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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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September 19th, 2008

Microsoft's "Phase 2" ad campaign - No mention of Vista anywhere

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 8:38 am

Categories: Ad industry, Microsoft

Tags: Advertisement, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Software, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Microsoft’s “Phase 2″ ad campaign is out. These are far better than those awkward Gates/Seinfeld ads, but the odd thing that I couldn’t help but notice is that nowhere does anyone mention Vista.

All the videos are here, go check them out.

Now, I have no idea how these ads will be received, but I am surprised by the fact that I couldn’t come across a single reference to Vista in any of the “I’m a PC” ads. Not one. It’s all “I’m a PC,” and at the end we’re hit with the slogan “Windows: Life without walls.” Even in the pieces by Bill Veghte, Senior Vice President, Online Services & Windows Business Group, not once does he mention Vista.

Not only is there not a single mention of Vista anywhere to be found, I can’t even see Vista anywhere in any of the shots. There’s a grandmother with a notebook but all you see there is a video playing.

Has the “Vista” name become so toxic that Microsoft dare not even mention it in any of the ads? Are these ads designed to help Vista or are they being aired to pave the way for Windows 7?

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations

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It's called Dead Parrot.: nt (Read the rest); Posted by: SGIOctane2 Posted on: 10/09/08 You are currently: a Guest | Log in | Terms of Use

My guess is... rapson | 09/19/08

Yup TedKraan | 09/19/08

And, YUP, at that time, they featured XP front and center. DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

XP had some resistance too.. TedKraan | 09/19/08

Well, it took until SP2 for XP to work properly drprod@... | 09/22/08

got into XP late as well TedKraan | 09/23/08

Yes AzuMao | 09/24/08

The trainwreck ... mwagner@... | 09/22/08

No mention of Vista because... hasta la Vista, bah-bie | 09/22/08

No AzuMao | 09/22/08

New Commercial Rocks. I'm a PC. Now as to no mention..... xuniL_z | 09/22/08

Right, and ONE of the most important new Windows brands is VISTA. DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

Keep trying Donnie Darko, one day someone might take you seriously (NT) Scrat | 09/19/08

And someday, the Vista brand might be worth something. DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

It looks to be worth much, much, more GuidingLight | 09/19/08

That's what ... n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

You should know it better then anyone else John Zern | 09/19/08

@John TedKraan | 09/22/08

" worth much, much, more then the Linux brand." bmerc | 09/22/08

Worth more isn't the same as cost more... hasta la Vista, bah-bie | 09/22/08

You mean like the "BOB" brand or the "Millennium Edition" brand? dumptux | 09/22/08

Vista SP2, Maybe? drprod@... | 09/22/08

THEN/THAN TranMan | 09/30/08

They left them all out laura.b | 09/19/08

It is a lot simpler than that. Vista AND the brand SUUUUUCK. DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

Wow, I'm convinced laura.b | 09/19/08

Well, yes, even MS understands that the Vista brand is trashed. DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

And yet you do not seem to understand GuidingLight | 09/19/08

And, you do not seem to understand that insults do not help your DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

That's funny DB John Zern | 09/19/08

Ah Donnie Boy... Sleeper Service | 09/20/08

re: GuidingLight - LOL - He won me 10$ already - USTechHead | 09/22/08

Simple indeed... Snarfiorix | 09/22/08

Hey DonnieBoy ... n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

Well.... laura.b | 09/19/08

Your point is "Well..." taken, see above. n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

Something missing laura.b | 09/22/08

Hey laura.b ... n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

Hey moron... Wolfie2K3 | 09/22/08

Actually, a very nice ad Gruffydd | 09/19/08

The IBM Linux ad Gruffydd | 09/19/08

Yes, the people Len Rooney | 09/20/08

So good that... Sleeper Service | 09/22/08

I forgot tikigawd | 09/22/08

What about the Mojave Ads? daMan25 | 09/19/08

Macs are better tikigawd | 09/22/08

RE: ... VISTA. n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

OMG thank god Donnie idiot knows nothing about marketing OMGDonnieBoyisanIdiot | 09/19/08

Sup w/ the personal attacks? (nt) n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

And good RIDDANCE! friedtoast@... | 09/22/08

It's about the brand not the individual products Pheck | 09/22/08

This all reminds me of the "This bird is dead" skit by Monte Python. DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

It's outpacing John Zern | 09/19/08

It's called Dead Parrot. SGIOctane2 | 10/09/08

The ads aren't, and never were, about Vista mikefarinha | 09/19/08

Wow, all of the excuses for Vista keep piling up. Vista is the latest and DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

Donnie, you haven't got a clue about branding Scrat | 09/19/08

Could not of said it better CrashPad | 09/19/08

Actually, the question is how fast can MS come out with the next version of DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

Actually, the question is how fast can you come up with a post John Zern | 09/19/08

"Could not *have* said" (nt) tikigawd | 09/22/08

And, for the sum total of MS branding, Vista has about ZERO value. DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

Is that a fact Pliny the Elder | 09/19/08

RE: ...haven't got a clue about 'branding'? n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

"Livestock" is always singular tikigawd | 09/22/08

RE: ...is always... a forum english teacher... n0neXn0ne | 09/22/08

please tikigawd | 09/23/08

doh! magallanes | 09/22/08

As I understand it, merc2dogs` | 09/22/08

Since hype is always based on fact tikigawd | 09/22/08

I think he would need a brain to think tikigawd | 09/22/08

I love seeing the anti-Vista crowd squirm! mikefarinha | 09/19/08

The ones squirming are at MS and their ad agency. This campaign is a DUD DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

Really? The numbers prove otherwise. mikefarinha | 09/19/08

RE: ...numbers prove otherwise n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

Thanks for promoting Gruffydd | 09/19/08

It always cracks me up... storm14k | 09/19/08

It always cracks me up. John Zern | 09/19/08

Agreed, JZ Pliny the Elder | 09/19/08

squirm??? storm14k | 09/19/08

Of course you don't... Sleeper Service | 09/22/08

Using your logic... Wolfie2K3 | 09/22/08

Yeah TedKraan | 09/22/08

RE: Microsoft's Loverock Davidson | 09/19/08

Get the name out? Why? rpmyers1 | 09/19/08

A TV will work just fine. CrashPad | 09/19/08

RE: A TV will work just fine /A\V/ | 10/06/08

What do you mean why? Loverock Davidson | 09/19/08

Gee.. How many households do NOT have a TV...? Wolfie2K3 | 09/22/08

Wow! TedKraan | 09/22/08

RE: Microsoft's Haspyo | 09/19/08

W2000 TedKraan | 09/22/08

Adrian, bitter much? Scrat | 09/19/08

Hey ... Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

| 09/19/08

Me too. They have me rolling on the floor laughing, though probably not for DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

Still, they are much better then those GuidingLight | 09/19/08

Well, good point, IBM is about as incompetent as MS when it comes to DonnieBoy | 09/19/08

Give it up DonnieBoyo tech_walker | 09/19/08

All right, the Linux crowd are the actual advertising experts (!) Gruffydd | 09/19/08

I got to admire your tenacity Pliny the Elder | 09/19/08

As I said before .... n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

Does anyone really bother Pliny the Elder | 09/19/08

I would .... n0neXn0ne | 09/20/08

RE: As I said before... sqr(cos(180)) | 09/22/08

Sad...just sad Yax_to_the_Max | 09/19/08

RE: Hey Dre` ... n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

Doesn't matter frgough | 09/19/08

Ugggh! Zathros | 09/19/08

Hey dunder heads! CrashPad | 09/19/08

mikefarinha is RIGHT! rjohn05 | 09/19/08

Mojave ads are for Vista mikefarinha | 09/19/08

I thought Mojave TedKraan | 09/22/08

No Ted... Sleeper Service | 09/22/08

This link is about Windows in general symbolset | 09/22/08

Part 2 will tell the tale. TripleII | 09/19/08

The Jerry ads were brief to prevent Apple from responding to them. mikefarinha | 09/19/08

Seriously? Marcos El Malo | 09/19/08

You mean tikigawd | 09/22/08

I saw the ad... nix_hed | 09/19/08

Nix-hed CrashPad | 09/19/08

writing driver code tikigawd | 09/22/08

Well, it's good TedKraan | 09/22/08

You're a Genius tikigawd | 09/22/08

This isn't about conforming... Wolfie2K3 | 09/22/08

alright 3 or 4 ad's so let judge the entire campaign now marks055@... | 09/19/08

Paving the Way! Kromaethius | 09/19/08

RE: Microsoft's claymann39@... | 09/19/08

you did not beta test CrashPad | 09/19/08

Which TedKraan | 09/22/08

RE: Microsoft's rlorenz | 09/19/08

This is how it should be done ... n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

Exactly so, + LSE Win Server 2003 epic crash Don Collins | 09/19/08

RE: Exactly so, ... n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

What are you even talking about. rtk | 09/19/08

RE: ... talking about? n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

Hey numbnuts... Wolfie2K3 | 09/22/08

Re: dvm | 09/19/08

It doesn't matter because ... n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

Whose rtk | 09/19/08

Does not remove any blame. storm14k | 09/19/08

Sure it does rtk | 09/19/08

RE: ... it does n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

You have a SLA rtk | 09/19/08

Somebody pointed out that Pliny the Elder | 09/19/08

RE: Somebody pointed out that ... n0neXn0ne | 09/20/08

lmao... (nt) storm14k | 09/20/08

Oh I see... Sleeper Service | 09/21/08

Sleeper, that was shameless troll-bait. Zogg | 09/21/08

Why? Sleeper Service | 09/21/08

RE: [RE: Somebody pointed out that ] sqr(cos(180)) | 09/22/08

I would say that... storm14k | 09/20/08

No you can't... Sleeper Service | 09/21/08

Okay dvm I read the article... bmerc | 09/22/08

Perfect slogan: Windows: Life without walls. dfolk2 | 09/19/08

I find it a perfect slogan TedKraan | 09/22/08

RE: Microsoft's David Spencer-20660146163390554490918120654216 | 09/19/08

Microsoft's strength is the generic "Windows" brand. Zogg | 09/19/08

That's right. It is not (only) about Vista Gruffydd | 09/19/08

RE: ... It is not (only) about Vista .... I agree ... n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

What! Blue Screen of Smoke? Gruffydd | 09/19/08

Millions watched rtk | 09/19/08

I got to give it to you'll ... n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

sorry I can't return the respect. rtk | 09/19/08

case in point n0neXn0ne | 09/19/08

Sitting on the fence rikasa | 09/19/08

Isn't Microsft more then just Vista? John Zern | 09/19/08

Re: Isn't Microsft more than just Vista? rikasa | 09/19/08

Not sure where you get your info from cause you are wrong.. OMGDonnieBoyisanIdiot | 09/20/08

re: Not sure where you get your info from cause you are wrong.. rikasa | 09/20/08

No, he was right.. TedKraan | 09/23/08

No Vista? notsofast | 09/20/08

When was the last time you saw OS X mentiond in an Apple Ad? cfischer83@... | 09/20/08

RE: Microsoft's MarkLR | 09/20/08

I'm a PC gene_fitz@... | 09/20/08

limited audience stevey_d | 09/21/08

The mass majority rtk | 09/21/08

shown your colours stevey_d | 09/21/08

Exactly how successful were they? rtk | 09/21/08

actually, no, the mass majority just view computers as tools bmerc | 09/22/08

There is where we disagree. gene_fitz@... | 09/24/08

In a world without walls jorjitop | 09/21/08

When Microsoft clients need to get the work done... Richard Flude | 09/21/08

An ad agency uses Macs? Sleeper Service | 09/22/08

Wow Macs can do that??/ CrashPad | 09/22/08

Embarrassing enough MS pulled the metadata Richard Flude | 09/22/08

No mention of Edsel in Ford ads, either SteveMak | 09/22/08

RE: No Vista imaasshole | 09/22/08

Brand vs. Product Ronin69 | 09/22/08

Vista is just one Microsoft product... GrizzledGeezer | 09/22/08

I am a ADS marketing magallanes | 09/22/08

XP is a retired product, this is why ! Gradius2 | 09/22/08

"Retired", yet still working SteveMak | 09/22/08

RE: Microsoft's Phase 2 ringlis | 09/22/08

RE: Microsoft's AnubiS2k | 09/22/08

RE: Microsoft's an ******* vishalsuvagia | 09/22/08

I'm a ... nm... Vampyrick | 09/22/08

So THIS is MSFT's Great White Hope? drprod@... | 09/22/08

The marketing organ is vestigal symbolset | 09/22/08

MS should pull MS Office from Macs... Arapey | 09/23/08

Or maybe it could be this... nix_hed | 09/23/08

OpenOffice AzuMao | 09/24/08

Well, M$FT COULD Pull Office from the Mac.... drprod@... | 10/06/08

Microsoft's "I'm A PC" ad... nix_hed | 09/23/08

My name is "Skynet" and I'm a PC!!!! Arapey | 09/23/08

"the guy" rtk | 09/23/08

OMG You actually think these are better than BG & JS? chaiguy1337 | 09/23/08

The ad was made on a Mac... ~Obelix~ | 09/23/08

Funny AzuMao | 09/24/08

RE: The ad was NOT made on a Mac.... Narg | 09/29/08

Of Course - Mac drprod@... | 10/06/08

RE: Microsoft's Rick_K | 09/23/08

Exactly AzuMao | 09/24/08

Donnieboy... sykandtyed | 09/23/08

Microsoft's now advertising for Linux tomam | 09/24/08

Wasted? AzuMao | 09/25/08

RE: Wasted? Narg | 09/29/08

Empirical evidence, baby. AzuMao | 09/30/08

RE: Microsoft's VISTA vickkih@... | 10/06/08

what ticks me off is they lie to try to get you to buy Randalllind | 10/06/08

it's the old "taste test" schtick ca1ic0cat | 10/06/08

I must be an Apple because "I don't get it" Cayble | 10/06/08

I'm a PC mlindl | 10/06/08

Ha! What a silly guy! Cayble | 10/06/08

RE: Microsoft's AD's BernieLyons | 10/06/08

RE: Microsoft's AD's BernieLyons | 10/06/08

Vista vs. XP difference in release timing... Cayble | 10/06/08

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