This is the first of what are bound to be many ads for Windows 7. It features an adorable little girl talking about how everything people are saying about Windows 7 are “happy words.” Then it proceeds to have the little girl make a slideshow with positive quotes from Windows 7 reviews, pictures of rabbits and kittens, and “The Final Countdown” blaring in the background. I found the video via ZDNet, which asked people what they think of the ad. I think it’s very clever.
This ad, as ridiculous and cute as it is, is the second part of the one-two punch Microsoft is hoping to score with the public. Part one is the foundation: build a good operating system and get it out to the press. Get the press excited about that. Microsoft has done that with flying colors. It’s not just that people are still sort of down about Vista. Windows 7 looks like a truly slick experience. It keeps all the good ideas from Vista, fixes the big issues, and slaps a sexy new interface on top. The geeks are all abuzz.
Part two is giving the masses something memorable about the product. And this ad isn’t just memorable because it has a cute little girl talking about “happy words.” It’s memorable because sure as Chicago is cold in the winter, people are going to talk about this ad. If you’re reading this, you’re a techie, which presumably some of your friends are not. They’ll see this and talk about it around you. Then you’re going to talk about how the buzz around Windows 7 is really good, and maybe you’ll add that you played with the beta and you’re excited for the full version to hit shelves. This is sort of interaction is going to take place in a lot of different enclaves, which will in turn lead to a lot of people outside the whole technosphere who are excited about Windows 7.
My last thought is this: Microsoft, why did you make a fake search engine for the commerical?! Just do a photoshop job with Bing if you want a bunch of positive reviews showing at the top.
