As much as we may hate to think it, in the end, I think Microsoft wins again because we DID watch the ad didn't we?
Jerry and his comedy is the bait.
We now know microsoft is up to something "delicious." whoopie.
The problem with your statement, is that watches mean nothing if they do not sell the item. Selling the item means nothing if people don't view the ad.
One does not work without the other. In this case its getting views but its not selling, educating or performing anything to those views. This ad is nothing but empty views.
The sad fact is that pc's are cheap and most people (general population) are lazy or uninterested in installing (or even learning about) other operating systems.
The product is sort of forced upon us. All we can really do is cope.
It seems like a lot of people upgrade their windows operating system when a new one comes out (except with vista because of all of the bad reviews).
Ads aren't just for selling stuff directly. This ad doesn't sell anything, it changes brand image.
(Tho' actually I suspect those are are more about changing the company's image as an employer)
The thing is Microsoft have succeeded despite their brand rather than because of it, and the company have long been demonised and seen as the convicted monopolist and stuffy and corporate. Notice how the Microsoft brand is played down on both the Zune and Xbox 360 sites for example.
Trying to humanise the company and making them seem less corporate by giving them a friendly face is probably a good thing for their brand in the long term, will make people associate with their brand more positively and in my view is certainly a better direction than yet another Vista campaign that will do little to raise awareness further and shift very few copies.