A bunch of may have seen those new Microsoft ads and wondered, "What the heck is going on?"
If you haven't, here's the latest one with Seinfeld and Gates:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho-maLq4dKk
Believe me, there is a plan and a story that go along with the ads. (I just can't tell you what it is!)
Microsoft has long been known as the company that NEVER bashes it's competitors. Not in ads. Not in press-releases. Never.
When you're a long-standing multi-billion dollar company and your CEO is one of the richest (and most giving!) people in the world, you have no reason to bash the "smaller" companies. You're a role model for the billion + users of your product (and that's not an exaggeration....the next version of Windows is slated to have a billion users...wow!)
The Mac ads are funny, I give them 100% credit for being creative and hilarious, but Microsoft would never go down that path. And believe me, there are enough funny and creative people at Microsoft would could come up with WAY more offensive ads.
But we channel that energy to shipping more products year after year instead.
It reminds me of writers. We promote ourselves with our products...our work. Never by putting down others in the process.
Have you guys ever encountered a "basher" in your line of work? What's your reaction?
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Dona Sarkar-Mishra
HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI
SHRINK TO FIT
both out now!
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2 comments:
Dona, interesting topic, as I recently watched one of those Mac commercials and had similar thoughts: clever, but why bash the competition?
I've been super-lucky in finding supportive people in the writing world. But I have encountered a few barbs from non-writers over the years, and have grown thick skin about it. Maybe people are more likely to bash something they've never tried or can't do? I don't know...
I find that I am now looking forward to the “next episode” from Microsoft, and to seeing where Bill and Jerry go next. I want the narrative to keep unfolding, to move forward. Isn’t that clever: I suddenly am willing to see Microsoft as part of the future, instead of the bothersome, boring, aggressive, nasty, controlling, frustrating, clunky, commodity of the past.
http://www.unboundedition.com/content/view/7978/50/
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