Well everyone’s been waiting patiently for this to arrive since it was announced months ago that Crispin Porter + Bogusky was taking over a healthy piece of the Microsoft account. Here’s the first slice of the $300 million pie and I think they’re off to a pretty good start.
They were faced with the challenge that Microsoft is a brand that has never been synonymous with fun. Microsoft has also seemed to be way too many things at the same time. When I think of Microsoft Windows I see it in so many incarnations, from dusty old desktops to fast albeit clunky laptops with too many vulnerabilities. When you think of Mac you think sleek, sexy, and most of all, simple and cohesive. Microsoft needs something familiar, something that when you see it you say “that’s Windows”. Is that going to be Jerry Seinfeld? I actually kind of hope it’s going to be Bill Gates. Why not be the face of the brand? Remember this from his CES 2008 retirement address?
Mac might have made the geek look like a loser but that can change; geeks can be endearing. Windows needs to move from cold to endearing and I have a feeling that’s where they’re going. Windows needs to inspire if it’s to have any chance. It also needs to drop a few jokes along the way and stop being so stuffy, which I think they’ve achieved here.
This is gonna be a hell of an exercise in rebranding and if there’s anyone who will achieve the impossible or die trying it’s Alex Bogusky. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this one plays out. That being said, I’ll still never give up my Mac.
Chris Kahle 