Microsoft to launch 7m TV campaign

Microsoft is launching a 7m TV ad campaign in the UK this week. It uses customer case studies for the first time to explain how it can help users.

Microsoft’s strategy is to use its TV ads for branding, and place product-led ads in the press and on the Internet. For the past two years, its agency Wieden & Kennedy has concentrated on pushing the catchline “Where do you want to go today?”.

This phrase has now reached 44 per cent awareness, says Microsoft UK director of marketing services Shaun Orpen, but there is confusion about what the catchline means.

“The campaign marks the next stage of brand development,” says Orpen. “It is bringing meaning and new emphasis to the catchline.”

The ads, aimed at both business and personal users, show real-life users and how they use Microsoft technology. Case studies include the London-based fast-food chain Yo! Sushi, and the Highdown Primary School in Berkshire.

As the campaign rolls out in the US, France and Germany, Microsoft will film and add new case studies from each country. Its global TV budget for next year is expected to be 67m.