Microsoft's "Child of the '90s" commercial premiered early this year during the Super Bowl. This ad is a complete throwback to the '90s. During the commercial, nostalgia runs rampant as Microsoft reminds us how far technology has come. As members of Generation Y, Lisa Frank folders, fanny packs, dial up modems, Reebok Pumps, Oregon Trail, Tamagotchi, and Super Soakers were all the rage in the '90s. Microsoft is promoting its remodeling of Internet Explorer. The slogan for this commercial is "the future was bright... you grew up... so did we... reconnect with the new Internet Explorer." In my opinion, this commercial was very nostalgic and entertaining.
Humor: 4
"Child of the '90s" was a funny, but true portrayal of growing up in the '90s. For the twenty-somethings of today, this was a very nostalgic commercial and very memorable. However, I believe the gear towards the '90s leaves out other ages who could be potential users of Internet Explorer. Viewers past their twenties will remember the '90s, but those younger may not. For this reason, Microsoft may lose some of its audience. Nonetheless, I believe Microsoft geared the revamped browser to the "children of the '90s" because they are the ones who grew up during this growing technology age and are becoming the media professionals who will use Internet Explorer in the future. Because of its link to old memories, I believe this commercial will leave a lasting impression in viewer's minds.
Effectiveness: 2
To promote Internet Explorer 9, Roger Capriotti, director of IE marketing said, "We thought it was time to invite those of you who haven't thought about Internet Explorer in a while to take a trip down memory lane, Internet Explorer is a child of the '90s, but we have done some serious growing up." Today, this commercial has nearly 48 million views. However, the volume of views does not reflect the feelings toward the commercial. Unfortunately, viewers like the commercial for the nostalgia, but not the product. Chris Burns from Slashgear, a weblog devoted to technology said, "We must admit, the ad does strike more than one chord in the nostalgic banjos in our heads, and like any good Super Bowl commercial, only gets to the product in the last few seconds of the video. Whether you hate IE or love it, you will probably enjoy this advertisement thoroughly." Column Five Media was the creative agency that worked with Microsoft to put the commercial together. The agency realized that no one had capitalized on '90s nostalgia yet and felt that IE would be a perfect fit. The purpose of the commercial was a re-framing of IE's relationship with Generation Y by showing off its benefits like being better, faster, designed for touchscreens, and the new interface. Since Gen Y is close to entering the workforce, Internet Explorer has to address the perceived bad image now before Baby Boomers are all out of the picture. However, despite the perceived image problem, IE's market share still sits over 54 percent with Google Chrome and Firefox at about 20 percent each. Although predictions said that its market share would slip, IE's has been staying pretty stable over the last year. However, being stable while competitors are catching up is not a beneficial long-term goal.
Emotion: 2
"Child of the '90s" inspires emotional senses of nostalgia; however, it is not meant to promote a social cause such as bringing back the bowl cut. (Especially not that!) Honestly, the purpose of this commercial is to get Generation Y back on speaking terms with IE.
Customer Reviews: 4
On CNET.com, Internet Explorer received 3 out 5 stars. As I reviewed comments, many viewers said that the new IE is an improvement, but it still has some catching up to do. PCMag.com gave Internet Explorer 9 roughly the same reviews as on CNET.com with a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Therefore, since many of the reviews showed improvement in IE, than I believe that the commercial did not necessarily deceive potential users.
So remember, Internet Explorer has grown up. Unfortunately, it may still be living in its parent's basement.
Sources:
http://theweek.com/article/index/239283/watch-microsofts-cloyingly-nostalgic-internet-explorer-ad-targets-90s-kids
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkantrowitz/2013/01/26/child-of-the-90s-internet-explorers-new-viral-ad-gets-mixed-reactions-on-social-media/
http://www.geekwire.com/2013/agency-helped-microsoft-create-viral-ad-garnered-28m-views-2-months/
http://www.zdnet.com/internet-explorer-when-all-else-fails-try-90s-nostalgia-7000010243/
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