Jerry Seinfeld: Microsoft's Screen Savior?

Comedian to appear alongside Bill Gates in image-shifting promotional campaign for computer giant

By Gina Serpe Aug 21, 2008 3:27 PMTags
Jerry SeinfeldNancy Kaszerman/ZUMA Press

Proof, if need be, that you can be a multimillionaire and still be a sellout...not that there's anything wrong with that.

Jerry Seinfeld, who popped back up on the pop-culture landscape last year, thanks to an assist from some animated bees and a litigious cookbook writer, is returning to the small screen this fall—but not with a new sitcom.

Instead, the comedian has stepped up to reboot Microsoft's stodgy image and appear in a new ad campaign for the computer giant.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Seinfeld will appear alongside chairman Bill Gates in the TV spots. For his efforts, the already-loaded comedian will pocket a serious amount of cash, estimated in the neighborhood of $10 million.

Unlike his eponymous TV effort (on which he memorably used Mac computers), Seinfeld's participation in the $300 million campaign, the company's largest to date, will be about a fairly major something—namely, appealing to the younger generation.

Attempting to do some damage control in the wake of Apple's inescapable nerdy PC (John Hodgman) vs. hip Mac (Justin Long) ads, Microsoft's new campaign, which debuts Sept. 4, will revolve around the slogan "Windows, Not Walls."

Seinfeld was reportedly the computer giant's top pick for the ads, though fellow funnymen Will Ferrell and Chris Rock were also among the big names bandied about for the gig, and they may still pop up in some of the ads.

No stranger to on-air shilling, Seinfeld has previously served as pitchman for American Express.