A spy shared with us what may be the first hint at CP&B’s campaign strategy for the $300 million Microsoft account (thanks Paco). Kudos to Ed Bott at ZDNet for making note of the “teaser.”
Bott, a 20-year veteran tech writer, remarks of the above piece, “If this is going to be the overall message of Microsoft’s much-vaunted new $300 million ad campaign, it might be money well spent. According to the folks at LiveSide, the first ads in the new campaign were previewed at Microsoft’s employees-only Global Exchange conference last week to rave reviews. As Tim Anderson astutely noted the other day, ‘Vista is now actually better than its reputation. That’s a marketing issue.’
Yeah, and Oldsmobile thought it could change its image too.
I can’t say I agree with Bott’s analysis, as the copy reads more like a cop-out than a persuasive argument. But extrapolate the idea, and it actually serves Microsoft’s situation fairly well.
Still, perception is reality. I wonder if there’s a tiny Johnny Knoxville steering that ship.
Furthermore, is the ship a metaphor for the rough waters Microsoft is currently navigating, an homage to its entrepreneurial history or none of that at all? Either way, I’m no more intrigued to find out about Vista’s apparent turn-around than any of my fellow Mac users. I will say my eyebrow is raised for whatever the 13,000 Microsoft employees were shown last week.
What do you think: Can Microsoft spin its image or does the teaser make it feel even older and less cool than it already is? Maybe you think it’s a home-run. Let us know.