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Microsoft launches Windows XP campaign with ad made on Apple Mac
Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - 04:18 PM EDT

Microsoft Corp. today kicked off a new global awareness campaign designed to "showcase how people can explore, enhance and pursue their passions with Windows XP and related technology." It's sort of an "ignore that Apple Mac OS X Tiger stuff" misdirection play.

Microsoft so thoughtfully posted one of the new "Start Something" ads that's part of the new global awareness campaign for Microsoft Windows XP and invited users to click the image for high-res version.

Well, various MacDailyNews readers clicked to view the image, downloaded it and checked the file's info by using iPhoto's "Get Info" and other methods to view the file's EXIF information which shows it was created with "Adobe Photoshop CS Macintosh."

As one reader wrote, "Isn't it ironic? A picture launching their big campaign designed to steal the thunder from Apple - was made on a Mac!"

Microsoft's press release can be found here.

The direct link to the "Start Something" ad (7.4MB) is here.

MacDailyNews Take: Hey, they asked us to "start something," so we did!

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Apr 19, 05 - 05:34 pm Comment from: Crow T. Robot

I love it! MW: problem As in, Redmond, we have a problem...

Apr 19, 05 - 05:36 pm Comment from: iSteve

If they did the ad on a Patcher XP computer the campaign would be as delayed as Longhorn.

Apr 19, 05 - 05:37 pm Comment from: rorschach

BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!

Eejits!

Apr 19, 05 - 05:38 pm Comment from: Theman-x

HE HE HO HO HUM

thou shalt not poop till its funny


LOL

Apr 19, 05 - 05:38 pm Comment from: gforce

not ironic. REALITY...design is done on a mac. That's one place windows can't dent.

Apr 19, 05 - 05:39 pm Comment from: Al

Almost as funny as the fact that Billy Gates' new house was designed on a Mac.

Apr 19, 05 - 05:43 pm Comment from: Bob

I just verified it using iPhoto 5, downloading the image directly from Microsoft. They are SOOOO lame.

Apr 19, 05 - 06:03 pm Comment from: Scott Rose

Oh my god, that kid in the Microsoft ad looks like death warmed over. LIke a freakin' zombie. Does he look like he's enjoying Windows in the slightest?

Apr 19, 05 - 06:04 pm Comment from: Triumph

YEH-HEHESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

This is as pitiful as the Dan Rather CBS News "authentic memo's" about Bush! Ohhh, de shame, de shame!

I POOP on Redmond's campaign!

Apr 19, 05 - 06:06 pm Comment from: Scrawny Austin

THAT KID LOOKS STONED!!!

Apr 19, 05 - 06:07 pm Comment from: erich

so what, is it better that most machines from Apple are designed/proto'd with Rhino? I once worked as an artdirector at MSN/Munich - everyone doing graphics used macs. Was no secret either. I still think it's worse that as of CAD/CAM/Industry design, macs are close to non-existent.

Apr 19, 05 - 06:09 pm Comment from: Spelunking Troglodyte

"Start Something"

Yaah -- start activating all the hidden viruses and spyware sitting on your $499.00 eMachines Piece of Shit Wal-Mart special.

Stupid Patchers.

Apr 19, 05 - 06:10 pm Comment from: R

Par for the course.

Apr 19, 05 - 06:17 pm Comment from: devnull

"Start SOMETHING"

I love it! It has that aura of desperation and infers that you haven't done ANYTHING.

LOL.

Apr 19, 05 - 06:22 pm Comment from: The Dark Side of the Moon

7.4 bloody Megabytes!!! For a picture of a kid who looks half-baked...

I'm on dial-up, and I'm only 534 KB through the image! What is MS expecting us to do with that high res of a picture?!!!

Apr 19, 05 - 06:27 pm Comment from: Arnoso

Does anyone have a friend in any major news service so that we can send this picture?

And for me the "start something" is a concept very close to the old "THINK DIFFERENT" ads by Apple.

Take care

Apr 19, 05 - 06:31 pm Comment from: Spelunking Troglodyte

I think devnull may be onto something here:

"Start SOMETHING"

"Something."

"SOMETHING!"

Ferchrissakes, ANYTHING AT ALLLLLLL!

Yah, I like it dev.


P.S. Triumph is right in the Cobb County thread-
Redmond blows!

Apr 19, 05 - 06:34 pm Comment from: wolfie

nothing about that ad -- say's "potential,or passion"..if anything it's screams..."HELP ME"

Apr 19, 05 - 06:36 pm Comment from: Pale Rider

erich, why is that worse? MS is attempting to showcase why XP is better than Apple/Mac. To do that, someone used a Mac, which inherently disproves the point, or at least dilutes it. But Macs are designed with the tools available, including non-Macs. So what? What does that prove? Nothing. I agree it would be nice to have more CAD/CAM on the Mac, but if we don't have it, does that mean we should stop designing Macs? And if not, what's the point? Need more software in CAD/CAM? Sure, but what's the point in this context?

Apr 19, 05 - 06:36 pm Comment from: JadisOne

The MS ads also look as if they use Motion and/or Shake.

The irony.

Apr 19, 05 - 06:39 pm Comment from: M. T. MacPhee

I *told* you Microsoft ads were useless....

Apr 19, 05 - 06:41 pm Comment from: Winston

God, that ad is ugly. My 12-year-old niece could do a better job. I wouldn't go around bragging that it was done on a Mac.

My favorite element is probably the astronaut petting the octopus, although the hummingbird pecking at the satellite dish and the T. Rex chasing the rabbit have their charms, too. Was this designed by a Deadhead in the midst of a bad acid trip? If so, the thing you should "start" is rehab.

Apr 19, 05 - 06:52 pm Comment from: Sara

Just verified it in Photoshop. Comes up with title 50500222_A_prf.indd Its copyright is unmarked with no author & no owner. Created on 2005:04:07 11:35:29

Apr 19, 05 - 07:02 pm Comment from: Random Coolzip

So... that'd be "Your potential [frustration]. Our passion [for making a quick dollar]"?

Apr 19, 05 - 07:03 pm Comment from: Chap

It's a Portuguese Man o'War, not an octopus!
That is one random ad.

Apr 19, 05 - 07:14 pm Comment from: not me

"it was created with 'Adobe Photoshop CS Macintosh.'"

Adobe on a Mac? Doesn't MS even use Windows in-house? Hmmm maybe that explains the REAL reason Office X is still around....

Even if the ad stinks, the software that made it reflects rather poorly on MS. It's exactly like Boeing flying sales reps around to close deals... on an Airbus! As the saying goes, "Eat your own dog food". If MS won't even use their own products why should anyone else?

We'll start something alright... start watching more people switch to Apple!

Apr 19, 05 - 07:17 pm Comment from: Winston

"It's a Portuguese Man o'War, not an octopus!"

I guess I'd better "start" my zoology lessons. But that still doesn't explain why it's hanging out with an astronaut.

Have you guys checked out that site, windows.com? It's a freakin' product catalog. Whoop-de-do. They strong-arm you into buying crap from their partners. No thanks. I'll just do a Google search instead.

Apr 19, 05 - 07:50 pm Comment from: anon

The kids expression says it all.

Looks like he's not really interested:
"I already have a Mac at home daddy"
"But this picture is for selling PC's son"
" Oh, is that all... wish I had my iPod here."

Either that or he's like everyone else about the whole affair - ho hum.

Apr 19, 05 - 07:52 pm Comment from: zack

And I just read somewhere that the new Dell ad campaign graphics were inspired by the front grill of the designer's G5! I didnt see the connection in the accompanying photo, but anyways it's kinda funny too. But not surprising, since it is rather large. smile

Apr 19, 05 - 08:08 pm Comment from: erich

Pale Rider, point taken.

[worse] was kinda the wrong word. Guess I'm one of those frustrated industry designers who'd love to spend more time working on X. :/
You wouldn't believe the amounts of "potential switchers" I've learnt to know in my field.

On a sidenote; I'd love to know how Apple will advertise OSX for the masses. Sure, they might have a certain momentum, but the "no virii" or "no malware/sniffers" talk is kinda absurd IMHO.

Apr 19, 05 - 08:12 pm Comment from: Ronnie Schell

Funny, potentially embarassing for MS. Probably will be ratified by tomorrow. This isn't the first time this has happened. Not really any big deal, but you just know it irritates Gates and Ballmer just the same.

Apr 19, 05 - 08:21 pm Comment from: effwerd

The windows appear to be surgical devices for pulling bullshit out of your chest. I'm sure it works both ways so it can also blow smoke up your ass.

Apr 19, 05 - 08:24 pm Comment from: Paul Thurrot

OHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYY GODDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!

I'm really spanking the monkey now. These ads give me such a hard-on.

Apr 19, 05 - 08:52 pm Comment from: Anim8r

Is it just me or is that design really... oh I dunno, craptacular!

Apr 19, 05 - 09:00 pm Comment from: Ace Fury

It has been know for years that Microsoft's Graphic Department is about 90% Macs. No one in Redmond has ever denied it. Their annual report is done on Mac and ever year this same thing happens, "oh look what I found!". Bill Gates is a lot of things but he is not stupid.

Apr 19, 05 - 09:00 pm Comment from: Peter

Hmm...

The only question I have is why does your date last modified show today, yet the date last modified in the EXIF tag is 04/07/2005? It looks fishy when the DLM is today, guys...

But, yes, there it is: The software tag clearly says "Adobe Photoshop CS Macintosh"

Maybe iPhoto modifies the file?

Apr 19, 05 - 09:09 pm Comment from: Mac IT Guy

Yes, I agree with everyone- the kid looks stoned. What terrible advertising!!!

As Sara mentioned above there seems to be some sort of tracking job number on the Photoshop file. Its probally from their PR or advertising agency (who use Macs). Guess someone will catch hell for this in the morning!

What crap!

Apr 19, 05 - 09:32 pm Comment from: genius

<sarcasm>Oh - - I get it ! START something .... like the START menu !!!! Wow ! What an incredible concept! This ad should win an award!</sarcasm>

Apr 19, 05 - 09:33 pm Comment from: Nick

For a job as important as marketing Windows XP, Microsoft will obviously trust nothing but the best OS. All the graphic needs now is a "Made on a Mac" logo in the corner.

Apr 19, 05 - 09:37 pm Comment from: sloganmeister

"Start Something" ....

At least it's better than their last 'slogan';

"Your potential inspires us to create the software to help you reach it"

That one still makes me shudder.

Apr 19, 05 - 09:55 pm Comment from: Mark Smith

Let me get this straight ... there are people in the world who download pictures just so they can see what OS they were made on ?

That is soooooo sad!

Maybe there should be a cull on Apple Zealots before they pollute the gene pool too much ...

Apr 19, 05 - 10:00 pm Comment from: MCCFR

Mark Smith: I suspect it's probably too late…

Apr 19, 05 - 10:09 pm Comment from: lowfatsourcreme

wow what an ugly ad!

Apr 19, 05 - 10:21 pm Comment from: Clyde

The sad reality is that we are talking about how bad the Microsoft ad is, but there is still no ad for the Mac or OSX to talk about.

Sad.

Apr 19, 05 - 10:43 pm Comment from: human

And I thought they would never be able to top "Plays for Sure"

Hell, they took craptastic to new heights.

Apr 19, 05 - 10:44 pm Comment from: scott

We can joke and call it lame all we want ... but $200,000,000 of advertising is still $200,000,000 of advertising. don't be naive ... a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth.

I hope Apple's marketing captures the imagination ... again and again.

Apr 19, 05 - 11:00 pm Comment from: mcloki

i have a feeling that Microsofts Ad campaign is going to be the most parodied ad campaign ever. With all those creative mac people out there and just so many headlines to write it could be a field day for funny ads.
Start praying

Apr 19, 05 - 11:09 pm Comment from: Are there so few

creeative companies out there using Windows that MS can't simply demand that?

Apr 19, 05 - 11:32 pm Comment from: Peter

"Oh - - I get it ! START something .... like the START menu!!!! Wow! What an incredible concept! This ad should win an award!"

Yeah, it's not like they didn't use the same concept for Windows 95's "Start Me Up" campaign...

Apr 19, 05 - 11:32 pm Comment from: NoPCZone

Kind of like finding out that the CEO of BMW drives a Lexus. Maybe that's why the new BMW's all look like Toyotas.

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