Microsoft Advertising that doesn't Suck

Being a Mac owner makes you a PC hater by default. It’s the unwritten code of Apple ownership. Some would say that Mac owners are pretentious, egotistical, and illogically attached to a computer system. Well, yeah—so?

Well I decided to put my Mac ego aside and venture to the dark side. When you think of PC you can’t escape the gravitational pull of Microsoft. For years, Microsoft has embodied everything Apple was against—in the mind of average Mac users anyway. In the advertising world Apple has had a decided edge on Microsoft. Apple's clean innovative packaging and colorful TV spots made Microsoft look drab and boring. Mac users around the world rejoiced with every new commercial.

Microsoft has staged a comeback, however. They have actually released some good advertising recently. Here’s a list of the Microsoft ads that I think are actually really good.

Microsoft 2010: The Movie
I know it’s kind of cheesy, it’s really cheesy actually, but I still like it. The movie trailer format reminds me of the BMW effort a few years back. And the inclusion of Clippy in the trailer was a stroke of genius. I always wondered what happened to that annoying paperclip.



Halo 3: Believe
When I saw this commercial the first time—I stopped watching TV, went to my computer, and watched it four more times in a row. It’s beautiful. The piano music in the background is just perfect. The spot won all kinds of awards for TAG San Francisco. And they deserved it.



Halo ODST: We are ODST
Another Halo commercial done by TAG San Francisco. Halo is still part of Microsoft so it counts. The game may be lack luster, but the advertising is so good. I think I enjoy this one so much because I want a live action Halo movie more than a pot of gold. There is going to be a series of these released. And if any Hollywood producer is looking for the way a Halo movie should look—ask TAG.



I'm a PC: Good News
This one may be controversial but hear me out. Yes, Microsoft ripped off the “I’m a Mac. I’m a PC” ads, but I think it was the appropriate response. Microsoft let the Mac campaign go far too long without answering, so they almost had to do something that responded directly. The first executions were a little rocky in my opinion. Showing a bunch of people declaring their dedication to PCs. There wasn’t a why in those commercials. The newer executions are much improved. I especially love the newest one. Finally Microsoft is giving reasons to be a PC.



So there they are. The Microsoft ads that don’t suck. I’m still not a convert. But it’s nice to see Microsoft is trying to suck less.