Microsoft 'Cool' and New Apple Ad Campaign

[MacRumors]

Taking a page from Apple, "one of the coolest companies in America", Microsoft is trying to buy its way into the cool crowd by promoting its Windows products in television shows such as 24, The Wire, and CSI.

According to CNet, Microsoft formed a group last November to improve exposure of its products in sports and entertainment programming.

Obvious comparisons are made to Apple, who seems to already enjoy significant exposure in both television and in the movies.

Meanwhile, CNet's sources note that Apple is planning a "major consumer advertising campaign around the holidays to promote its computer line."

 

[TheFish]

good news

microsoft will never be cool, but as for apple, well they have a chance. i hope there new add campaign is good because so far apple hasnt been too good at advertising.

 

[Rocketman]

It seems like MS sells mostly software and Apple sells mostly hardware so hardware would typically be more visible when placed. Also probably more "noticeable" since 95% of viewers are wintel buyers so "notice" when Macs are being used, especially because of the distinctive shapes.

Rocketman

 

[Sonofhaig]

Yeah, right.

False advertising. There is nothing "cool" about Microsoft.

 

[madrobby]

Re: good news

Originally posted by TheFish
microsoft will never be cool, but as for apple, well they have a chance. i hope there new add campaign is good because so far apple hasnt been too good at advertising.

Go to this page to view some famous apple tv ads... (Quote: "1984 - the first Macintosh commercial, winner of many awards, and generally acknowledged to be the best commercial of all time.)

Not too good at advertising?

 

[Java]

not a rockstar

Ya, like you'd ever see Sheryl Crow posing next to Bill Gates with a copy of Windoze XP in her hand

 

[Longey Nowze]

Re: Re: good news

Originally posted by madrobby
Go to this page to view some famous apple tv ads... (Quote: "1984 - the first Macintosh commercial, winner of many awards, and generally acknowledged to be the best commercial of all time.)

Not too good at advertising?

I assume he means their newer commercials, the spinning iMacs or what ever with white backgrounds you can't compare those to their older ones, i like them though, I like the G5 add with guy flying out of the house too.

thank you
MaT

 

[ClimbingTheLog]

Originally posted by Rocketman
It seems like MS sells mostly software and Apple sells mostly hardware so hardware would typically be more visible when placed.
Rocketman

Exactly right - we can watch our characters use a Mac without having to see what they're doing. The only way to do Windows would be to show screenshots, which is both geeky and costly to the show (to have to produce the content). I'm sure Microsoft will underwrite the content creation, but will the directors allow their shows to be dated like that? To reduce their syndication value for the sake of Microsoft?

Other that that we'd have to see Marge Simpson say, "I think I'll go make an Excel spreadsheet to calculate how many times Bart gets into trouble." Gag me.

Sure, we've seen Willow and Loralai decide they're going to Google for something, but that's because it's part of the fabric of society now in a unique way that Windows and Office are not. Sure, Windows lets you do stuff faster than on paper, but Google lets you do stuff you never could before. Major difference.

As others have said, you can't buy cool.

 

[MrMacMan]

'I like XP because it is ... uh ... cool '

yeeeaaah...

Suurree.

 

[sparks9]

Re: good news

Originally posted by TheFish
microsoft will never be cool, but as for apple, well they have a chance. i hope there new add campaign is good because so far apple hasnt been too good at advertising.

I don't think ur right. Apple's laptops (and to some degree desktops) are everywhere in tv programmes, magazines and movies. Other than that the iPod is in a lot of music videos.

But I must admit that I've never seen a tv commercial (here in Denmark) with Apple. They should really do some of them.

 

[sparks9]

Microsoft can never be cool. The standard is not cool...

 

[madrobby]

Re: Re: Re: good news

Originally posted by Longey Nowze
I assume he means their newer commercials, the spinning iMacs or what ever with white backgrounds you can't compare those to their older ones, i like them though, I like the G5 add with guy flying out of the house too.

thank you
MaT

Personally, I like the white background stuff more than the G5 guy or the AlBook size comparision. Also, the older spots were better, my all-time favourite is the "get a macintosh" line when all other advice is "press ctrl+alt+del", "edit config.sys" and so on...

Can't wait for the new ad campaign (probably new iBooks - year of the laptop, anyone?).

 

[blueBomber]

in no way is Microsoft cool. And in no way will they ever be. Windows is the OS of those that are too afraid to take a chance, and is doomed to be a third-rate piece of software for the rest of it's existance. Sorry, but I'll take Jobs sense of "cool" over Gates any day.

 

[Dippo]

I see Apple computers all the time on commercials for Road Runner. And everytime someone on a tv show is using a laptop, it's a powerbook.

Of course no one ever shows the MacOS in any of these TV spots. So I am wondering how Microsoft is planning to get in there.

Even the Xbox is NOT cool, but maybe I just think that cause I hate Microsoft junk!

 

[arqsagi]

what will they do?

Just one question, if microsoft idea is to show they products on tv shows and movies will they also show a the blue screen?, will they show someone reseting their computer? or someone downloading security patches?

 

[tacojohn]

Just saw "School of Rock" and mac's were everywhere!

The kids were using a TiBook and 2 17" iMacs in the movie.

 

[blueBomber]

Originally posted by Dippo
Of course no one ever shows the MacOS in any of these TV spots. So I am wondering how Microsoft is planning to get in there.

This has always baffled me too... whenever I show people even something as simple as the dock, or the genie effect, or heck even simpletext's speaking ability, they think it is the coolest thing on the planet. I've met people that have asked me what version of Windows my PB is running!

 

[jsnuff1]

Think superbowl
Think 20th anniversary of mac
Think revolutionary

That is all i have to say...

 

[drbyers]

think arnold schwrazenneger and a box of windoze xp... "buy my software or I'll teeeeeeer-minaaaate yoooo."

 

[ebow]

Funny that they should mention the show "24." Last night I saw an ad for the new season, and in one scene a man of some importance (guessing he's a central character) was using either a PBG4 or an Apple display, in a clip just after that you could see him working on a PowerBook, and in the background was a very slightly out-of-focus G5. I don't watch the show (but the ads may have tempted me to give it a shot) so this may be nothing new...

 

[nagromme]

Most screenshots on TV--Mac or PC--seem to be total fakes, not a real app or OS at all. But Buffy did show OS X from time to time--browsing in Explorer (oh, well) and even using iTunes, clearly shown in close-up, for mind control!

I really think all the fake screens are silly--so many people KNOW that's not what computers are like, it detracts.

Don't get me started on how every photo/image on a fictional computer STILL has to load slowly from top to bottom like some floppy-based DOS app!

 

[hobbes3113]

Re: good news

Originally posted by TheFish
microsoft will never be cool, but as for apple, well they have a chance. i hope there new add campaign is good because so far apple hasnt been too good at advertising.

If Apple hasn't been good at advertising and they have become this popular, what will happen if they finally get it together? TOTAL WORLD DOMINATION!!!

Seriously, Apple has one of the most creative and recognizable ad campaigns running. It is refreshing to see something that is not just a copy of something else...

 

[crees!]

24!... noooooooooooooo! Jack Bauer will never be able to catch the terrorists now because everyone will be using the PCs for Solitare. Then they'll crash on the final move. Bah.

 

[Daschund]

More delays then????

So does that means that Longhorn will be delayed even more? I mean, all the "copying" team that were working on copying OS X will now be working on copying Apple's marketing strategies? Or does that means they created a different "copying team" to take care of the marketing copying? I'm kind of confused now...

Daschund

 

[trusso]

iPod on ER

Did anyone see ER on thursday? Carter was listening to an iPod!