An Update on Microsoft's Razorfish

I had written in November about the layoffs at Razorfish, and early rumors of a sale.

Seems this sale is happening soon. According to the Financial Times, Microsoft has appointed Morgan Stanley to look for a buyer for Razorfish, with French firm Publicis emerging as an early front-runner.

Omnicom and WPP, which are trying to put more focus on digital advertising, are also potential suitors.

Publicis has recently made some financial moves aimed at enabling an acquisition, and have also gotten cozier with Microsoft - on Friday, Publicis announced an agreement with Microsoft Advertising to use Microsoft technology to place Publicis ads on television set-top boxes.

Jerry Seinfeld likes Bill Gates (and Henry Blodget is a fogie)

(posted August 21, 2008)

I hate those stupid Apple ads, where they have a guy like junior Steve Jobs acting superior to a guy meant to be Bill Gates.  I like PCs, I like Bill Gates, and compared to Apple, I also like MicroSoft.  Ok, my opinion, fueled also by all the trouble I have with my iPhone.

Anyway, MicroSoft is trying to make over its image (again), and is paying Jerry Seinfeld...... TENN MEEELLION DOLLARSSSSS ...... to appear on ads with Bill G.  I would have done the ads for ten thousand dollars, but I guess MS didn't get my email.

So the first part of this blog post is about the fact that I like this move.  I love Seinfeld, quote lines from the show and his stand-up routine all the time, want to own as many Porsches as he does, and can totally buy him being pally with Bill Gates.  Good.  Lets all buy Vista. 

Second part of the post - an article by Henry Blodget today, on Yahoo Finance Tech Ticker.  The article is titled - "Microsoft, Trying to Be Cool, Hires Uncool Comic for Ad Campaign".  In the article, he even says he expects Seinfeld to appeal mainly to "fogies like us". 

You know what?  That just proves to me that Henry "Securities Fraud" Blodget knows as much about pop culture as he does about tech issues.  Seinfeld is popular among everyone from 16 - 60 years of age (I'd go further, but didn't check the comScore or Nielsen NetRatings data).  Seinfeld "uncool"?  Puhleeze!