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.
