Microsoft’s battle with Apple has been primarily dominated by the PC vs Mac war, focusing on the gaining control over the consumer market. Fairly recently, Microsoft has been fighting back with their own “I’m a PC” commercials, attacking the PC user stereotype that Apple has been using to sell their product… you know, the ones:
Since then Microsoft has thrown out numerous more ads like the one with Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld going shoe shopping, ones like the “Not Alone” ad featuring an eclectic collection of PC users from every profession imaginable taking ownership of the phrase “Hi, I’m a PC…” and setting out to destroy the “I work in a cubicle” image, or like the ones featuring little kids using Windows Live to edit photos and create a dramatic mini film with toy animals, not only demonstrating how easy it is to use, but in the process also showing up non-techy adults.
Then there are the real PCs: a giant virtual wall of real PC users
http://imapc.lifewithoutwalls.com/
The new set of TV ads for Microsoft’s “It’s Everybody’s Business” campaign is a creative motion graphics composition that flows seamlessly from one topic to another following telephone interviews:
“Some of the ads are very specific about the toll of a down economy on business, and how software and IT can help. We’re using real thought leaders in business such as Katie Bayne, CMO of Coca-Cola and Robert McKnight, CEO of Quiksilver, to discuss how using the right enterprise software in the right places can help entire companies come together to drive business results.”
- Gayle Troberman, General Manager of Microsoft’s Advertising and Customer Engagement Team, [From: Q&A: New Ads Explain, “It’s Everybody’s Business”]
The commercials do convey a more creative side of Microsoft than seen before. Created by JWT the adverts are in the style similar to Matt Smithson’s “What’s He Building” or Brady Baltezore’s “The Country”, or maybe a cross between. It has also been compared to the visual style seen in “I Met the Walrus” directed by Josh Raskin. Whatever you may liken them to, these commercials are unexpectedly artistic, and appropriate to the trend of corporations trying to upgrade their images, just as Pepsi, Tropicana, Payless, and Kraft have been doing. But instead of a change of their logo or major aspects of their corporate identity, Microsoft has instead readjusted their appearance in other ways. But what is interesting is that they chose to apply such creativity to commercials to attract businesses.
In any case, it seems like a great change for Microsoft’s advertising, and definitely more creative than Apple’s commercials, which appear so stably sterile in comparison.
More information also available from http://www.microsoft.com/business/peopleready/en-us/
