Microsoft Australia has recently put together an advertising campaign for Windows Vista called “I can do that”. The premise of the campaign I assume is to demonstrate what you can do with Windows Vista, but I’m not too sure about the execution. For example, take a look at this commercial which a variation of has been playing on at least two popular Australian commercial radio stations.
I don’t know about you, but this is quite an annoying advert. At least one other Aussie share the same feeling. It’s downright amateurish and borderline cocky. What little of the end result we see is nothing to be proud of anyway. The kid who plays the director just makes me want to punch fluffy animals. The ad is not engaging, interesting or even informative. If it wasn’t for this, I wouldn’t dare show anyone else.
A related online campaign at one of the radio station’s websites is equally bad. It aims to show the difference between “before” and “after” processing by Windows Live Photo Gallery.
At a glance, it’s basic exposure correction. If you pay more attention, it’s actually also airbrushing the wrinkles on the people’s faces. Something Live Photo Gallery cannot do and obviously post-processed in Adobe Photoshop (check EXIF).
If this is in any way related to the $200 million advertising fund injected into Vista this year then that’s even more disappointing. Maybe try McCann Worldwide instead?
Comments for "Windows Vista “I can do that” is a disgrace"
Dentaku
At least they’re showing people using a product. It doesn’t teach anything to anyone and the acting is cheesy but at least it’s not swishing letters and smiley multicultural people accomplishing nothing.
They need to be going for more education, less advertising.
Zim
But… Walkie talkies?! Where are those shiny bluetooth headsets and live messenger?
Andrew
It is rather amateurish. In fact, it looks like the kids cut the advert together as well as their home movie. It does though,, like Dentaku says, actually show of product features. It’s a step in the right direction, but it is a pretty poor effort.
Imran Hussain
I think they should be sued for misguiding people with that Photoshopped picture and saying it can be done with Windows Live Photography !
pathetic.
No wonder Mac bashes PC, it’s coz of these advertisements.
Imran Hussain
* Windows Live Photo Gallery.
Albert
It has the kind of objective the new marketing should have (in terms of educating the “regular folk”), but if this in any way related to the now total sum of $500 million, then I’m sorry, but they could have just hired me. ;P
But I have a stonger belief (and hope) that is just another of those in-house “marketing campaigns” that have the budget of a few bucks and is supposed to remain local, because I highly doubt Ballmer would approve anything remotely close to this to compete with Apple’s “PC vs Mac” campaign.
uu
grammer check: “The ad not engaging”
anon
Don’t like the way the kid behaves with others. And I’m amused how you manage to catch MS’s ugly cover-ups such as the photoshopped Live Galleried image. Best for explaining the meaning of marketing to anyone.
Oscar
@uu: Nitpicker!
Zack
I just watched a 90-minute Barbie-doll snuff film whilst torturing a helpless elderly badger *just* to flush that shite advert out of my mind.
Martin Ennemoser
Maybe it’s a deliberate attempt at making it look simple and amateurish. Producing a hollywood blockbuster like ad for a campaign with the motto “I can do that” wouldn’t come across right, either.
Chao
MS doesn’t need these silly, boring ad, what they need is interesting, funny, brain-washing, even lying ad as some company produced.
GRiNSER
At least they could have made a better ending image - that one with the vista background and logo attached on it looks bad…
Tom Baker
Long - I can’t tell you how much I agree with what you are saying! You have echoed my thoughts about these stupid campaigns over the last few weeks.
The campaigns are downright infuriating and borderline ‘false advertising’, as seen with the Live Photo Gallery ‘Russell Crowe’ ad.
I tried to edit a family movie with this version of Movie Maker last year and the result was nothing but mediocre; this led to my stray from Windows and the purchase of two Apple Macs. I couldn’t be happier.
wojtekmaj
Errr, sorry? $200 million? I can buy ten thousand proffesional cameras for that money O.o
Quikboy
What a joke. It’s hard not to get surprised at any of Microsoft’s new attempts at advertising. It just always is crud.
After seeing this video, and the lame photo brightening, all I can say is this: What can I do on Windows Vista, that I can’t already do well on OS X Leopard?
If Microsoft can answer the million dollar question, then I’d be shell-shocked. I can obviously edit videos with any other video-editing software (not free, but with much better results), and any photo-editing software at least has brightening features for free. This shows nothing special. People with happy faces don’t sell me, as a product that looked outstanding.
Matt Sharpe
That is just horrible.
Yert
This is worse then the Wow Starts Now trite.
Walkie Talkies? I was totally thinking about Live Messenger, just like Zim mentioned.
Windows Movie Maker? Until it has an actual timeline editor, there is better free software.
And seriously, the brat kids insulting everyone? Is that what Windows does to you? Because I was thinking that attitude is what you’d want to say that your competitor is, NOT you.
The $300 and $200 million are for CP+B and good advertisers, not this if I’m not mistaken; that lands in mid July. Lets hope its not this crap.
Nicko Darveniza
Wow that is sad. You know what’s worse? They fact that the ‘Director Pack’ competition they have there doesn’t even work! Their SSL certificate is apparently “NOT MICROSOFT”, so it’s been revoked.
Try it, try to log in with your live account.
I put pictures on by blog: http://wider-angle.com/blog/
mrmckeb
Did they use the “Neighbours” director and casting agents for these adverts?
Fabeme
I love the fact that Dell is part of lot’s of MS videos… only Dell computer here
Otherwise, sad advertisement…
Oli Burgess
Hey Long, do you remember ’round the twist’?
b4tl4
For most people i reckon this is all they need. + Panoramic builder is pretty cool. http://labnol.blogspot.com/2007/09/google-picasa-or-windows-live-photo .html
Nicko Darveniza
@b4tl4: You know that Windows Live Gallery has a built in panorama stitcher right?
Dovella
not is this the fast company Spot!
Benjamin Lupton
Totally agree. Another one I saw recently was at the beginning of “The Happening” there was a commercial for “Windows Live Messenger” but they were doing so on a Mac… Where I believe Mac just has “Messenger”…
sb.net
professional home movie?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KNnX6XRQBec&feature=related
Mike
Yetr wrote:
> Until it has an actual timeline editor, there is better free software.
It has an actual timeline editor:
http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/PapaJohn/26/Photo_Story_3_And_Movie_ Maker_2_files/image005.jpg
Dentaku
> Yetr wrote:
> Until it has an actual timeline editor, there is better free software.
> It has an actual timeline editor:
> http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/PapaJohn/26/Photo_Story_3_And_Movie_ Maker_2_files/image005.jpg
Yeah, I was going to say that too. Movie maker 2 has ALWAYS had a Timeline Editor, even in XP.
Where it says STORYBOARD, just change it to TIMELINE.
I still hope they make an updated version someday and integrate Photostory and DVD maker into it instead of using 3 separate apps.
Drew
That is a crap ad. You’re not wrong.
Microsoft can do that. ”That” referring to a crap advert.
Yert
@Mike & Dentaku - Hard to know your talking to me with the Yetr typo, but since you raised the issue, I should clarify. Yes, Windows Movie Maker has a timeline. But it does not allow layering of audio or video files, making overlays and other effects that are necessary very hard to pull off. To me, this is not a timeline at all, or at least not the way I know and use.
Nicholas
It doesn’t even tell the features of Windows Vista!!
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