Microsoft has had its ups and downs in marketing. In the last decade, wanting to promote its products, it has presented several commercials which are incredible.
We do not know which teams in Microsoft decide which ad will air and which will not, but let's see what this company has done in a decade. Microsoft has not always been at the forefront of marketing. In its ten year history you will see from aggressive ads of Windows Phone, even sexy ads for the Surface lineup. Let's see 12 Microsoft ads.
Microsoft Kin (2010)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efRoTiScl7s
This completely bad Microsoft Kin ad from 2010 shows almost everything a marketing department should avoid. We get a bunch of fancy images that explain virtually nothing about what the product does, hoping that the "coolness" will win the impressions. The kin was an amazing failure, so much so that we are sure many of you have not even heard of it!
Madobe Nanami Windows 7 anime (2010)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nngGGBkjMpU
Back in the early 2010s, Microsoft Japan produced a series of anime ads, personalizing various operating systems as kawaii anime girls. This one of 2010 introduces some of the features of Windows 7, including early touch support.
Nokia Lumia 800 (2011)
This spot is a Nokia ad and not a Microsoft ad. Maybe that's why the spot presented Windows Phone much better than Microsoft itself was trying to do.
Microsoft “Productivity” (2011)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6cNdhOKwi0
It's not exactly a commercial, but it's worth a look. This futuristic spot features some of Microsoft's ambitions for the future of technology and productivity. Most of them will probably not pass, but it is fun to dream about the future.
Surface (2012)
While the trailer is well put together, this was arguably one of the worst ways to introduce a new range product. A bunch of people dance and jump around Surface devices, and the viewer tries to understand the subtext and glean information about why the Surface is worth it or not. We don't know if the marketing department is still in place but, for sure, the future ads they put out will be much better than this one.
“Everything at once” Windows 8 (2012)
Windows 8 was the operating system that did not last long. Windows 8.1 and immediately after Windows 10 did not leave many years of life at 8. The ad tries to tell the viewer that the new generation of Windows do everything in a single operating system.
Internet Explorer 11 anime (2013)
Again with animation Microsoft tried to introduce Internet Explorer 11 in the middle of 2013. How good it would be if the browser was as cool as the trailer, which looks like a MARVEL story.
"Do not fight" - Windows Phone (2013)
This was a clever ad. Microsoft's aggressive Windows Phone 8 spot did negative advertising and pitted itself against iPhones and Galaxy. The ad pokes fun at Apple and Samsung, positioning the Lumia 920 as a colorful alternative.
iPad vs. Windows 8 (2013)
Microsoft has created a series of ads highlighting Windows 8 as an alternative to the iPad, presenting products such as the old Dell Venue 8 Pro as a cheaper and more powerful option for Windows. Windows will eventually end up far behind the iPad in the battle of "third-party tablets", with few applications supporting it ergonomically, but Apple "borrowed" many features Windows 8 and Surface pioneered in the following years.
Xbox One Reveals (2013)
Watching this trailer again as 2020 kicks in, we're surprised to find the following: Almost every feature shown in this trailer has been stripped from the Xbox One, or simply never made it. Kinect camera networking had so much problems which finally stopped. “Live TV” has been sidelined in favor of on-demand entertainment apps. Skype on your Xbox? who asked about it? In retrospect it was probably the most irrelevant trailer in Microsoft history.
Surface Book (2015)
An epic Microsoft ad lined with music reminiscent of triumph and victorious battle. However, as an advertisement, it is not irrelevant and essentially centers and presents the product correctly.
“Pure Imagination” Surface Studio (2016)
The commercial team πίσω από το Surface Studio αποκαλύπτει ότι μία διαφήμιση μπορεί να είναι σέξι αναδεικνυωντας τις καμπύλες του Surface Studio, με μια απίστευτη και εμπνευσμένη απόδοση του “pure imagination” from the 70s movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
"Minecraft Super Duper Musical” (2017)
Here's a fun ad that Microsoft probably hopes Xbox fans will forget. Microsoft made a song and dance (literally) for the Super Duper graphics package for Minecraft, which would update the game with new shaders and effects. Unfortunately, the Super Duper graphics package was killed by the company and never saw the light of day.
Surface Duo (2019)
Microsoft made this ad to demonstrate the capabilities of the Surface Duo. Exaggerations are not lacking, but the message passes clearly and leaves no questions to the viewer. And of course the Microsoft machine runs Android !.
“Mac Book says” Surface Laptop 2 (2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSS5SKs4UA0
Another aggressive ad by Microsoft that makes a direct comparison between the Surface laptop 2 and the Apple Mac Book, starring a guy called Mackenzie "Mac" Book that buries the Apple laptop for 30 seconds, which is the duration of the advertising.
Lucy and the Reindeer (2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnmy7IPE08I
Microsoft has created a number of fun Christmas ads in recent years. This one of 2019 is worth seeing, if you have not already seen it. The ad showcases some of the features of the Surface Pro X and Bing Translate.
"We All Win" Microsoft Super bowl (2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YISTzpLXCY
Microsoft made millions of viewers cry when it used the ad of the new Xbox Controller to point out players with disabilities. Microsoft's aggressive ads on accessibility features are a surefire way to promote a product, and the company not only focuses on them but also emphasizes why they are so important.
If you've seen another Microsoft ad of the past decade that you think we missed, you just have to fill it in with a message.
