Microsoft Has Great Ads To Rival Apple’s, But Won’t Air Them On TV
11:59 pm, September 25th, 2009, Leander Kahney
Can Microsoft ever do anything right? The company has some produced some pretty good advertising for Windows 7, but for some inexplicable reason, the ads will not be shown on TV. Microsoft’s best advertising in years is restricted to a dusty corner of YouTube, where no one will see them.
After making everyone squirm with Jerry Seinfield and Bill Gates, and then reducing Windows 7 to rainbows and unicorns, the software giant has produced five new ads that are right out of Apple’s playbook.
The best is the one below, Personalization: Your PC, Your Style. The ad shows a young woman in the park customizing her laptop. As she makes changes on the machine, the environment around her also changes. It’s a clever way to demo features of the system, and it’s a lifestyle ad. It actually makes Windows 7 look cool.
The rest of the ads are posted below. They’re worth watching because they show Microsoft can sometimes get it right. The ads aren’t great, mind you. Nothing to rival Apple’s iconic “Think Different” or “1984.” But for a company with a famously wooded ear, they’re a big step in the right direction.
The ads were shot guerrilla style by director Marty Martin using a Canon 5D Mark II SLR on a three-day deadline, according to Ars Technica. But oddly, they will not air on TV, a Microsoft spokesman told Seattle PI’s Microsoft Blog. The ads have been posted to the Windows YouTube channel, but have been watched only a few thousand views, despite a lot of positive press from blogs.
The campaign would be a good complement to Microsoft’s meat-and-potatoes Laptop Hunters ads, which compare the pricing of Windows PCs to Apple’s offerings. The new ads challenge Apple on its home turf: making tech look cool through sophisticated lifestyle marketing. Apple has long used advertising as a key strategic tool. But when Microsoft finally gets it right, it relegates it to the ghetto of the Web. Dumb.
Posted by Leander Kahney in Advertising, News, Opinions | Comment on this article
Much better … but still not enough to get me switch my new MacBook Pro against a DELL … ; )
Tice, on September 26th, 2009 at 1:40 am
Meh.
Marky Mark, on September 26th, 2009 at 2:22 am
I don’t disagree that these aren’t bad, but I think they’re kind of like Windows 7 itself. Since they’re not as terrible as what preceded them they look better than they really are, and get more credit than they deserve.
Bottom line is if we didn’t get such stupid ads in the first place these wouldn’t be considered a “big step”, and if Vista hadn’t been such a dismal failure Windows 7 wouldn’t be seen as such an improvement.
Tom Reestman, on September 26th, 2009 at 3:26 am
good enough to make me switch from xp to windows 7 …………………… ofcourse on my bootcamp
abdu, on September 26th, 2009 at 4:13 am
You think that ad is ‘pretty good’?…well, maybe compared to their other dross but still only a 7 out of 10 from me.
sooper8, on September 26th, 2009 at 4:24 am
Utter poop!
“MS is wit it man! They is well wiked and is dan wiv da yoof, ya na wat a meen man!”
Apple ads are a cut above, simple, concise and a bit more mature, ‘Look here’s a great product, we don’t need to show it to you, it’s that great. Come to a store near you and give it go, you won’t be disappointed.”
MS ads….”BLAAAHH!! LOOK! LOOK! WINDOWS IS GREAT! BUY IT! BLAAAH!!!!! LOOK AT IT NOW!!!!! IF YOU DON’T BUY IT I’LL SCWEEM AND SCWEEM UNTIL YOU DO!!!!!!”
Fuzzypig, on September 26th, 2009 at 5:34 am
Who are you working for? Stop giving them ideas dammit. Jeez
Paul, on September 26th, 2009 at 6:31 am
A couple of the ads are clever … but the problem is that there is no message – no intrinsic message … just tag lines. Ads like this don’t stay with people. Their biggest problem though is that Apple’s ads have actually defined M$ in many peoples minds.
GSP, on September 26th, 2009 at 7:31 am
folks, he never said they were awarding winning ads. but rather like the whole “Windows 7 might not be light years ahead of Snow Leopard but it is an improvement over Vista” reviews, these ads are better than the crap they were putting out there like “Happy Words” and “churro?”. so yes it is a pity that some idiot at Microsoft is only showing them online. and youtube at that. why not put them out on things like Google adsense and such so at least other sites are drawing folks to them.
Charli, on September 26th, 2009 at 8:53 am
I run Vista through Bootcamp and it’s just fine. At some point I’ll get Windows 7 — it looks slick and more functional. Bottom line is and always has been, my Mac thinks like I do. Windows still thinks like programmers do.
JAYnLA, on September 26th, 2009 at 9:10 am
these are some pritty good ads. They don’t make it seem like other competing operating systems cant do anything they are just showing some of their features. Unlike apple which is only good at making commercials microsoft hasn’t reaqlly had any good commercials and I can’t believe when they actually start to make them they aren’t going to show them on tv
cody weller, on September 26th, 2009 at 9:20 am
I’m glad Microsoft themselves actually programmed these ads. Calm down a sec folks it’s just advertising.
James io, on September 26th, 2009 at 9:26 am
One thing to ask Apple, MS or any advertiser is that they be entertaining. If you are going to require we sit through ads as ‘payment’ for content, please make an effort to not annoy. Keep in mind it is common for ads to be viewed dozens of times.
These ads are fine, the movie make ad is brilliant. The PC vs Mac ads are beginning to wearing thin. Compared to the MS ads currently running, it’s baffling why MS doesn’t run these ads hard.
Merkin, on September 26th, 2009 at 10:08 am
I don’t know – they feel a little spec to me. I’ll admit that they look nice, and they have some cool concepts, well executed… but they still leave me asking what the hell. Especially the guy singing and then watching Family Guy? HUH??? They don’t feel like a campaign, and I’d question whether they were actually produced by Microsoft (or their agency), or done as spec by the director for his reel.
Drew, on September 26th, 2009 at 11:00 am
wow, these are infinitely superior to apple’s adds
me, on September 26th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Microsoft did get something right: Not spending more money broadcasting useless ads on television. They are well produced, with interesting creative concepts, but it feels like Microsoft didn’t have the vision to tie a strong brand or product message to the creative.
Windows 7:
The first ad, with the blonde girl, is a great piece of filmmaking but what does it do for the PRODUCT? It actually doesn’t establish Windows 7 as anything. Without familiarity with the shake feature, the ad loses its meaning, and while cool, doesn’t tie Windows 7 or the feature to the girl or the lifestyle portrayed. If you’re going to do a piece of brand advertising, for goodness sake, leave out the product features. (Points off for the ’90s-era homage of the 60s-era Brady bunch video box cliché.)
Grade: D
Personalization:
Click to delete an object? What feature does that tie into? Widgets makes sense, but is that really how you want to demo personalization? Weather and a clock? As a creative exercise, it’s OK, but as a product spot, it doesn’t come close to helping Windows 7. As brand advertising, its just as useless.
Grade: F
Windows Media Center:
If you tuned in a second after the laptop was showing, you would think you were looking at cable guide. Then following a guy with a guitar to his home watching TV? The punch line, the money shot, should be that Windows Media Center is radically different. But again, it’s doing something you cable box can do: watch video on demand. Big whoop.
Grade: F
Aero Shake:
At last, something that ties a product feature to a creative concept. By far, this is the strongest product spot in the lot. It gets to the punch line quickly, and clearly ties the feature to the creative concept. I wish there was more variety in the shot selection, but I get this spot.
Grade B.
I agree with Drew. Feels spec to me.
AMDucati, on September 26th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Nice ideas, and certainly well above the terrible Windows 7 ads running on TV, but I’m not sure how effective these are. Then again, does Windows 7 really need advertising? As with Vista, people are eventually going to be moving to Windows 7 whether they like it or not.
I don’t know, maybe then it wouldn’t be so bad – regardless of how effective they are at communicating a message, if they can help Windows 7 seem cooler and hipper, they certainly couldn’t hurt.
It’s probably worth noting that most of Apple’s Mac-related advertising has very little to do with conveying a cool/hip image – the Mac vs PC ads can be funny sometimes, but they don’t convey the “coolness” of the product itself in the way the iPod ads do.
I think there’s only so much you can do with advertising – running hip and clever and “indie”-style ads can only get you so far (same thing with offering some artistic and wild desktop backgrounds in Windows 7, or offering artistic laptop designs like Dell and HP do).
TomHandy, on September 26th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
“I don’t know – they feel a little spec to me. I’ll admit that they look nice, and they have some cool concepts, well executed… but they still leave me asking what the hell. Especially the guy singing and then watching Family Guy? HUH??? They don’t feel like a campaign, and I’d question whether they were actually produced by Microsoft (or their agency), or done as spec by the director for his reel.”
They are demostrating that you can use Media Center in a PVR to record Family guy while you are out playing your guitar. Then you can come home and watch it with your cue looking chick!
Not bad. These definitely beat Crunk saying you’re always going to get viruses and headaches.
Roy, on September 26th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
These are meant to be test shots only.
Chucky, on September 26th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
What’s it to you? Who’s gives a flying F—-? Why even mention the competition about things they can’t do right? Seems like a waste of time.. Focus on things that can help mac users NOT point the finger @ those that are different..
TV, on September 26th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I totally disagree with the author of this article. Everyone is talking about them, everyone is posting them on blogs and such.. how are these ads not a success? I think the first line of the article should be “Microsoft got it right”. Viral marketing isn’t designed for TV, but at times is much more effective. These ads (I believe) are aimed at the ‘net’ crowd, while the TV ads are aimed at the mom, pop and grandma who may not be as OS savvy.
KLanD, on September 26th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
do they want to make you buy the product?
I think the problem is there really is nothing wrong with XP. Ditto Office 2003/2004. But they want to make money, so make new stuff. So docx, ribbons, vista, w7…..
At least Apple had the luck/skill to make the ipod, itunes store and iphone. If they had to live by leopard to snow-leopard upgrade!
ged, on September 26th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Has any one seen this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cX4t5-YpHQ&feature=player_embedded
Devils' Din, on September 26th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Are you people serious? Tell me one thing that the pc vs. crapintosh commercials do. I will admit that they are entertaining but in no way does it make me want to buy one… period.
As for the rest of their commercials for the Ipod or Iphone. How many applications does one phone need? At this point it’s not even a phone anymore. The best one is the level. I am sure that there are a lot of poeple using a freaking cell phone for a level.
At least the MS commercials show part of what they are selling as far as the OS is conecerned. Crapintosh just tries to say that they are better and that is it.
Dman, on September 26th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Given how low the bar is, I guess this is an improvement. But this is a “feature” commercial that wants to be a lifestyle commercial, and you end up with neither. M$ advertising is a joke.
jaytee, on September 26th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I will always credit Microsoft with remembering to sell their products to more than just white people. Apple has the least diverse advertising around. I love their products but I hate the ‘monotone’ nature of their commercials.
Axirr, on September 26th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
The Kylie ads they’re showing on TV are pretty cute.
Matt, on September 26th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Is anyone here actually aware of how advertising works?
Microsoft does not ‘make’ these ads.
As bland as they are I’d pick a laptop hunter ad anyday over the tired, worn out Mac vs. PC propaganda that Apple is spewing. At least the former only used facts about their competitors. I loved the old apple campaigns, nowadays they’re just cheap shots.
Keem, on September 27th, 2009 at 5:39 am
Those commercials are OK and they do make some sort of sense, so at least MS got across their point. Much better than those Seinfeld commercials, but not as much fun to watch as “laptop hunters.”
Constable Odo, on September 27th, 2009 at 8:21 am
if they spent all money for those ads on, say, r&d in hopes to get rid of the registry in windows…then windows would be an acceptable product
but they don’t so…
windows 7 is still windows…same old, same old…
peter, on September 27th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Why bother write these articles on cultofmac? I think the name of the site clearly states that you will not get a unbiased response.
I personally don’t like these ads as much as the humorous one with the little girl. As well as saying that no one will see it on youtube is rather hurtful to your sense of reality since looking at the hits seems as if tens of thousands will see them.
Tense, on September 27th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
which might I add is a lot more than the you will get for this article. So.. to turn it around.. why bother write this article, since no one will ever see it?
Tense, on September 27th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
I find it amazing that some of the “impartial fan boys” above wont give microsoft any credit. The adds are clever and having actually tried windows 7 I think its pretty slick. OSX is a great OS but why should that mean that all others are inferior because they are different? Personally, I’ll be running windows 7 and enjoying it with an open mind which seems to be lacking for the majority of posters.
Sly, on September 27th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Wow, those ads are actually decent, good job MS. I thought the IE 8 ads were pretty awesome too. I laughed out loud during a couple of em. I’m not gunna run out and buy the stuff – I don’t think many ads can do that – but it certainly helps erode some of the animosity I have toward them.
Church of Apple, on September 28th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Meh, is right. Watched the first one…it was OK. Wasn’t anything in the ad that made me want to run out and get Win 7.
Ooooohhhh, I can put a clock on my desktop. Yipeee. How about a widget that shows my local weather. WOW, hold me back.
Bleh.
Davd, on September 28th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
“Can Microsoft ever do anything right?”
Hmmmm……..You mean aside from dominating both the business and personal computer markets? Is that not enough?
iGenius, on October 1st, 2009 at 11:42 am