MSFT: All Up in Everybody's Business, for Almost No Reason at All.
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.
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Strange, Television
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.
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.
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.
when you rip something off you should at least make it half as good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmR0V6s3NKk