Daily Debrief: Microsoft ads on the offense Video

Daily Debrief: Microsoft ads on the offense Video Transcript

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>> Welcome to the Daily Debrief, I'm Kara Tsuboi. Here with senior writer Ina Fried to discuss Microsoft's latest ad campaign. And the newest television ad is going to be debuting tonight -- Thursday night in the middle of the office I believe. What can viewers expect? It sounds like it's sort of a spoof off of the Apple ads, is that right?

>> So it's part of the campaign that started a couple of weeks ago, but totally different themes.

>> Okay.

>> So, it is taking direct aim at those Apple Mac versus PC ads. It starts with a Microsoft Windows employee who looks very much like John Hodgman here.

>> A bit of a square.

>> Plays the PC guy. Looks just like him and he says, "I'm a PC and I've been made into a stereotype."

>> Oh.

>> But it doesn't hang there. It then moves on to talk all these different people saying, "I'm a PC." So the idea is to show the big variation of all the different people across the world, the billion people that use Windows. So it shows Deepak Chopra, it shows Eva Longoria, some sports people, as well as some teachers in rural Africa, different people that use Windows.

>> And people with a little more sex appeal than Apple is trying to peg the PC user as. I mean, Eva Longoria. It's a little...

>> Definitely.

>> A little hotter than John Hudgens [presumed spelling].

>> Yeah, I mean Microsoft is trying to -- at the same time, it's trying to sort of play on the every-man-theme, obviously, you know, it'd like to show the prettier side of every man.

>> So that's the television version. They've also rolled out a whole new line of print ads, is that right?

>> They have and these are really a different approach. What they're trying to do with the print ads is show Windows as an experienced the goes beyond the PC. So they're taking a single image like a Leopard or a roller coaster and they're spanning it across multiple screens from a desktop PC to a laptop PC to a mobile phone. And they're really trying to tie Windows, Windows Live, Windows Mobile as part of one big experience that you get with Windows.

>> Why are we seeing this big push all of the sudden right now on so many different formats?

>> Well, you know it's interesting because they've been working on this campaign for a while.

>> Sure.

>> But it's not a very unified campaign. I mean there's a real jarring thing from those first ads with Jerry Seinfeld to the new "I'm a PC" to this Windows not Walls push. I mean, there's a bunch of different things and they're not necessarily that easily connected.

>> So you brought him up, Jerry Seinfeld, does he pretty much get the cane now or are we gonna see any more Seinfeld ads out there?

>> So, we're certainly not for a while and it remains to be seen if we'll see him at all.

>> Yeah.

>> He's definitely not part of this new campaign. Bill Gates does make a cameo in the "I'm a PC." He says, "I'm a PC and I wear glasses" shortly before they move on to somebody who looks nothing like Bill Gates saying, "I'm a PC and I wear glasses."

>> Oh geez. Funny, I guess?

>> I mean I think at least this time, they're going after Windows, they're taking on the ads directly. I mean, I think if Microsoft's gonna re-craft Windows image, they're gonna have to make Windows stand for something and the question is whether this actually does help.

>> Right because those Apple ads are awfully catchy, entertaining and they stick in your head.

>> And they're still going. I mean, I think one thing that's really, you know they're all over, I noticed on our site, I saw a new TV commercial last night. So, you know they're gonna keep doing this as Apple continues to spend a lot as well.

>> Truly. Thank you very much. Senior Writer, Ina Fried. I'm Kara Tsuboi. We'll see you on the next Daily Debrief. ^M00:03:10 [ Music ]