Mark Manching Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 (edited) As of this morning, the online-only ad for Internet Explorer 8 called O.M.G.I.G.P. -- oh my God! I'm gonna puke--has been pulled from all Microsoft and third-party video Web sites--including the dedicated IE8 site, Browser for the Better. A few days ago Microsoft's IE8 ad campaign started making headlines with its four online only ads featuring former Superman Dean Cain. Two of the ads--F.O.M.S. and S.H.Y.N.E.S.S.--had been up since June 10, but the ad campaign only caught media attention earlier this week. The most outrageous spot was O.M.G.I.G.P., which depicted a woman who couldn't stop vomiting after inadvertently viewing hardcore pornography on her husband's computer. Dean Cain then walked into the scene and suggested this situation could have been avoided by using IE8's private browsing feature. So why did Microsoft pull the video spot? True, O.M.G.I.G.P. was a little on the disgusting side, but it was hardly controversial or subversive for the online world of 2009. Here's what a Microsoft spokesperson said via e-mail: "We make a point of listening to our customers. We created the OMGIGP video as a tongue-in-cheek look at the InPrivate Browsing feature of Internet Explorer 8, using the same irreverent humor that our customers told us they liked about other components of the Internet Explorer 8 marketing campaign. While much of the feedback to this particular piece of creative was positive, some of our customers found it offensive, so we have removed it." Behind the Ad The ads were developed by the Indiana-based advertising firm Bradley and Montgomery, and were directed by former Police Academy star and standup comedian Bobcat Goldthwait. Since his acting days, Goldthwait has turned to directing, including stints on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Man Show, and several of his own movie projects. The Internet Explorer ads were his first shot at commercials, and were created in consultation with the creative team at BAM, according to a Brandweek interview with Goldthwait. When I first discovered that Goldthwait directed the IE8 ads, I was amused but not particularly surprised. O.M.G.I.G.P. feels like the type of humor that would appeal to Goldthwait. Not necessarily because of the puking scene, but because of the honesty behind the suggestion that the private browsing feature found on many Web browsers is ideal for keeping your online porn habits a secret from other people who might share your computer. Private browsing temporarily stops your Web browser from recording your online history and erases any tracking cookies from your online session. User Outrage? Really? I'm surprised that Microsoft pulled the ad due to user outrage. Microsoft itself admitted that user reaction to the ad was fairly lighthearted, although some people said it was mildly disgusting. So where could the outrage over O.M.G.I.G.P. be coming from? Well, the online spots were also tied to a larger campaign on the 'Browser for the Better' Web site. Microsoft promised to donate eight meals to Feeding America--a domestic hunger charity--for every user download of IE8 that came from browserforthebetter.com. Is it possible the plug was pulled because there was negative reaction to associating a puking scene with a hunger charity? I asked Microsoft for further clarification, but they declined to comment on my theory. That doesn't mean I'm right mind you, but it's possible. Why do you think it was pulled? Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=8011946&page=1 More Ads Related to This S.H.Y.N.E.S.S. - (LOLCats Anyone?) G.R.I.P.E.S. - (Connection Problems) F.O.M.S. - (WebSlices) O M G I G P Internet Explorer 8 Puke Vomit Girl - (InPrivate Browsing Mode) -- Dunno It's Included the "Superman" :P but. you install firefox 3.5 instead ;) Edited July 8, 2009 by Mark Manching Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3%5kr3w Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Eh.. Just get the ff3.5 and enjoy Fast, Free, NonInterwined Open Source Goodness WITH a Porn Hiding Mode, And (IF your lucky) The NON-Crippled Superman.1 :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr0p Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Aside from not liking IE, I liked the ads quite a bit. Whoever their new marketing team is is doing their jobs quite well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Sierakowski Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think that pulling the ad was the wrong move... the kind of people who found this ad offensive are not the kind of people who switch browsers. I feel like finally Microsoft is doing something hip and relevant, and they react to the inevitable backlash by backing down. They still have a lot to learn, but every since Gates left it seems that MS is starting to go in a really good direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signal Hacker Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Though my *nix dork colleagues would probably crucify me, I did like the Seinfeld and Gates ad campaign. And the IE8 is entertaining too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Microsoft are trying and its working tbh, IE8 is a solid browser and it is far better than firefox out the box. /me dodges hail of bricks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signal Hacker Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 /me dodges hail of bricks As Snubbs would say....LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr0p Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Microsoft are trying and its working tbh, IE8 is a solid browser and it is far better than firefox out the box. /me dodges hail of bricks Just curious, how so? I've never seen any advantages to IE in any version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Just curious, how so? I've never seen any advantages to IE in any version. Its fast, and compared to Firefox pretty lightweight. The acceleators make sense, and the web development tools are as good as firebug but easier to use. Security isn't a concern as long as your not a tit, and it is standards compliant. Compared to Firefox it is better out of the box, but firefox is far more extensible which means you can add all the features IE8 has and more, but the memory problems firefox still has plus the fact that every upgrade most of my addons are broken takes the shine off the benifits of firefox. Basically the IE8 team are stealing all the right ideas and doing something good with them. Firefox just uses all the ideas, good and bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markhimself Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 ill stick with Chrome thankyou :) 99% secure - though i dont use the internet like a 'tit' so it wouldnt make mucha differece anyways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 I don't know about you but I'm beginning to have a problem with Googles attitude to data mining. One of these days all the "free" services they provide are going to bite us in the ass. Microsoft may have there problems but I'm damn sure they don't want to know as much about me as Google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redxine Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Microsoft may have there problems but I'm damn sure they don't want to know as much about me as Google. At least google can't shut down your OS remotely on suspicion of piracy. Compared to Firefox it is better out of the box Go install it on a Mac or on Ubuntu and tell me it works better out of the box. Or maybe on window$ it's really in the box to begin with. On another note, why do they need an ad campaign to market something that they are already shipping with their product? Isn't it handled by automatic updates? Or maybe I've been on Linux too long with dpkg apt and rpm updating everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 At least google can't shut down your OS remotely on suspicion of piracy. See, I've been a Windows user since 3.1, and the only time its been "shutdown" remotely is when I've used a stolen/keygen'd key. Which is fair, Microsoft have a right to protect what is the most pirated OS on the planet. When I've used legit keys or smarter methods of stealing them, zero problems. Its a myth that MS will shutdown your OS randomly even if its legit, one pedaled by people pissed off that they can't steal it any more because they aren't smart enough to figure out ways around the key issue. Go install it on a Mac or on Ubuntu and tell me it works better out of the box. Or maybe on window$ it's really in the box to begin with. I have done, and I will continue to say that Firefox without the add-ons isn't as good as IE8 is out the box. Firefox gets a hell of a lot better than IE8 when you add add-ons, which is why its my main browser on both my Windows and my Linux/BSD installs. This still doesn't detract from the fact that without add-ons Firefox isn't really anything special. On another note, why do they need an ad campaign to market something that they are already shipping with their product? Isn't it handled by automatic updates? Or maybe I've been on Linux too long with dpkg apt and rpm updating everything. Who knows, but IE8 will still be installed more times than Ubuntu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Sierakowski Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 My favorite thing about Vako: Zero respect for the long lived prejudices of technology (Firefox is king, microsoft sucks, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redxine Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Don't forget the "Closed source software is slavery" bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Open source stuff in business is only useful if you have the staff in house or the budget to outsource development required to support the continued development of the product should the company stop making it. Its all very well to say "the community can support it" but unless that support is more than a forum/irc mash-up its very hard to sell to a boardroom. This is where total cost of ownership comes into play, you can't just look at the sticker price, you have to look at the costs incurred by using a solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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