Barack Obama got a big lift from social Web-inspired parties during his presidential campaign. So why not do the same with Windows 7 when it launches on October 22?

That seems to be the thinking behind Microsoft's new commercial, which purports to be a "natural" guide to shilling for Windows 7 around your friends. The video is real, according to Gawker, and goes like this:

Naturally, a YouTube parody wasn't far behind.

Can you think of anything less party-inspiring than an operating system update? (Not talking to you, Mac fanboys.) Perhaps not. But if Windows 7 succeeds in regaining trust in the Windows brand after Vista so horribly eroded it, these parties might become a less absurdly far-fetched possibility for Windows 8.

Of course, Redmond's ads are only slightly more sanguine than Intel's; this video depicts the relationship between man and computer as, well, girlfriendy. (Insert your own Web porn joke here.)