Microsoft Pulls Sponsorship for MacFarlane Special
Computer giant Microsoft pulled their sponsorship of Sunday’s “Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show” over content concerns Variety reports.
When the project was announced last month, Microsoft signed as the show’s main sponsor. The show would feature limited commercial interruption along the line of Fox’s premium sponsorships last year with most commercials being for Microsoft and the release of Windows 7.
Now, the show says it is lining up another sponsor for the half-hour special that Fox says will still air Sunday evening.
Microsoft executives decided to withdraw their sponsorship after attending a taping of the upcoming special.
The program included MacFarlane and Alex Borstein — the voice of “Family Guy” matriarch Lois — pitching Windows 7.
For most of the special, however, MacFarlane and Borstein made typical “Family Guy”-style jokes, including riffs on deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest.
Such material was apparently a bit much for Microsoft.
“We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of ‘Family Guy,’ but after reviewing an early version of the variety show, it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand,” said a Microsoft spokeswoman. “We continue to have a good partnership with Fox, Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein and are working with them in other areas. We continue to believe in the value of brand integrations and partnerships between brands, media companies and talent.”
Funny… Every time I think of Microsoft I feel like i’ve been raped by a family member.
How is that not a good fit for the brand?
I agree Michael, besides what were they expecting? Did they never watch Family Guy and see how far it goes? Come on, the very market they want to reach is OK with this show and either love or hate MS regardless of their sponsorship.
This was a case of corporate America wanting to be all “hip” and then when they realized what “hip” was they chickened out. No surprise.
Anyone remember when Pepsi put up millions of dollars hiring Madonna to be their spokeswoman and sponsoring her entire tour and then they chickened out and acted shocked when she did something controversial?
Same thing.
They still get some mileage of this. Announce sponsorship. Get offended. Withdraw sponsorship… All with a great deal of publicity.
Cynical me?
Maybe if somebody at Microsoft had bothered to spend five minutes on YouTube looking at the Family Guy cast’s previous live shows…? Or do Bing and Chrome not have YouTube? ::eyeroll::