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Considering that they parody real life, Win 7 should be a perfect joke to fit right in.

What a shame… I USED to like Family Guy.

Oct 14, 09 - 09:22 am Comment from: Predrag

Microsoft must pull all the stops here, and their ad agency is trying their best.

The worst thing is, regardless of how much money they spend on this show, and how deeply they embed Windows 7 messages, the moment the first 30-second "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ad airs after this show (for example, the day after, during Monday Night Football, or something similar in prime time), it will wipe out any possible fuzzy feeling the viewer may have gained for Windows 7 and remind them how Macs are better.

I have no doubt, there will be an appropriate counter-ad from the long-running series by TBWA/Chiat/Day.

Oct 14, 09 - 09:25 am Comment from: Tommy Boy

Who knew? Seth McFarlane you whore.

Oct 14, 09 - 09:27 am Comment from: HMCIV

Ballmer: Why do I feel like I just paid Seth MacFarlane to make fun of me for an hour?

This can go one of three ways

1. Family guy will jump the shark
2. It will not live up to microsofts expectations
3. Seth won't follow thru and will actually make fun of windows

what are u hoping for?

Oct 14, 09 - 09:31 am Comment from: silverhawk

I think it's ironic they chose Seth MACfarlane to do the ad.

This sounds like a bad idea for MSFT in so many ways. If it was just program sponsorship like soap operas that would be one thing. But I could see this quickly turning into a silly show of product placement.
I really feel sad for the ineptness of MSFT.

Desperation. Desperation. Desperation.

Oh no! Peter Griffin is no longer my role model. :-(

Oct 14, 09 - 09:45 am Comment from: Predrag

The success of this will depend on how much input Microsoft will have during the writing of script. People from Crispin, Porter & Bogusky aren't stupid and would probably know how much is too much, and would likely get a reasonable amount of placement into the show without turning it into the famous "Windows 7 Launch Party" infomercial. However, if someone, ANYONE from MS is contractually required to approve the final draft of that script, then I'm getting popcorn and planting myself in front of TV on that Sunday for some hilarious entertainment, and make no mistake, we won't be laughing WITH Microsoft; we'll be laughing AT them.

'You'll see us deeply integrated into the content ... you'll hear a lot about how Windows 7 can help you simplify your PC -- it's simple, fast and easy to use,' said Gayle Troberman, general manager of consumer engagement and advertising at Microsoft. She went on: 'Think about metaphors and examples we might use, talking about how simple things are. We'll be evoking the cast of 'Family Guy' in some interesting ways that integrate the product messages.'

…and already I can see exactly how Microsoft is going to suck any kind of fun out of the proceedings. Perhaps Family Guy will be having a Windows 7 house party? Or maybe it'll just have more of the aimless weirdness which characterized the Gates/Seinfeld ads?

Either way, Microsoft's remaining money is clearly burning a hole in their pockets – better spend it in some spectacularly silly ways before it's gone!

I can see this going very well for Microsoft. Family Guy, and its stars, are well known and liked. The production group is also talented enough to make the MS sponsorship an entertaining part of the show. They will probably poke some self-deprecating humor at Microsoft to defuse some of the negatives the company has accrued this decade. The more brutal the characters are, the braver and bolder MS looks for sponsoring the show, plus they may even come out of it looking like the new "underdog". And everyone loves to see the underdog win.

Oct 14, 09 - 09:49 am Comment from: DD from Belgium

...I kinda like the 'Almost Live' part: surely, you wouldn't want to risk to do something like that, with Win 7 (or any version of Win for that matter) live: how would you integrate the inevitable restart / reboot, or even the occasional BSoD??
No, it has to be Almost Live, to edit those parts out...

Oct 14, 09 - 09:55 am Comment from: Yours Smugly

Who cares. Family Guy is a cheap ripoff of The Simpsons anyway.

Jump that shark Seth.

I seem to remember a bit in Family Guy where Lois' dad walks up to Bill Gates and asks him a question about his Zune. Bill gets all excited and then the dad says something like 'Oh, wait. I have an iPod. Like everybody else on the planet!' and watches as Bill gets flustered and angry.

It's interesting that on the same page Crispin, Porter & Bogusky profiles its Microsoft effort, it also has these links:

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrastructure/10-ways-for-Apples-Mac-OS-X-to-Capitalize-on-Windows-7-155892/

http://www.lockergnome.com/theoracle/2009/10/13/a-big-difference-between-microsoft-and-apple/

http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20091014/microsoft-fox-team-up-to-create-worst-episode-of-family-guy-ever/

Two words:

Train. Wreck.

Oct 14, 09 - 10:01 am Comment from: Mac-nugget

Well, since you see iPhones and Macs all over TV and movies, I can see how Microsoft want's to get in by buying it's way in.

Neat-o! This should be great! I hope the show is just like Sonny and Cher, or Donny and Marie Osmond! This will be so hip with the kids!

But seriously, the night after this airs, I see this producing a full 5 minutes worth of material for Craig Ferguson and David Letterman.

"Microsoft once again unsuccessfully tries to be cool. Hilarity ensues!"

"People from Crispin, Porter & Bogusky aren't stupid..."

I think I would need proof of that. This is the agency that came up with the creepy Burger King mascot/stalker, and the Gates-Seinfeld fiasco.

I suspect that "Windows 7-branded programming" will actually mean simply making fun of Apple throughout the entire episode.

Later, there'll be lots of evidence posted about how Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein, and the entire Family Guy Crew and all the writers use Macs exclusively.
But that will be interesting trivia only to us more erudite Apple fans.

And as a result of this show's effect on mindset, one more future switcher will delay the act, and purchase one last Vaio from Best Buy.

But the tide is relentless.

A quick google search came up with this website.

http://www.edibleapple.com/family-guy-creator-seth-mcfarlane-loves-his-imac

I wonder how long he will love his iMac.

Oct 14, 09 - 10:21 am Comment from: DLMeyer

I don't understand the psychology behind this effort. People "like" The Family Guy because it allows them to feel superior to ... just about all of them. OK, maybe not The Mom ... but SO many guys are SO conflicted over their own "Mom"s and their own beliefs that those attractive "not-a-guy"s out there MUST be no more than toys ... etc., etc., yadda-yadda ... this has GOT to go oh so very wrong. About the only thing Peter has going for him is his relationship with Lois! Exactly what most guys are most fearful of ... most guys who would find merit in Windows, at least. (we are such a messed up group, under all our macho bluster)

Oct 14, 09 - 10:24 am Comment from: ron

"Oh no! Peter Griffin is no longer my role model. :-("

Try using Glenn Beck instead.

Oct 14, 09 - 10:27 am Comment from: Always Right

Wow. Joanie sure, um, developed nicely.

Oct 14, 09 - 10:27 am Comment from: qka

"Pimping" isn't the word I would have used. "Whoring" is.

Oct 14, 09 - 10:28 am Comment from: ron

"Microsoft and FOX One will roll out marketing collaboration efforts with a variety of FOX One properties including 20th Century Fox Television, FOX Sports, FX, FOX.com, FOX Sports on MSN and Hulu.
"

As long as they don't infect Fox Soccer Channel it won't affect me.

Oct 14, 09 - 10:38 am Comment from: G4Dualie

Regardless, Microsoft will sell a couple- hundred copies of windows 7 and lose another 100 to piracy.

So, they're good, not cool but filthy rich.

If its as <strike>good<\strike> stable as they say it is, I'll lift a copy.

Oct 14, 09 - 10:42 am Comment from: G4Dualie

Millions, that is.

Oct 14, 09 - 11:09 am Comment from: the other steve jobs

the answer to making Windows suck less is a Family Guy episode?

nice.

And I once held a modicum of respect for MacFarlane (which, from me, is saying alot). Guess that's gone...

Oct 14, 09 - 11:19 am Comment from: John Gee

Why do you need a press release for a marketing campaign.

That's like announcing an announcement. RiDICulous.

Is Family Guy that popular? This is a pathetic attempt by MS to get some airtime. Trainwreck. Waste of money. I want my product touted by a cartoon. It's just retarded.

Microsoft is so stupid. How did they get the monopoly they have?

Seth ... take the money and run. It simply won't matter how good, bad, funny or not the show will be, it won't change that fact that it's still just another crappy Windows release. If MS came to me with a huge paycheck and told me to create a show, I'd take it in a heartbeat! MS can afford it. Did Seinfeld take a popularity hit for taking 10 Million to appear in 2 commercials? He's just as funny as ever. Seth will be the same...funny as ever.

Seth McFarland is a talentless prick so I couldn't care less. Windows 7 and that douche are a perfect pair.

Oct 14, 09 - 11:51 am Comment from: Zeke

So Microsoft is going to collaborate on writing comedy...now that's comical.

Has Microsoft looked at any episodes of "Family Guy"? Potty humor, gay jokes, tasteless crap....yeah, I guess they have.

Well, I have spent several months testing Windows 7 and now they are going to convince me that all the problem I found are not true? it is all in my imagination?

Oct 14, 09 - 11:56 am Comment from: Jubei

Good old Microoaf sure knows how to blow that monopoly earned dollars on useless initiatives.

Oct 14, 09 - 12:02 pm Comment from: zmarc

Good one, Ron! FSC is the only Fox I watch, too!

Is there a BSD being placed in the show?

The tie-in is obvious:

Family Guy : fat, ugly, boring, irrelevant.
Microsoft: fat, ugly, boring, rapidly becoming irrelevant.

Oct 14, 09 - 01:33 pm Comment from: auramac

First Seinfeld, now Family Guy. Lost a bit of respect for them. And Whoopi standing like an idiot in that T-Mobile commercial.

Oct 14, 09 - 02:14 pm Comment from: farmertomato

I don't think this will help Microsoft as much as it will hurt Seth MacFarlane, who may lose his last layer of coolness by taking on such a dumb project.

Hilarious because Seth MacFarlane can pull of some great humor... and hilarious in its misguided failure to promote Microsoft in any useful way.

And could Seth MacFarlane possibly get any more cynical than this? No. Which is why we love him!

How many mac users will watch this show? The cool people won't watch it - it will be too annoying. And the really cool people don't watch american television anyway...

Oct 14, 09 - 03:23 pm Comment from: MacSmiley

Video preview at Ars technica

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/10/sneak-peek-family-guy-meets-windows-7.ars?utm_source=microblogging&utm_medium=arstch&utm_term=Main Account&utm_campaign=microblogging

I wonder how much uproarious laughter the line "I just Twittered" will generate amongst the young crowd MSFT is going after with this. After all, they don't need Windows 7 to Twitter. Besides, that demographic is on Facebook anyway.

"Think about metaphors and examples we might use, talking about how simple things are"

Why it's almost as fast and easy as a Mac Plus!

Oct 14, 09 - 05:20 pm Comment from: Hm...

I just sat through a half presentation by a CTO from M$ on Windows 7. He'd show a new feature and I'd think to myself, "Wow, I'e been doing that with OS X for a while." There were only two things that looked useful and --- at least in the demo --- well done. A program in their dock carried it's recently opened doc list and "typed search windows" (eg. video, photo, or media) could be opened. That's about it, though. The most amusing part was his video about M$ Research (working on stuff that's 4 to 10 years out) -- I thought I was watching Tom Cruise in Minority Report. Isn't nice that they can also rip off movie ideas, not just blindly copy Apple?