Hip-hop star Pharrell Williams and actress Eva Longoria are to replace Jerry Seinfeld in a new Microsoft advertising campaign--less than two weeks after the comedian's commercial debuted on TV.The Seinfeld actor, who appears in the computer software giant's latest promos alongside Microsoft founder Bill Gates, was paid an estimated $10 million to endorse the brand.
Two spots were filmed--one featuring the pair chatting while out shoe shopping, and another showing the two talking at a blue-collar family's dinner table. They began airing on Sept. 4.
But the ads will be pulled in favor of a new campaign fronted by Williams, Longoria and author Deepak Chopra.
Rumors have surfaced surrounding the decision, suggesting the Seinfeld ads failed to lure consumers to the brand--but a spokesman for the firm insists that is not the case.
The representative claims the lineup change is "completely in accordance" with the company's plans and was part of the "second phase" of their campaign. It is unclear whether Seinfeld will be appearing in Microsoft's fall print ads.
It's not the first time Williams has teamed up with Microsoft--executives have previously called on the Neptunes producer to help launch their Xbox 360 game Halo 3 in the U.K.
