Seinfeld & Gates: Was this ad supposed to be funny?

The long-awaited $300 million ad campaign that Microsoft launched to counter Apple's successful "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" campaign aired during the Thursday night kickoff to the NFL season. Did you see it? I missed it on TV but caught it on YouTube.

I don't get it. And seeing how the punchline was, ummm, Bill Gates adjusting his shorts, I don't think I want to get it.

Check out the commercial and tell me if I'm wrong here. For 90 seconds, it's two middle-aged guys in a discount shoe store at the mall, talking about, well, discount shoes. And, don't forget the gratuitous subtitles for the Spanish-speaking onlookers. What's that all about?

Honestly, what does any of this have to do with Microsoft, Apple or computing? It's not until the two guys - who are both showing their age, by the way - walk into the mall parking lot do we hear anything about Microsoft or computers. And then it's Jerry asking Bill, "Are they ever gonna come out with something that will make our computers moist and chewy like cake so we can just eat them while we're working? If it's yes, give me a signal. Adjust your shorts."

And then Bill moves his rear-end, prompting Jerry to say, "I knew it." And then the words, "The Future. Delicious"

Really? Jerry Seinfeld gets $10 million for that??? Maybe it's me but I suspect no one at Apple is losing sleep over this counter-campaign. At least Apple's commercials, which highlight Windows as old and stodgy compared to the young and hip Mac OS X, talk about computing.

Maybe I'm off base here but I think if Microsoft is trying to engage people with this ad, it has failed miserably. I even watched it several times, just to make sure I didn't miss something.

What do you think?