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Sometimes I hesitate to write about marketing stuff because I like to think I know something about marketing and I’m afraid of being exposed as an idiot.

But recently Hot Cup posed a question which I was happy to answer, and so I’ll share it with you too. (I admit, I went a little overboard with it, which is why it can now make for its own post.) It was about the new Microsoft ads.


They are pretty bad ads. Although the 2nd one (New Family) is considered to be a little better than the 1st (Shoe Circus). There are a few companies that can get away with doing a no real message ad (ie. Budweiser) but Microsoft isn't one of them. Viral marketing is a huge thing. So that’s obviously their goal. And successfully working branding into viral marketing has proved challenging for more than just Microsoft.

The TV spots aren't as bad as the full versions, in my opinion. Maybe I just like that they're shorter. (I’ve seen versions on TV that’ve got to be only 30 seconds, but I can’t find them online.)

I think they want to show you Bill Gates doing something funner than you normally get to see. The message of 'New Family' is suppose to be about connecting with people. Bill and Jerry are connecting with people ... Microsoft connects people. I think that's the message anyway. And both ads hint toward innovation at the end, although there is no real tangible message there.

But they have led to some buzz at least. This article is the most favorable one I've come across.

Good Microsoft Commercial: