Stickin’ It To The Man

One Southern California agency is using Microsoft–the biggest fish in the high-tech pond– to troll for minnows.
Glow Creative Communications in San Mateo, Calif., created a two-page ad (shown here) aimed at emerging technology companies. The headline, “Screw Microsoft,” was paired with the copy, “Last year you didn’t bring in $14 billion dollars in revenue. And you certainly didn’t have $120 million to spend on advertising.”
Technology magazine Red Herring rejected the ad for its 1999 Guide to Professional Services.
“We understood we were asking the magazine to run an ad that’s controversial, but it connects to a strong emotion,” said Glow president David Hukari. “Emerging companies need to have a belief that nothing will stop them.”
Instead, the shop ran an ad headlined, “Notice: The use of anti-Microsoft advertising is strictly prohibited.” It listed Glow’s Web site, where the banned ad is on display.
Microsoft executives did not return calls by press time.
–Teresa Buyikian