Microsoft Pulls Out Of Family Guy Sponsorship... Gets Half The Benefit For None Of The Money?

from the did-they-just-pull-one-over-on-Seth-Macfarlane? dept

Mon, Oct 26th 2009 5:17pm — Mike Masnick

In the past couple weeks a few folks had sent in various versions of the plan by Microsoft to sponsor an entire episode of the show Family Guy that would involve somehow weaving Microsoft Windows 7 into the story. While some found the whole concept to be "the end of the world," that was pure nonsense. It was a perfect example of how advertising is content, and content is advertising. If the fear was that the episode would suck, well, then it wouldn't act as a very good commercial for Microsoft, then, would it? If the fear was that the episode would be good, then what was the problem?

Either way... it appears that the whole thing is now dead. Reports are coming out that Microsoft has bailed out on the project, claiming that "the content was not a fit with the Windows brand." My first reaction to this was that whoever approved the deal in the first place must not watch Family Guy very much, because the whole show is based on "not being a fit" with pretty much anything.

But the more I thought about it, the more I wonder if Microsoft just pulled a fast one on Fox and everyone else. It's now received a ton of attention for the whole project... and doesn't have to pay Fox any money. Perhaps Microsoft just out-Foxed Fox.

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Filed Under: family guy, seth macfarlane, sponsorship
Companies: fox, microsoft

26 Comments

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Rose M. Welch (profile), 26 Oct 2009 @ 5:04pm

I agree. They got their publicity burst and now they're happy, with no money paid out and no apologies after the show airs and people are offended by some portion of it...

On one hand, I'm mad on behalf of Family Guy. On the other hand, I'm happy with pretty much anything that annoys Rupert Murdock. Hmm...
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LumpyDog (profile), 26 Oct 2009 @ 5:39pm

I doubt MS got out of it without having to pay anything. Those type of partnerships don't happen without some sort of upfront financial commitment. It's entirely possible MS will stay have to pay the entire agreed-upon cost, given how close the episode/ad (episad?) was to airing.
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anonymous, 26 Oct 2009 @ 5:43pm

Just because MS bailed doesn't mean it didn't cost them. I can't imagine Fox producing the show without some contractual obligation from MS, involving scratch.
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John Fenderson (profile), 26 Oct 2009 @ 5:47pm

Heh. The funny thing is that Microsoft's association with Family Guy didn't besmirch Microsoft in my eyes. It besmirched Family Guy.

"If the fear was that the episode would suck, well, then it wouldn't act as a very good commercial for Microsoft, then, would it?. If the fear was that the episode would be good, then what was the problem?"

I think the fear was that the episode would be effective advertising, not that it would suck or be good as entertainment. There are a lot of people who view Microsoft's continued domination of the software business as a very bad thing for the software business.
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Dark Helmet (profile), 26 Oct 2009 @ 5:50pm

I smell...
...a general ripping of Microsoft in an upcoming episode of Family Guy...
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- AC, 26 Oct 2009 @ 7:36pm
  
  Re: I smell...
  I'm with you Mr. Helmet.
  
  Seth MacFarlane is going to make Microsoft wish they never heard of Family Guy. If Microsoft has any thoughts that Vista made them a laughingstock, wait until the Family Guy Microsoft lampoon episode.
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  - DS, 27 Oct 2009 @ 4:01am
    
    Re: Re: I smell...
    I already wish I've never heard of Family Guy....
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- Gordon, 26 Oct 2009 @ 8:10pm
  
  Re: I smell...
  I'm with you on this one Helmet.
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- BullJustin (profile), 27 Oct 2009 @ 8:33am
  
  Re: I smell...
  And maybe Apple will sponsor it!
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Lucretious, 26 Oct 2009 @ 6:02pm

I'm still holding out for a team up of MS and Metalocalypse/Dethklok.

"DO YOU LIKE....WINDOWS?"
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Stewie, 26 Oct 2009 @ 6:10pm

"Perhaps Microsoft just out-Foxed Fox"

Apparently it is quite easy to do

Limbaugh falls for Obama thesis hoax - but is in no Rush to apologize
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/10/25/2009-10-25_limbaugh_falls_for_obama_t hesis_hoax__but_is_in_no_rush_to_apologize.html
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- minijedimaster (profile), 26 Oct 2009 @ 6:27pm
  
  Re:
  What does Rush reporting satire on Obama have to do with Microsoft and Fox? WTH are you talking about?
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  - Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2009 @ 6:53pm
    
    Re: Re:
    small minds ...
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    - DS, 27 Oct 2009 @ 4:04am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Small Minds, as in only the evil conservatives blow things out of proportion, and our liberal overlords are the best thing since sliced bread?
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      - ChrisB (profile), 27 Oct 2009 @ 6:39am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Political parties are just there to distract you from your government spending your, your kids, your grand-kids money to bail out businesses. But, by all means, keep focusing on what is important.
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Weasley Misfit, 26 Oct 2009 @ 7:16pm

Family Guy
I just can't see Family Guy selling out. I can imagine the problem developed when MS did not see the humor in what they were doing. I can conjure up images of Family Guy making fun of Microsoft for free.
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Cartman, 26 Oct 2009 @ 7:52pm

"If you ever compare me to Family Guy I'll Kill you where you stand."
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Earth eternal, 26 Oct 2009 @ 8:00pm

Earth eternal gold
I'm still holding out for a team up of MS and Metalocalypse.
I think so.
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Mikael (profile), 26 Oct 2009 @ 9:08pm

big MStake
I find it funny that they pulled out of a deal with a show who could've gotten them business with a key demographic. I'm thinking the same thing as "Weasley Misfit" with how they probably didn't see any humor in what Family Guy was going to do. To restate Mike's point, whoever made the deal probably just looked at the demographics and ratings for Family Guy and had probably never even seen the show. I was honesly surprised that MS would do a show with Family Guy.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2009 @ 11:26pm

On one hand, I'm mad on behalf of Family Guy. On the other hand, I'm happy with pretty much anything that annoys Rupert Murdock. Hmm...

I know. Alternative thought has been said to cause intelligence. That would be horibal so horibles. I go
watch MSNBC/CNN then jump off bridge.....partian hack.
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R. Miles (profile), 27 Oct 2009 @ 3:34am

The Fox returns to the henhouse.
Perhaps Microsoft just out-Foxed Fox.
Anyone here think Seth will take this lying down?

Heh. If Seth gets pissed, he's going to take it out through Family Guy.

Instead of pushing a positive note for Windows 7, I can see an episode clearly showing Peter getting frustrated at "Windows Heaven" and ranting for 10 minutes why the operating system sucks.

That is, before Stewie comes along and uses the PC to try to kill Lois.

The episode will air a week before the holiday break.
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senshikaze (profile), 27 Oct 2009 @ 4:34am

my question is this:
how is an episode of family guy going to be funny when it centers on an OS? any OS? That sounds like an infomercial to me, not a entertaining thirty minutes. Why don't I just go watch thirty minutes of commercials instead?
With this I get one long commercial with commercial breaks! So much better.
This was a retarded idea all around.
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Bored_On_Break, 27 Oct 2009 @ 6:14am

Re: Senshi Kaze
It is a pretty old idea actually. If you ever get a chance to see an old show from the fourties and fifties, you can see that this kind of advertising inside of a show was pretty common back then. There usually wasn't much of an effect on the quality of writing on those shows either.

There is a modern version of it with the Degree deoderant sponsership of (part of) the third season of the Scifi channel show Eureka. Though I do have to admit that it was rather heavy handed and unsubtle as an ad campaign.
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Xanius, 27 Oct 2009 @ 7:53am

Not Family Guy
MS didn't pull out on the Family Guy episode.
They pulled out of the Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show.

There's a difference and it should be noted. This article is a lot more detailed on the situation.

http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/system-error-microsoft-pulls-out-family-guy-special- 9194
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PushForth, 27 Oct 2009 @ 10:38am

Your story is wrong
It wasn't a "family guy episode". It was the "family guy presents seth and alexs almost live comedy show".

Content was written to include Windows 7... aparently it is now being re-written and re-recorded in some parts.
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Jordan (profile), 27 Oct 2009 @ 3:13pm

Famly Guy Impression
Peter: It's like that time I invented Windows 7... You guys should totally bring that paperclip back.
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