The first Bill Gates - Jerry Seinfeld ad has arrived. It marks the largest consumer marketing campaign in the history of Microsoft, with a $300 million contract.

Apparently the ad leads nowhere as it just presents Jerry Seinfeld in a shoe store trying some new shoes and Bill Gates ending up helping him out. No mention of Vista whatsoever. It is basically just a beginning of a potential friendship between the two famous protagonists of the commercial. Microsoft says the ad is meant to get people talking, and that other parts of the marketing campaign will actually get into what its software can do.

The people from Microsoft claim that’s exactly what they wanted to do. They are perfectly aware of the fact that there isn't anything that would get people interested in Windows, but Microsoft claims that these early ads are "designed to spark a conversation about the Windows brand.”

As far as the long term goals of the campaign, this is what Windows mentioned in their press release: "It will illustrate how Windows integrates consumer experiences across PCs, online and on mobile phones through Windows Vista, Windows Live and Windows Mobile.”

One of their priorities should definitely be the image of Vista, which is not so reliable and user friendly despite the specialists’ assurance that the program’s initial problems have been dealt with. No need to worry yet because Windows still commands more than 90 percent of the market for personal computer operating systems. Apple will always be just around the corner though!