To celebrate the holidays, Microsoft employees, who were selected from across the country, gathered together, meeting each other for the first time, at Microsoft’s latest Apple Store knockoff on Fifth Avenue in New York City along with a large number of obviously planted “customers” (which we only claim because we’ve never seen a Microsoft Retail Store where employees didn’t outnumber patrons at least five to one (and that’s being very charitable, this being the holiday season and all)).
Joined by a local NYC children’s youth choir, who hopefully held out for a very sizable donation, the Microsofties proceed to harass, uh… share a message of peace and harmony with their neighbor and perpetual inspiration down the street.
No, they didn’t sing “Thanks For Opening Apple Stores, So We Could Copy Those, Too.”
Nope, not “Hey, Hey We’re Derivative Wannabes!”
No, they sang “Peace on Earth.” (In order to fully maximize the schmaltz, we assume.)
Afterwards, we assume the Microsoft staffers went downstairs to shop for real Christmas presents.
Direct link to video here.
MacDailyNews Take: So very, very touching. (bites lip and pretends to dab eyes)
Oh, alright: Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth!
Just one question, why are Microsoft’s Apple Retail Store rejects dressed like Smurfs?
And, three words for whoever’s in charge of Microsoft’s companywide color picker:
Color blindness test.(Sheesh!)
SEE ALSO:
Microsoft’s retail stores struggle in shadow of packed Apple Retail Stores – October 6, 2015
Microsoft to open five-level Fifth Avenue retail store next month – September 30, 2015
Microsoft retail store moving in one door over, Apple Retail Store moving on up – March 13, 2012
Microsoft retail store traffic pales in comparison to Apple’s – November 26, 2010
Microsoft retail fiasco to remodel? Apple files trademark for distinctive retail store layout – May 19, 2010
Microsoft Retail Stores have to resort to free concert tickets to generate opening day crowds – October 30, 2009
Notes from Microsoft’s first retail store: ‘Cheap, disorganized, and poorly-located’ (with photo) – October 23, 2009
Microsoft’s Windows 7 launch parties prove to be complete and utter failures – October 23, 2009
Microsoft’s Bizarro Universe: 8 years late; in garish color; featuring inferior products (w/ video) – October 22, 2009
Analyst expects Apple to have over 1,000 retail stores open worldwide within next few years – October 08, 2009
Microsoft attempting to poach Apple retail staff – September 22, 2009
Apple likely Fifth Avenue’s highest grossing retailer – August 24, 2009
Microsoft to open first two retail stores in Mission Viejo, California and Scottsdale, Arizona – July 29, 2009
Microsoft to mimic Apple (what else is new?) with ‘Guru Bars’ in retail stores – July 25, 2009
Ex-Apple VP a key figure in Microsoft’s retail initiative – July 20, 2009
Microsoft to have hard time matching the enthusiasm at Apple retail stores – July 18, 2009
Microsoft to open retail stores near Apple Retail Stores this fall – July 15, 2009
How Microsoft’s retail stores plan to compete with Apple’s – April 17, 2009
Microsoft Retail Stores: The dumbest idea ever – February 13, 2009
How Microsoft’s retail stores will differ from Apple’s – February 13, 2009
Microsoft’s new retail guru Porter has history of working against Apple – February 13, 2009
Microsoft’s last retail store attempt was a dismal failure – February 13, 2009
Microsoft hires Wal-Mart vet to oversee development of Microsoft Retail Stores – February 12, 2009
This is harassment.
It’s like Scrooge offering a child a hot cup of Apple Cider but it’s spiked with salt and pepper.
OK, I thought that was funny, but I assumed it was
LOL
For the record, I don’t think this qualifies as a Christmas Carol.
It’s a nice spot, not pushing anything, just brand, and not even that very heavily. Are those Apple employees in red, or actors? Seems weird that they’d all come out to hear a choir, unless it’s a jointly-produced spot?
So what you’re saying is all the employees saw the light and went to Apple?!
It’s not harassment. It’s a choir looking for people to sing to. And since you won’t find any in the Microsoft Store, you go to the Apple Store where you know there will be lots of people. 😉
Merry Christmas.
Marketing bizarreness. What in the world did they see as the gain?
I think it is brilliant PR…it’s a feel-good ad, and lets face it- people are talking about it. Its about the only way to make a microsoft ad interesting. Whether it translates into zune or surface whatever sales, who knows!
It’s disingenuous at best. They show the Apple logo backwards. Look at us being so nice, sining in front of the Apple Store. It’s trolling Apple customers. Don’t even think it’s some kind of blissful generosity.
It’s kindness with poison and spite.
Lol
Not to be outdone, the Apple employees got together, gathered at the Microsoft store, and sang “Nadella Got Run Over By An iPhone.”
The next song was “I saw Nadella kissing Ballmer under the christmas tree”.
No, Cortana got herpes kissing reindeer…
Is that Clippy in the background singing Tenor?
Clumpy is standing next to Office Bob. Mrcs
Should read ‘Clippy.’ 🖖😀⌚️
very Balmeresque..lol
What a bunch of cold-hearted Apple fan-boys! Hey, its the Xmas season, if MS wants to air a commercial preaching harmony, let’s just accept it at face value. We can go back to fighting the battle with MS after Xmas.
Hell, even the opposing armies in WW1 took a break from fighting, came out of their trenches, and shook hands at Xmas.
Agreed. Frankly, this is a very “Apple-esque” ad (although Apple would have featured a MUCH cooler song). Just imagine at the height of the Mac vs. Windows era Apple employees singing Christmas Carols outside Microsoft headquarters, with just the simple word “harmony” on screen at the end. We’d all say how brilliant it was.
To the people who think it was an “accident” to feature the Apple logo for a second, and then a longer shot of the Apple store plaza — that’s was the entire point of the ad.
us old farts need to hand together. i’m an 85 mac guy. have more reason than just about anyone posting to hate MS, but from where apple stands today, there is no karma in still hating. apple is the tortoise that trounced the hare. we should all stand proud of apple’s accomplishments and the commercial is a fitting tribute to good winning over evil. merry christmas to all.
The Microsoft employees aren’t very busy at their store, so they had plenty of time to practice and leave their store unattended while performing for a packed house at the Apple Store.
wish the “mac guy” character was still around
think it would be kinda funny to do cut paste ad using the microsoft xmas footage and show “mac guy” giving away iPads and apple tee-shirts to the “grateful microsoft singers” who would express gratitude for being given a web device that’s initiative and useful…
Kinda nice, just Merry Christmas, without a lump of social justice coal to swallow.
OMG — at 17 seconds you do see the Apple logo! Not very good editing!
Aw, shucks. Now I’ll HAFTA pay attention to commercial. Hey: flash on the Apple logo during a MS commercial so people pay attention! 🙂
The quick shot of the Apple logo — and the longer shot of the Apple Store plaza — is the whole point of the spot. It’s a feature, not a bug, as we used to say…
With all the bad things going on in this world, it’s awesome to see what I take as a kind gesture, and spread peace between two companies employees!! I commend Microsoft and hope to see more positive acts in this world!!
Wow, a new Apple ad? Cool!
Is it just me or do some of those Microsoft employees look a little short.
It seems to me that most people here failed to realise the point of this commercial (and its message). MS is trying to tell Apple: “Let there be peace on Earth” — in other words, let’s try to get along for a change. For those who saw the commercial to its end, you could see all those Apple employees (in holiday red t-shirts) shaking hands and hugging MS choir. In other words, it is a holiday season, so we have truce.
Isn’t there a “rule” about not showing your competitor in advertising?
“More of a guideline than a rule.”
Only if you are the one on top.
Interesting to see how this plays out at AI.
Apple’s most famous retail destination is the subject of a new, unifying ad from rival Microsoft, bringing employees from both companies together in the spirit of the holiday season — and also bringing executives to sign off on the production behind the scenes.
Isn’t that nice, a holiday spirit of humanity and putting differences aside to realize that we have just as much in common as we have differences.
I guess that’s one way to apply for a job: singing hymns. At least it doesn’t offend like these two dingleberries:
All this commercial states to me as a consumer, is that Microsoft is begging Apple to install it’s software on Apples Devices. They want Peace, NOT WAR with Apple. Microsoft sees a very bad war ahead like what is happening between Apple & Google & Samsung and they don’t want any part of it!
Its a nice step. Now we need a group of Muslims to walk to a synagogue and sing, basically about anything other than death. I’m so tired of their religion of death.
Oh, go fsuk off. Muslims have defended Christians and Jews in the middle east. Christians have defended Muslim groups here in the US. Every major religion on the planet has blood on its hands. And a lot of the minor ones too.
Obviously, those Microsoft employees were trolling for jobs at the Apple Store!
Cold, heartless, Scrooge Microsoft during the holiday season to do that instead of just advertising their own Store & Products. Shame on you Microsoft.
Although I agree with the story that the public reactions were too perfect to be real, (and that there were customers in a Microsoft store) I have to admit, it was a nice ad.
Merry Christmas everyone! 🙂
I think the best part was when the Apple employees cheered for and hugged their competition. That’s class. At the end of the day, we are all just people.
Clearly trying to gain interest through association then… well they have failed at everything else.