Feb 28, 2008 01:08 PM
12,383
Enter your username and password.
San Francisco, 8:20 AM
Wed Feb 10
56 posts in the last 24 hours
Microsoft has finally figured out that, despite being one of the world's most powerful corporations, it is getting its ass handed to it in the advertising arena. As annoying as those "Mac vs. PC" ads are, it's pretty amusing that the richest man in the world is having his company's consumer credibility shredded by the cultivated stubble and shrugs of Justin Long, who isn't even funny or anything. Now, Microsoft has struck back by handing a $300 million consumer advertising account to Crispin Porter & Bogusky, the HOT and HIP young Miami agency that brought us campaigns like the Miller Lite "Man Laws" and Burger King's scary, big-headed "King" figure. Things are about to get weird. A guide to what to expect, after the jump.
This is a conscious move by Microsoft, which bypassed more traditional super-agencies to give the account to CPB, which prides itself on making ads that are too smart by half. Maybe that's what Microsoft needs to kickstart its image, but it's a big gamble, considering the size of the market at stake. Or maybe CPB will pull back a bit on the wackiness. But in all likelihood, that's what they were selling, and that's what the company wants.
No word yet on what the campaign is gonna look like, but you can use your imagination, based on this small and selective sample of some of CPB's past work:
BK's Kick'n Chicken
Miller Lite Man Law
Volkswagen Unpimps The Auto
Send an email to Hamilton Nolan, the author of this post, at Hamilton@gawker.com.
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
Start a new discussion