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Topic: Windows

Microsoft's Windows 8 TV commercials kick off

Summary: Microsoft has launched its first Windows 8 TV commercials, with less than two weeks to go until commercial availability and the official product launch.

Mary Jo Foley

By for All About Microsoft |

On October 14, Microsoft began airing its first television commercials for its Windows 8 operating system.

A short post on the Microsoft Windows Team Blog acknowledged the start of the ad campaign.

The commercials are expected to be prominently featured during the Sunday National Football League games broadcast on TV here. No word from the Softies as to where else they are being shown.

Microsoft is launching Windows 8 in New York City on October 25. Sales of PCs from Microsoft and other vendors preloaded with Windows 8 and Windows RT begin on October 26.

Microsoft's Windows ad agency of record, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, is also behind the new ads.

Microsoft officials have declined to comment on the size of the marketing and advertising budget the company has allocated to push Windows 8 and the coming Microsoft Surface PCs/tablets running Windows 8 and Windows RT.

What's interesting about today's first ads are they are focused solely on Windows 8 PCs and the Windows 8 Metro interface. The ads do not show off the Surfaces, Xbox or Windows Phone, all of which have launches/updates coming in the next couple of weeks, as well.

After watching this new spot a couple of times, I have to say I like it a lot more than last year's family-focused campaign for Windows 7, Windows Phone, Xbox/Kinect and other Microsoft products.

What's your first impression?

 

 

Topics: Windows, Tablets, PCs

About

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

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88 comments
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  • The Fact That They Even Need To Advertise It...

    ...I thought everybody already knew about Microsoft Windows?
    ldo17
    Reply 1 Vote

    • If Ubuntu advertised

      more people would probably use it.
      Michael Alan Goff
      Reply 2 Votes

      • Linux ads

        Who would Linux ads star? Occupy freaks? Sean Penn with Hugo Chavez? Ralph Nader railing against Big Computing?
        Eric Gisin
        Reply 3 Votes

        • Who would it star?

          Normal people using Ubuntu.

          Or are you saying that children are a representative of something for Microsoft?
          Michael Alan Goff
          Reply 2 Votes

        • Here's a list:

          Ross Perot
          Ron Paul
          Steve Wozniak
          Jon Heder
          Gary Busey
          Fat computer nerd from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
          Moby
          Cylo‭n Centurion
          Reply Vote

        • Ralph is the man

          Anyone who would make fun of Ralph Nader has lost their credibility with me.
          lippidp
          Reply Vote

          • I miss my Corvair!

            Nader was wrong about the Corvair, but I have forgiven him.
            Photog7
            Reply Vote

          • I miss my Corvair!

            I miss the Pinto :-)
            rocketman67
            Reply Vote

        • Eric Gisin they could also use the # 1 fanboy from Microsoft ..........

          you guessed it Loverock Davidson ........the only problem he'd still be in his play room trying to compile something or another
          Linux_Lives
          Reply Vote

      • Sure... but

        Ubuntu is open source. Who the hell in that community has the $$ to buy TV ad slots during the NFL?
        harley22x
        Reply 2 Votes

        • One man

          Mark Shuttleworth.
          Michael Alan Goff
          Reply 1 Vote

        • Sure...but

          @harley22x Kickstarter. Show the names of the supporters scrolling at the end and have some regular people and famous people showing how they use Linux to do this and that. Perhaps at the end even showing someone using an Android phone saying, I use Linux to reach people. If there were ads for the Amiga and the Atari Jaguar back in the days, I’m sure there are ways to have commercials for Linux today. There are big names behind Linux such as IBM, HP etc. They just need to start putting their heads together to let the world know that many people are using Linux right now and don’t even know it.
          eon2010
          Reply 2 Votes

    • Widows 8

      Since I live in a DESKTOP enviroment as (70% of the Win Xp,Vista,& 7Users Do). I expect Microsoft to have Catered to The Majority of Users Needs ! ! !

      The Above 3 Previous listed MS OS's are all Incredibly Intuitive, stable and EASY TO USE. And most importantly ALL MY NEEDED SOFTWARE WORKS PERFECTLY WITH IT(So i dont have to Re-buy all the MS software i already own)

      CONSEQUENTELY,I WILL NOT BE CONTRIBUTING \ ENRICHING Bill Gates BOTTOM LIne: No MATTER HOW INEXPENSIVE WINDOWS 8 AND MS OFFICE SUITES WILL BE AND IF I WERE YOU NEITHER SHOULD YOU ! ! !

      And dont tell me I need to Tryi it 1st. (Why Should I Im perfectly Happy =) with WHAT I HAVE.) Win 7 ! ! !
      Norma Flores
      Reply 2 Votes

      • You should definatly

        try it first before saying its not a good idea to update. It's nice and all your good with something else, but face it, most consumers update and upgrade. Windows 95 still works like it did. Why would you want to move off of it? I know some people with it still, and its ridiculous. But they don't need to upgrade, so why do it? People just do. In Canada and the US, we are materialized societies willed with perceived obsolescence. Even if it doesn't work on a couple people, it works well for the large masses.
        harley22x
        Reply 1 Vote

        • Re: Why I should Try it and Buy it 1st.

          Harley2xx

          Did you read the part where I say "i dont have to Re-buy all the MS software i already own"

          Nor do I want to Re-buy Non Microsoft software I already own i.e Acrobat Pro, Adobe Photo shop Latest version, Sales Logix Crm etc. Think of any usefull non Ms software and it will be hobbled by windows 8. This is just another attempt by Microsoft to hobble the user and lock them in. In the same way that it is moving towards a subscription model (ie renting the software rather than buying it in order to extract rents from the user)

          I say H**ll No!
          Norma Flores
          Reply 2 Votes

          • What rubbish

            If you insist of trolling and using CAPS!!! then at least try for some sort of logic.

            You don't have to buy new software, what works on WIn 7 will work on Win 8. The previous OSs were intuitive were they? How people get addicted to grids of dead icons is beyond me. Intuitive? You can't even see a start menu on Win 7 unless you click what looks like a Windows logo in the botttom left. You can click on desktop icons until the cows come home but they won't function unless you double click - except for the ones at the bottom of the screen, they single click.

            And those handy folder icons - for the young ones, we used to put paper documents in them, just like the older icons were filing cabinets - another thing I have to explain.

            What you really mean is you finally learned how to use the older Windows and you are clutching on to this arcane knowledge as if your life depends on it.

            If it's a choice between your opinion and using an OS created by the best UI designers in the world, based on decisions driven by the data generated by the world's Windows population and created by some of the best paid programmers in the world, then the choice is obvious.


            The only constant is change - learn to live with it ;-)
            Tony_McS
            Reply 1 Vote

          • He would probably be happiest ...

            ... with an abacus. It is a computing device that has not changed for thousands of years.

            The MS ad looks fantastic! I think it looks better than any Apple or Android ad! I believe MS cleverly targeted kids, because kids are the least averse to change. Targeting younger adults and younger first, will probably be important to maximize Windows 8's uptake.
            P. Douglas
            Reply Vote

          • Spinal Tap lives on!

            "The more things change, the less they stay the same."
            lippidp
            Reply Vote

          • +1, Like

            What you really mean is you finally learned how to use the older Windows and you are clutching on to this arcane knowledge as if your life depends on it.
            Element D
            Reply Vote

          • What would be your expenses?

            Seriously, are you bitching about a $39 upgrade to Windows 8?

            And all of your existing software would still run on Windows 8, so there wouldn't be any need rebuy it.

            Get a life.
            Cylo‭n Centurion
            Reply Vote
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