Microsoft ad campaign takes aim at rivals

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From: Fritz Mobeau
Dewey, Cheatham & Howell Associates Advertising, Inc.

To: Mr. Mel Floobler, Vice President of Marketing
Microsoft Corporation

Greetings, Mel--

We?ll, we?ve focus-group tested the animatics on the three proposed TV spots, and here are our preliminary findings:

Spot 1: OK--we?ve got a problem here with Ballmer holding the hatchet in one hand and a bloody chicken head in the other while screaming at the top of his lungs, ?Torvalds is Satan... SATAN, I TELL YOU!!!!!? Indications are that the spot will be a hit with males in the 25-55 age group and females under 25, but is negatively perceived by females 25-55 and by poultry in all age categories.

Spot 2: Our inhouse PR strategists here don?t think it would be a particularly good idea to include in the spot Exxon?s use of Microsoft products, especially products in use during that unfortunate...er...navigational incident back in ?89. We feel that highlighting Toyota, Motorola, Reuters and Siemens will be filler enough as it is. Our focus group observations back us up on this.

Spot 3: Our creatives felt it was a good concept using the middle-aged fisherman pitching Microsoft products from his boat on the lake in that sort of relaxed, pastoral setting that would appeal to home users. However, when he held up the can of worms, all focus groups (both genders and all ages) would burst into laughter. We?re not sure why this is, but there seems to be some sort of mental connection between the concepts ?Microsoft? and ?worm? that people are responding to, but which we?re puzzled by. We?re still looking into this and will report any significant further findings ASAP. Meantime, we can?t see anything wrong with the spot other than this unexpected audience reaction.


Sincerely,

Fritz

Posted by: Yen_z   Posted on: 01/29/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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