessing that's exactly why it was pulled.
  - ZeroGravitas 17y ago
    Hey, where'd that comment go?
- gojomo 17y ago
  There are lots of gross-out possibilities short of the blatantly illegal or even bizarre pornography -- see rotten.com for example. But of course the aim of the ad is to make you wonder. I think Microsoft got just what it wanted from the ad -- lots of voluntary views, much linking/discussion/controversy, and even now with the official versions pulled, people who haven't seen it yet will seek out remaining caches/copies. (BTW, has any skilled lipreader reported what Cain is bleeped saying at the end? D'oh! By asking, I just played further into Microsoft's master plan!)
- fauigerzigerk 17y ago
  You underestimate the propensity of some people to be very shocked about completely normal human activities, if only the camera shows them close-up and they're not used to it. For instance, I want to puke when I watch live ultrasound of someone's heart (let alone my own). So if my spouse was a doctor she'd better download IE 8 right away! :-)
ZeroGravitas 17y ago
"It was directed by Bobcat Goldthwaite, who rose - and fell from - fame after starring as Zed in the hit Police Academy movies. "
jacquesm 17y ago
fear sells... Sersiouly, if you have to stoop to such a low in order to push your product then that says something about the company behind it. You can compete on merits, price, business model, all kinds of ways to get consumers to buy your product over someone else's. To play the fear card puts you right in the same bracket with some of the scum of the earth. I'd expect a lot better from microsoft and I'm glad they pulled the ad, and I do not think that pulling it was part of the original strategy.
- colinplamondon 17y ago
  Seriously? Fear? Are we rocking this Focus on the Family style now? It was a 50's housewife throwing up after seeing her husband's goat-fucking porn, as 100% up-front ad for IE8's porn mode. Maybe I have a juvenile sense of humor, but I thought it was hilarious. And, yes, every other browser has porn mode, but at least Microsoft had the balls to advertise it for what it is. "It's for banking security, honest!"
TrevorJ 17y ago
It is always weird to see a large company try to take something viral and just miss the mark in some weird way.
emontero1 17y ago
I watched the ad a couple of days ago and couldn't help but wonder: what in the world is wrong with Microsoft?! For a company with vast financial resources available (in 2008, cash reserves, short-term investments and cash equivalents totaled $20 billion), MS has been fumbling royally with their ad campaigns recently. Seinfeld, anyone? Unbelievable.

11 points by JacobAldridge 17y ago

I find this interesting, given the discussion here two days ago - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=681764 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=681764 Especially, snprbob86's comment that the vomit ad was the only one of interest.

jsz0 17y ago

It's more creepy than offensive mostly because of her extreme reaction. It forces you to kind of use your imagination. It's obviously not some soft-core girl-on-girl porn she's seeing. It's obviously something far worse which is just really creepy. My first thought was child porn. I doubt that's what Microsoft intended but you gotta be careful suggesting something is REALLY bad or people will assume the absolute worst in many cases.

ZeroGravitas 17y ago
I don't know why you were downvoted. I'm guessing that's exactly why it was pulled.
- ZeroGravitas 17y ago
  Hey, where'd that comment go?
gojomo 17y ago
There are lots of gross-out possibilities short of the blatantly illegal or even bizarre pornography -- see rotten.com for example. But of course the aim of the ad is to make you wonder. I think Microsoft got just what it wanted from the ad -- lots of voluntary views, much linking/discussion/controversy, and even now with the official versions pulled, people who haven't seen it yet will seek out remaining caches/copies. (BTW, has any skilled lipreader reported what Cain is bleeped saying at the end? D'oh! By asking, I just played further into Microsoft's master plan!)
fauigerzigerk 17y ago
You underestimate the propensity of some people to be very shocked about completely normal human activities, if only the camera shows them close-up and they're not used to it. For instance, I want to puke when I watch live ultrasound of someone's heart (let alone my own). So if my spouse was a doctor she'd better download IE 8 right away! :-)

ZeroGravitas 17y ago

"It was directed by Bobcat Goldthwaite, who rose - and fell from - fame after starring as Zed in the hit Police Academy movies. "

jacquesm 17y ago

fear sells... Sersiouly, if you have to stoop to such a low in order to push your product then that says something about the company behind it. You can compete on merits, price, business model, all kinds of ways to get consumers to buy your product over someone else's. To play the fear card puts you right in the same bracket with some of the scum of the earth. I'd expect a lot better from microsoft and I'm glad they pulled the ad, and I do not think that pulling it was part of the original strategy.

colinplamondon 17y ago
Seriously? Fear? Are we rocking this Focus on the Family style now? It was a 50's housewife throwing up after seeing her husband's goat-fucking porn, as 100% up-front ad for IE8's porn mode. Maybe I have a juvenile sense of humor, but I thought it was hilarious. And, yes, every other browser has porn mode, but at least Microsoft had the balls to advertise it for what it is. "It's for banking security, honest!"

TrevorJ 17y ago

It is always weird to see a large company try to take something viral and just miss the mark in some weird way.

emontero1 17y ago

I watched the ad a couple of days ago and couldn't help but wonder: what in the world is wrong with Microsoft?! For a company with vast financial resources available (in 2008, cash reserves, short-term investments and cash equivalents totaled $20 billion), MS has been fumbling royally with their ad campaigns recently. Seinfeld, anyone? Unbelievable.