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Microsoft Enlists ‘Family Guy’ for Windows 7 Launch

At some point every pop icon — particularly the animated kind — are enlisted to shill a product. Homer Simpson did it. Fred Flintstone did it. Bugs Bunny did it. And you can add Peter Griffin and the characters of Family Guy to the roster. Already circulating on YouTube is a Family Guy clip featuring […]

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Channel Insider Staff

Oct 22, 2009

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At some point every pop icon — particularly the animated kind — are enlisted to shill a product. Homer Simpson did it. Fred Flintstone did it. Bugs Bunny did it. And you can add Peter Griffin and the characters of Family Guy to the roster.

Already circulating on YouTube is a Family Guy clip featuring Brian the talking dog and Stewie the evil baby talking about Windows 7. The clip is actually a redubbed scene from an episode in which Stewie is using a Mac to create a video for a girl he has a crush on (can you tell I’m a fan?). In this version, Brian talks up the features of Windows 7 in a snarky tone of voice while Stewie puts the new OS through its paces.

This won’t be the first engagement of Family Guy in the Windows 7 marketing campaign. Seth MacFarland, Family Guy’s creator and voice behind most of the characters, has signed up to produce a Windows 7-ladden special — “Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show.” The 30-minute, commercial free special that will air Nov. 8 will feature Windows 7 content that’s interwined with the live comedy of MacFarland and fellow Family Guy cast member Alex Borstein (the voice of Lois Griffin).

Clearly, enlisting MacFarland is design to make Windows 7 look young, hip and exciting. After all, MacFarland is the hottest property in Hollywood; everything he touches — except “The Cleveland Show” — has turned to gold. While some critics are already saying that the special is not appropriate for young children, bringing in such a talent to endorse Windows 7 should build buzz among consumers and raise awareness for business decision makers.

At the very least, it unlikely to be any worse than the miserable Bill Gates-Jerry Seinfeld ads that Microsoft launched to rescue Windows Vista. There hasn’t been a worse pairing of buddies since Jay Leno and Pat Morita (Arnold from Happy Days) in the train-wreck movie “Collision Course.”

Microsoft Enlists ‘Family Guy’ for Windows 7 Launch

Channel Insider Staff

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