Microsoft Dumps Jerry Seinfeld from Commercials

The duo of Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates is no more. After two commercials and a $10 million fee for Seinfeld, Microsoft says the comedian won't be starring in the ad campaign with Bill Gates anymore and claims this was part of its advertising strategy all along.

Do you buy it?

Most reporters and advertising industry pros don't. The commercials received such mixed reviews, the buzz across agencies, newsrooms and the Internet speculate the move is a hasty reaction to how much ripping the commercials have taken in the last two weeks since they were released.

• Hasty Reaction or Calculated Move:
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• Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld Ads:
  More on the Campaign

Microsoft says it's entering phase 2 of its $300 million ad campaign and the new face in the ads will be a company engineer who bears an uncanny resemblance to John Hodgman from the PC vs. Mac ads. Phase 2 will also feature cameos from Bill Gates, Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, hip-hop singer Pharrell Williams and author Deepak Chopra.