Hasta La Creative!

Watching Microsoft’s recent marketing unfold is like taking a class in Advertising 101, without the cute co-eds listening to their Zunes. (See, I keep up with trends!) Since September, Microsoft has deployed every conceivable creative strategy known to humankind. We’ve seen the celebrity endorsement (Seinfeld); the client in the ads (Gates); the attack/parody of the competition (the Hodgman clone in the initial “I’m a PC” spot); and now, the user-generated content. Microsoft is inviting everyone to upload videos to Windows.com—even Mac users, thus inoculating itself against potential embarrassment over UGC stuff created on Apple systems. “A Mac can be a PC too,” the Vista gang proclaim. But can a PC be a Mac? When the answer’s yes, I might consider switching. But not until then.

—Posted by David Gianatasio