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Right now Windows 8 and the Surface tablet probably rings a bell for every man, woman and child that walks, drives or skateboards through a major city. And if you don’t live the urban life, just turn on your television or fire up your laptop. Microsoft is on one of its periodic marketing binges, but this one, even by past comparisons, is a massive gut-buster. It’s estimated that the software giant is spending between $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion on television commercials and online and print advertisements.
It makes sense that Microsoft is pulling out all the stops. It desperately needs to prove that the Surface can compete with the iPad, and that Windows 8 Phones are just as good a choice as Android, or the iPhone, and, well, that Windows is still a great operating system.
But can spending big to unleash a flood of advertising really get consumers to give Microsoft’s new gadgets a second look? Paul Venables, co-founder of advertising firm Venables Bell & Partners, says it’s not about the cash; it’s about Microsoft clearly presenting its values to potential customers. “For years and years, Microsoft has always taken an overly rational and technical approach to selling its products,” says Venables. “But humans don’t buy on rational. They look for companies that share the same values as they do.”
That’s where Apple has succeeded and Microsoft has failed lately as it tries to play catch-up with its keenest competitor. For most of its existence, Microsoft was a company driven by software engineers selling software. That was fine when Windows ruled the world. But now iOS does. It's no surprise then, that as Microsoft tries to be a software, gadget, mobile, and cloud company, it’s having a hard time figuring out how to sell everything to everyone, says Venables. Take the Surface and Windows 8; there isn’t a clear audience or purpose. “We've seen ads full of music and dancing,” Venables says, “but little substance about why we should be forking over our money for Microsoft's new technology.” And at least for the "RT" version of the Surface tablet, not a whole lot of people have.
Looking back at Microsoft's early ads, this isn't the first time the company has struggled with explaining why anyone should open their wallets for its new tech. But for every bizarre ad, there are others that did a great job of getting people excited about Microsoft's latest technology. We’ve rounded up eight commercials from Microsoft's past and present: four cringe-worthy ads, and four that are as enjoyable to watch as any ad can be, starting with the video that launched Windows 95. Looking back at the hit campaigns and products, it’s easy to remember when the gang from Redmond was on top. They haven’t been there for a long time, which is why gadget-wise, and marketing-wise, more than ever Microsoft needs a hit.
Photo (above): J Mark Dodds/Flickr
