Microsoft at the Movies

In the past, Microsoft has purchased the rights to Rolling Stones songs, consumed seemingly endless TV airtime and employed a who’s who of actors for voiceover work. Now the software giant is ready for the silver screen.

Microsoft has fi nalized a deal with National Cinema Net work to screen an extended version of a Windows XP spot before select films, including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The theater campaign, a first for Microsoft, is set to run through the end of the year.

“Microsoft was excited by the captive environment of the movie theater,” said Laura Adler, vice president of marketing for the National Cinema Network, which acts as a liaison between advertisers and theater chains.

Created by Microsoft’s lead agency, McCann-Erickson Worldwide in San Francisco, the 60-second trailer opens with an image of a man running through a field as Madonna’s “Ray of Light” plays in the background.