Those somewhat odd and not-so-funny Microsoft ads featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld are being pulled from the air. You might think it’s because they’ve received such a negative reaction (the entertainment media has had a jolly time poking fun at them), but Microsoft says differently.

This company never admits failure or defeat of any kind. “This was the plan all along,” said spokesperson Frank Shaw. “All along we said we were having a teaser campaign,” he explained. “We’re getting ready to start the second phase.” Betcha it doesn’t involve putting founder Bill Gates in the ads, this “second phase.”

The spots featuring Gates and Seinfeld were meant to compete with Apple’s highly successful (and quite entertaining) “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” campaign. Unfortunately, Bill Gates doesn’t at all seem like a regular guy in any setting and Seinfeld is absolutely passé (and no, Jerry, Bee Movie just didn’t help). The comedian received a reported $10 million for the spots.

The newest ad to feature the pair is just odd (and told in two parts, though this is the full version). YouTube records over 1 million hits for this video. The best part of the whole thing is the grandmother. Microsoft should build a new campaign around her: