Jerry Seinfeld to Be Microsoft's New $10M Pitchman

By Stephen M. Silverman

Thursday August 21, 2008 12:40 PM EDT

Jerry Seinfeld (left) and Justin Long

Jemal Countess/WireImage; Fitzroy Barrett/Landov

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Apple has Steve Jobs as its pitchman, as well as Justin Long's popular "Mac Guy" character, so now rival Microsoft will have Jerry Seinfeld – who'll appear alongside company founder Bill Gates in new commercials for Windows Vista, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Seinfeld, 54, will be paid about $10 million for the ads, which are set to debut Sept. 4, says the newspaper. In all, Microsoft is prepared to spend $300 million to beef up its image, and is also considering Chris Rock and Will Ferrell as additional pitchmen.

The software giant's ad campaign is especially meant to deal a blow to Apple's successful "Mac vs. PC" TV spots that star "Mac Guy" Long, former boyfriend of Drew Barrymore. While the Mac Guy is cool, the PC guy (played by actor John Hodgman) comes off as nerdy.

The new Microsoft campaign will be the biggest in that company's history, says the Journal, which also says the ads will somehow play off the slogan "Windows, Not Walls."