I have to say my reaction to the Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld series of Microsoft TV ads has also been along the lines of “I don’t get it”, but see now the real plot and intentions…

The less than cogent ads are in fact part of an effort to re-frame the discussion about Microsoft. That actually works for me, because there’s no way those ads would, for example, convince me to migrate to Vista.

A persona isn’t established by one commercial. Critics of the Gates/Seinfeld program are missing the point. After all, “Seinfeld” the TV show didn’t become a lasting cultural force in the United States after a few episodes. Microsoft is off to a good start with this new persona-building. But here’s the real challenge: for Microsoft to have its products, processes and people authentically reflect the smart-ironic nerd concept it has successfully gotten people to talk about this week. Like “Seinfeld,” that’ll take years, too.