Common introduces Microsoft’s clothing line: Softwear

“A Billion People Can't Be Wrong.

This is Softwear by Microsoft. A clothing line that taps the nostalgia of when PCs were just starting to change our lives. With retro logos, classic photos, and geek-chic iconography, these pieces showcase the DOS days of the software company that now connects over a billion people.”

 

That’s what visitors to the new “Softwear by Microsoft” site see on the Story page. There are a total of 8 shirt designs so far; 4 designed by Common and 4 “Classic” designs. Definitely falling under the “retro style” look, these shirts might just sell. I’m quite excited for a few of them, including “The Misdemeanor,” “The DOS Tangle,” “The Albuquerque,” and “The Reminisce.” Here’s a video just recently posted with Common beginning his “spokesman” title.

 

Common introduces Softwear by Microsoft – High Quality

 

Softwear will be in stores December 15th.

 

- Albert

Yahoo! attacks Google in search ads via search ads

So much for the Yahoo! and Google deal eh? Well, it seems like Yahoo! is wasting no time in showing any negative feelings towards the company that failed to continue pursuing a possible search deal.

I don’t think I have ever seen a major search engine attack another in an online ad, but I guess Yahoo! does not bother being the first. The ads I found were displayed on LiveSide, but I have no knowledge of how many properties Yahoo! went ahead and placed these ads on.

 

The ad itself was a Flash movie, but I was able to capture most of the main points in four screenshots.

 

Slide 1: “LOST – Last Seen: Searching Google”

This implies that someone was been reported “lost” and was last seen searching on the infamous Google search engine. “Lost” meaning that searching using Google may result in even more confusing results.

 

Slide 2: For Music Videos

 

Just adds the detail that the individual was searching for music videos on Google when they were reported “lost.”

 

Slide 3:Don’t Get Lost

Finally, a Yahoo! logo and brand is clear. It also clarifies that by using Google, you can get lost in between all the actual results and irrelevant sponsored results.

 

Slide 4: Switch to Yahoo!

The final slide asks the viewer to switch to Yahoo! to be able to find the real answer that they want.

 

 

Overall, I think that the ads are using the only real selling points that a non-Google search engine can use: “switch” and “get straight to your answers.” Although Google itself is able to be very relevant because of its index and usage, other search engines may employ smarter algorithms or features that may interest certain people who do not find Google providing useful alternatives. However, it’s interesting how Yahoo! decided to go directly after Google in a marketing campaign, no matter how small this might be.

Note: I spotted this a couple of days ago but barely got the chance to post this blog entry.

 

- Albert

“Harry Potter 6” and “2012”

So I just arrived home for the Thanksgiving holiday and was greeted by a few cousins. One of them told me about a new trailer for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” which I thought I had already seen. But…after visiting MSN, it became clear that Warner Bros. had released a brand new trailer for our delayed Harry Potter film. It’s a must-watch trailer! The visual effects and music are just unbelievable. To all those Twilight maniacs out there, watch out! “HP6” is going to kick your guys’ butt. Hehe.

 

Watch Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Trailer:

 

 

 

Then, while browsing through other new movie trailers, I also found another of my kind of movie (any end-of-the-world, major disaster, humanity in peril movie). It’s directed by Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day, 10,000 B.C.) and it looks amazing! It has to do, quite frankly as the title implies, about the year 2012. Since the Mayans, among other belief systems, seem to have major “predictions” or mentions of the year 2012 and how, if anything were to happen, our governments would be unable to prepare for such devastation. Although the trailer lacks much of the content that others like the “HP6” one has, I guess it’s still early in its marketing phase and serves more as a teaser-like purpose. But it certainly looks good. Enjoy.

 

Watch 2012 Trailer:

 

 

- Albert

Zune 3.0 holiday TV advertising campaign launches

As promised by Cesar on the latest Zune Insider audio episode, the Zune holiday marketing has launched today on NBC’s Heroes. The campaign is supposed to concentrate on the unique features of Zune, rather than continue the vague messages of the previous campaigns. This ad is a good start to that goal. However, there needs to be more than just this. As much as this is only the first ad, it is a great sign for a big move to the direction that the Zune marketing team needs to take: selling the qualities and features that the Zune embodies. One thing to note though, and I say this based on feedback I’m getting from “regular” folks (those who do not follow tech companies and closely observe their products), is that some people may find the ad content itself really cool, but will never understand that it is a Zune feature and what exactly it does. Like for example, one friend tells me that she thought it was some new Zune feature that would allow people to communicate to each other in a webcam-like method. If you think about, that’s a pretty good reaction if you have no idea of what Zune is. Maybe, and I hate to say it like this, Zune needs more of the “instructional”-type marketing that Apple is really good at. The kind where maybe we can see the same thing we see on this ad, but with a narrator, or Common, explaining what happens when you click on each Mixview component. That way, people see cool stuff going on TV, a known face, and know what it is and what holds in store for them if they download it too. Okay, enough of me. Here is the ad. A way better quality version will replace this one as soon as I make it available. Better quality version now published here. Enjoy.

 

- Albert

I’m a PC: Not Alone

So the “actual” ads are finally here. So far three have been made available to the public with many more to come.

#3: Not Alone

- Albert

I’m a PC: Stereotype

So the “actual” ads are finally here. So far three have been made available to the public with many more to come.

#2: Stereotype

- Albert

I’m a PC: Pride

So the “actual” ads are finally here. So far three have been made available to the public with many more to come.

#1: Pride

 

I think it’s a great and not “big guy picking on the little guy” way of portraying the real side of the PC: billions of people connected and enabled. Of course, some of them do have glasses too. Haha.

- Albert

Windows Ad #2: The Family

This is the complete, uncut version of the #2 ad from the Gates/Seinfield marketing campaign for Windows. On TV, it will air in two parts. The first part aired today on CBS' "Big Brother" and the second part will air tomorrow on "Ghost Whisperer."

Watch the video:

Apart from the length, I think this is a bit better than "Shoe Circus," even though I personally enjoyed the first one. However, according to Mary-Jo Foley, Microsoft is promising to have the next set of ads, which will air within days, to be a lot more Windows-consumer-focused. That is good news because one more set of these, and the public might reach their attention span limits.

- Albert