Microsoft finally launches $300M campaign to heal Vista wounds
By Justin Montgomery
Microsoft has finally launched it’s scrutinized and highly anticipated $300 million marketing campaign, aimed at improving the image of its Windows Vista operating system and to hopefully strike back at Apple for its years of commercial-based trash talking.
The first commercial of Microsoft’s new marketing push, being created by advertising agency Crispin Porter and Bogusky, aired on Thursday featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld and company co-founder Bill Gates at a shoe store, according to Reuters. The commercial first aired during the NFL kickoff game on NBC and will also air on major TV shows starting Thursday night, along with Windows.com.
The Apple commercials, that are the obvious target with the new marketing push, perceives Microsoft as a nerdy, awkward fellow compared to the hip Apple guy that’s slick and "in-tune" so-to-speak. "What the brand stands for, particularly in the case of Windows Vista, has been defined by the competitors. The time is now for us to get in and start telling our story," said Brad Brooks, a corporate vice president at Microsoft.
Apple’s commercials, along with other things, have bolstered Apple’s brand amongst consumers and seemed to have done the trick. Apple has steadily gained market share against PCs for a while now- last quarter for example, Apple accounted for 8.5 percent of U.S. computer shipments, a rise of 38 percent from a year earlier. That even outpaced the overall U.S. computer market growth of 4.2 percent. Microsoft has been rather quiet on the marketing front during Apple’s push, so the time is right to tell their side of the story, and try to heal the wounds Vista has left thus far.
According to CNet, the initial reaction in the blogosphere was not good. "largely one of head-scratching," "absolutely pathetic," and "really bad" were some of the phrases circulating around on Twitter. Among other posts on Twitter were "You’re kidding me right? THAT is what they think will be better than mac vs PC ads?" As the ads start playing more and more, it should be interesting to hear the real reviews and reactions to the campaign. Do you think they’ll be better than Apple’s? I would venture to bet, they’re not even close.
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September 7th, 2008
Marketing campaigns for computers, etc. have come and gone, particularly when it comes to television ads, so it’s interesting that the Apple commercials have stuck around for so long. I think it’s a wise move for Microsoft to “fight back” and create a television personality and presence of its own. I’ll be interested to see the campaign unfold. Also, I think the internet has opened up marketing capabilities for many companies. Since there are so many more computer users in the home users market than there used to be (there are SO many that have computers and also Internet at home now, as opposed to even 5 or 10 years ago), I think there are still a lot of possibilities there for marketing and advertising.