July 23, 2001

10:21 AM

What do Windows XP and lingerie have in common? Quite a lot, according to Microsoft. The Register reports that MS is taking full advantage of the fact that sex sells with their latest Swiss ad. There's only one problem - the commercial doesn't make any sense.
posted by sanitycheck (29 comments total)

You can download the commercial here.
posted by mathowie at 10:33 AM on July 23, 2001

This is quite frightening. Two consenting adults wanting something, yet Bill won't let them have it without his permission? Unfortunately the tone is light enough that most people won't give it a second thought.
posted by thebigpoop at 10:36 AM on July 23, 2001

Whoops. Should have mentioned the download in my post. It's also available at AdCritic.
posted by sanitycheck at 10:36 AM on July 23, 2001

It makes sense to me, and it actually made me smile a bit. But then my patented cynicism set in.

"Wouldn't it be easier if, instead of hooks, bras had the ease of use of XP?"
posted by hijinx at 10:37 AM on July 23, 2001

XP Bras? Scary.

I'd rather have Macintosh bras. They'd be simple, well designed, come in a variety of colors and maybe even be...(gulp) translucent.

Of course, only 1 out of ten women could wear one.
posted by ColdChef at 10:40 AM on July 23, 2001

Proof positive that the Bra-wser is part of the operating system, and not an application.

(ducks)
posted by websavvy at 10:42 AM on July 23, 2001

> All's going fine, she whips her top off and the young man
> tries to relieve her of her patriarchal symbol of
> oppression (the bra).
>
> Nothing doing. Twisting twisting and nothing. Then an
> information menu pops up on her back. "Hilfe holen,
> Anleitung drucken, Gleich offnen, Abbrechen". We've no
> idea what they mean, but running his finger down her
> back he goes for the third choice. Tap.

That's Switzerdeutsche for "Abort, Retry, Fail?"
posted by jfuller at 10:43 AM on July 23, 2001

Huh huh. He said "deutsche".
posted by frenetic at 11:01 AM on July 23, 2001

Thankfully, the video is in Quicktime : )
posted by ParisParamus at 11:02 AM on July 23, 2001

Thankfully, the video is in Quicktime : )

Only if you download it from AdCritic. If you go to the MS site, it runs in WMP.
posted by briank at 11:05 AM on July 23, 2001

i got it in quicktime from the ms site. whichever you view it on has more to do with your computer's set up than the site you view it at.
posted by dogmatic at 11:13 AM on July 23, 2001

Yeah, the microsoft link is http://www.microsoft.com/switzerland/de/officexp/library/images/30sekdt01.mpeg, so it'll play in whichever player you have set to play MPEGs.
posted by jragon at 11:40 AM on July 23, 2001

I believe the options are:

Hilfe holen - Get help
Anleitung drucken - Print instructions/tutorial
Gleich offnen - Open similar
Abbrechen - Quit/Terminate
posted by valerie at 11:46 AM on July 23, 2001

Similar WHAT?
posted by ParisParamus at 11:59 AM on July 23, 2001

Well, that's when the other girl walks in and...
posted by mrbula at 12:02 PM on July 23, 2001

valerie - actually, gleich öffnen means 'open now'.

'Gleich' can be translated as either 'similar' or 'directly' (Ich werde gleich zurückkommen = I will return directly).
posted by syzygy at 12:03 PM on July 23, 2001

The mp3 I downloaded from the MS site caused WMP to crash. How funny is that?
posted by Apoch at 1:31 PM on July 23, 2001

What do Windows XP and lingerie have in common?

Err, both of them lead to getting f*cked by the Man?
posted by fooljay at 2:12 PM on July 23, 2001

I 'updated' my Quicktime last week, and now everything opens in it... man, I hate media players that take over your system.

Also, she appears to be consenting, so why the password?
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 4:52 PM on July 23, 2001

The Linux bra: freely available, fits just about any woman, and the stays never give way, but you have to have years of experience or a big thick manual to put it on or remove it.
posted by darukaru at 5:38 PM on July 23, 2001

I've got your big thick manual right here.
posted by kindall at 5:41 PM on July 23, 2001

umm.. keep that manual in your pants their, jerry.
posted by lotsofno at 6:26 PM on July 23, 2001

I liked the add, I thought it was obvious that the girl was toying with the guy. She has the sly smile thing happening.
posted by riffola at 6:27 PM on July 23, 2001

Women! Now even "Yes" means "No."

They need a big thick manual... a big thick one indeed.
;-)
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 6:51 PM on July 23, 2001

Wow. My friend Matt was right -- you can make anything into an innuendo by saying "I've got your _____ right here."
posted by kindall at 8:29 PM on July 23, 2001

I've got your... um, "friend" Matt's innuendo right here, buddy.
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 6:47 AM on July 24, 2001

It's called Europe. There was freakin pornography selling a chocolate bar in Germany...

A few years ago there was an ad for some Microsoft product (Office 97?) in either Der Stern or Der Spiegel with a big picture of Max and Moritz. Microsoft: it's a prank attack on your computer.
posted by dagnyscott at 7:23 AM on July 24, 2001

"with a big picture of Max and Moritz."

and we were confused before... Google brings me this, and I read it all, but still don't get it.

Ah, how oft we read or hear of
Boys we almost stand in fear of!
For example, take these stories
Of two youths, named Max and Moritz.
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 8:19 AM on July 24, 2001

Max and Moritz are the German originals of "The Katzenjammer Kids"
posted by briank at 8:30 AM on July 24, 2001