January 3rd, 2007

Vista: What will you say when you see it?

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:12 am

Categories: CES 2007, Corporate strategy, Vista, Windows XP, Windows client

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It's not surprising Microsoft will be touting Windows Vista at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. But the slogan the company has chosen to tout its new version of Windows may catch some off-guard.

There will be an entire Vista pavillion (a fancy tent) outside the main convention center, dedicated to showing off Vista and new Vista machines.

Additionally. according to a couple of sources, Microsoft is using as a key component of its Vista marketing material the phrase: "WOW!" "When you see it, you'll say it."

Supposedly, we'll all see a lot of that message over the next week on banners all over Vegas.

(I asked a Microsoft Vista spokesperson for confirmation. No word yet.)

Update: Over on the Windows Connected blog, there's an image of the new "See it, say it" marketing slogan from the CES show guide)

I've never been a huge fan of Microsoft's advertising. It always seemed either too techie and complicated to reach the masses, or too plain-vanilla and uninspired to me.

But the whole Wow thing leaves me … wow-less. While it's true Vista does have that shiny Aero interface, to me, the real value-add is the under-the-covers stuff, like new diagnostic tools, improved encryption, clearer error messages, more than gadgets and transparent windowing effects.

What would have made a better Vista slogan? Maybe something emphasizing the improved security might have made more sense. Or whatever happened to Vista's three C's (clear, confident and connected)?

What about:

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Got any Vista marketing slogans of your own to suggest?