Microsoft to pitch Windows 7 via home parties
Microsoft is promoting the release of Windows 7 by encouraging users to throw Tupperware-like house parties in celebration of the launch.
The new campaign encourages participants to print out Windows 7 advertising banners for their home along with "host notes" outlining how to talk about Windows 7 in glowing terms. There's even a question and answer pamphlet, of which the official launch party web site recommends, "download and print this fun activity to keep the party going!"
With the new security features in Windows 7, it's unlikely the parties will get too carried away. Interestingly, the quiz pamphlet has nothing to do with Windows 7; it's all trivia about Microsoft. One question asks, "Most of Microsoft employees are 29 years of age or younger?. FALSE. 16.8% are 29 or under, 45.0% are 30-39, and 38.2% are 40 and over."
For users still unsure about how to host their friends over for an ad pitch, Microsoft has developed a series of videos that portray a wide demographic of people all demonstrating how to excitedly talk about Microsoft's new software features.
In one spot, four model party hosts explain what users need to do to prepare to host a successful party "with Windows 7 as an honored guest." First, they recommend that users need to install Windows 7 and play with it before hosting their party, calling customer service for support if necessary.
After that, launch party hosts can pick from a variety of fun, Windows 7 related activities created for their home launch event by Microsoft. Each activity has a video demonstration to follow in order to ensure a successful party.
Windows 7 Party... Winner
Microsoft sponsored a contest to sign up a "very limited" number of official launch party hosts, each of whom will receive a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate signed by Bill Gates, along with an undisclosed "Windows 7 Party Pack."
This week, the company announced a list of "finalists" for potential parties. "Receiving the finalist email doesn't mean you've been accepted to host just yet. You will need to be among the first to respond via a link within your email to be confirmed as a host," wrote Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc in a blog posting on the party organizer site. "This extra step is needed due to the amazing response we've had from people interested in hosting a local Launch Party."
Despite the limited number of official party organizers that Microsoft will ultimately award with free software, LeBlanc assured everyone else, "you can still hold a Windows 7 gathering of your own."
Party on a budget
This spring, Microsoft launched a similar home party effort to sell its Xbox 360 gaming console to women. It awarded about a thousand women across the country a $150 "Xbox Party Pack" that included "microwaveable popcorn, the Xbox trivia game 'Scene It? Box Office Smash,' an Xbox universal media remote control, a three-month subscription to Xbox Live, and 1,600 Xbox Live points (used for game, movie and TV show purchases)," according to a report picked up by Silicon Alley insider.
The low budget party campaigns are a marked departure from the glitzy launch of Windows Vista, which spent millions on advertising but failed to achieve the desired result. The company has since spent $300 million on campaigns that ranged from the Mojave Experiment, which portrayed the problems of Windows Vista as being a big misunderstanding, to a short-lived set of ads that portrayed Bill Gates alongside Jerry Seinfeld, a series of spots reacting to Apple's Get a Mac ads, and most recently ads that present PC buyers explaining that they're not cool enough for an expensive Apple computer.
Microsoft has also ventured into criticism for low budget ads used in promoting its Songsmith title, and a commercial for Internet Explorer 8 that was considered so tasteless and offensive the company had it pulled.
The new campaign encourages participants to print out Windows 7 advertising banners for their home along with "host notes" outlining how to talk about Windows 7 in glowing terms. There's even a question and answer pamphlet, of which the official launch party web site recommends, "download and print this fun activity to keep the party going!"
With the new security features in Windows 7, it's unlikely the parties will get too carried away. Interestingly, the quiz pamphlet has nothing to do with Windows 7; it's all trivia about Microsoft. One question asks, "Most of Microsoft employees are 29 years of age or younger?. FALSE. 16.8% are 29 or under, 45.0% are 30-39, and 38.2% are 40 and over."
For users still unsure about how to host their friends over for an ad pitch, Microsoft has developed a series of videos that portray a wide demographic of people all demonstrating how to excitedly talk about Microsoft's new software features.
In one spot, four model party hosts explain what users need to do to prepare to host a successful party "with Windows 7 as an honored guest." First, they recommend that users need to install Windows 7 and play with it before hosting their party, calling customer service for support if necessary.
After that, launch party hosts can pick from a variety of fun, Windows 7 related activities created for their home launch event by Microsoft. Each activity has a video demonstration to follow in order to ensure a successful party.
Windows 7 Party... Winner
Microsoft sponsored a contest to sign up a "very limited" number of official launch party hosts, each of whom will receive a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate signed by Bill Gates, along with an undisclosed "Windows 7 Party Pack."
This week, the company announced a list of "finalists" for potential parties. "Receiving the finalist email doesn't mean you've been accepted to host just yet. You will need to be among the first to respond via a link within your email to be confirmed as a host," wrote Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc in a blog posting on the party organizer site. "This extra step is needed due to the amazing response we've had from people interested in hosting a local Launch Party."
Despite the limited number of official party organizers that Microsoft will ultimately award with free software, LeBlanc assured everyone else, "you can still hold a Windows 7 gathering of your own."
Party on a budget
This spring, Microsoft launched a similar home party effort to sell its Xbox 360 gaming console to women. It awarded about a thousand women across the country a $150 "Xbox Party Pack" that included "microwaveable popcorn, the Xbox trivia game 'Scene It? Box Office Smash,' an Xbox universal media remote control, a three-month subscription to Xbox Live, and 1,600 Xbox Live points (used for game, movie and TV show purchases)," according to a report picked up by Silicon Alley insider.
The low budget party campaigns are a marked departure from the glitzy launch of Windows Vista, which spent millions on advertising but failed to achieve the desired result. The company has since spent $300 million on campaigns that ranged from the Mojave Experiment, which portrayed the problems of Windows Vista as being a big misunderstanding, to a short-lived set of ads that portrayed Bill Gates alongside Jerry Seinfeld, a series of spots reacting to Apple's Get a Mac ads, and most recently ads that present PC buyers explaining that they're not cool enough for an expensive Apple computer.
Microsoft has also ventured into criticism for low budget ads used in promoting its Songsmith title, and a commercial for Internet Explorer 8 that was considered so tasteless and offensive the company had it pulled.
Comments
Print your own banners? Host a Windows 7 party yourself?
Thank you for providing me a much needed laugh, Microsoft. Or the pranksters who put this together if it indeed is a joke.
Microsoft has also ventured into criticism for low budget ads used in promoting its Songsmith title, and a commercial for Internet Explorer 8 that was considered so tasteless and offensive the company had it pulled.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Holy smokes, I was oblivious to this as well and had to look it up. Yowza.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB9fhjnJcB0
Their marketers are worth their weight in comedic awfulness gold.
With Windows 7, from my experience of the beta, they actually seem to have a very decent OS, yet still they manage to make themselves look like morons.
Talk about the most unlikely group of friends ever. A couple, an old lady and a black guy... I could not stop laughing. Dialogue is even cheesier then the Sinefeld ads.
Hope Lauren shows up as an uninvited guest and tells how she wasn't cool enough for the Mac launch party.
Speaking of cams... I'm a cinematographer, and whoever shot this thing, needs to be shot himself. The constant zooming in and out and back and forth motion is an attention stealing "no, no" in cinematography. It's very unsettling.
Microsoft needs to stop burning its cash on lame marketing and pointless R&D (i.e. SongSmith) and start investing in stable software. Windows 7 is a vast improvement to the previous versions and I will actually be using it (I actually already am in my VM). But, no kudos will go to their marketing department, who need to stop smokn the peyote.
Anybody else find this absolutely hysterical?
Yah!
I thought it was a joke at first. I went straight to the video and thought it was an SNL skit or something.
And I must say ... what an extremely likely "family grouping" they have there!
There are many families on my block with a traditional, 70 year old white lady who's 55 year old business-type daughter still lives at home and who is married to a token 30 something black guy and have a cool 20 something hipster dude as their best friend.
They are not at all like a moving version of business clip art!
The only question I have is where is the "young asian lady laughing" and the "mixed race baby playing with toys." Do they show up at the party later with Jerry Seinfeld?
http://www.cabel.name/2009/09/windows-7-party.html
The magic of a few simple bleeps
What's comical is to go to your favorite haunt for Microsoft apologists (mine is Engadget) and see the Microsoft fans flailing to defend this concept, and throwing "fanboy" at anyone who makes fun of it
Anybody else find this absolutely hysterical?
I am onboard.
And in searching the site, I found some Apple parties too... not made by Apple, but made by Apple fans.
AI, I think you are scraping for "news" which really isn't news, its clearly poor sportsmanship. Its like Fox bashing Obama for ratings, or MSNBC bashing Bush for ratings. Just not good journalism.
I ask: HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO APPLE!?
AI, I think you are scraping for "news" which really isn't news, its clearly poor sportsmanship. Its like Fox bashing Obama for ratings, or MSNBC bashing Bush for ratings. Just not good journalism.
I ask: HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO APPLE!?
Ripping on a company that regularly gets showed up by smaller competition that is half its size with half its recources is fun.
I think the article forgot to mention the site in its entirety. Its an ad campaign that MANY different companies use, from Food companies, to MS, to Barbie to others. So don't give MS all the credit here folks. I find it really funny and tacky myself, but MS isn't hosting the ad, HouseParty.com is hosting the ad.
And in searching the site, I found some Apple parties too... not made by Apple, but made by Apple fans.
AI, I think you are scraping for "news" which really isn't news, its clearly poor sportsmanship. Its like Fox bashing Obama for ratings, or MSNBC bashing Bush for ratings. Just not good journalism.
I ask: HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO APPLE!?
How does it relate? Apple and Microsoft are direct competitors. Microsoft has a huge number of customers. Apple wants those customers. Simple.