MSFT: All Up in Everybody's Business, for Almost No Reason at All.

microsoft-quiksilver.jpg

Remember Clearification, that neurotic but sometimes-funny Vista effort featuring Demetri Martin? Microsoft revisits hipster animation and irreverent anecdota with a JWT-developed ad dubbed "Because it's everybody's business."

According to GM-Advertising Gayle Troberman at Microsoft, the "I'm a PC" campaign was about "creating a 'vibe'" to "define our brand for consumers," whereas this spot is all about "showing business people the real value they can achieve with technology."

Yeah, good luck with that. Quiksilver President/CEO Bob McKnight justifies the ad's papier mache-style surfer imagery with use of his voice; and while nothing he says is truly memorable, I recall him comparing tsunamis to business. Then some rolled-up dollar wads with sheep heads traipsed across my screen.

Does your enterprise software help you navigate a tough economy? we're profoundly asked at end, making way for the mega-money-closer: people_ready enterprise solutions. Nice use of low-caps and underscore! Very tech, very now.

Just not very to-the-point. The piece has a coupla things in common with Crispin's Seinfeld/Bill Gates ads: muddy personality and no clear CTA. Are we supposed to be buying something? Like, a server, or Office ... or something?

Sad. Microsoft -- whose brand identity is becoming increasingly nebulous -- is fast becoming the Sears of software.

by Angela Natividad    Jan-26-09   Click to Comment   
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Strange, Television   

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Comments



Comments

yeah, ok, ms ranter. but compare this to other b-2-b business software advertising and it's a breath of fresh air. having worked in the business software space now for over a year, i haven't seen anything close to this good. are you supposed to be buying something? yeah, if you're a business you're supposed to be listening to how other small businesses thrive with microsoft enterprise software. see, b-to-b. if you're in IT or wear enough hats to know about it, you get it. we're not the target obviously.

Posted by: B on January 26, 2009 10:17 AM

would be more impressed if they didn't rip of the exact same style of the excellent beatles animated short film called "I met the walrus." google it. you'll see what i mean.

Posted by: evan on January 26, 2009 10:54 AM

Solid work for MS—especially for a B2B campaign. Much better and more creative than the work that CPB is doing with Windows. Nice work JWT.

Posted by: Edward on January 26, 2009 12:48 PM

when you rip something off you should at least make it half as good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmR0V6s3NKk

Posted by: jason k. on January 28, 2009 9:56 PM