REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 18, 2002 — Microsoft has introduced a new corporate advertising campaign that communicates its brand mission of realizing potential. The new advertising campaign is being launched nationwide in the United States. The campaign is focused on the promise of the company’s new mission and brand — to help people realize their potential. The new mission was introduced to Microsoft’s employees earlier this year by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
“Through this campaign, we want to share Microsoft’s passion about the potential of individuals and businesses to do great things,”
says Mich Mathews, corporate vice president of marketing.
“When you look inside the walls of Microsoft, you will find people who believe that their work will make tomorrow a better place — a place where businesses and individuals will take further steps to realize their dreams and ambitions.”
The campaign employs a distinctive visual technique that illustrates examples of every day people having the potential to do amazing things. In one of the advertisements, a grade-school student stands at his desk, arms outstretched like wings. Drawn around him is the form of a rocket. Planets and stars dot the classroom. The boy becomes a rocket scientist in the making.
Another of the print execution reads:
“We see a future chairman of the board. Computer literacy helps lead to greater success in school, and more importantly, greater success in life. That’s what led us to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to start Club Tech. As a result, 3.3 million young people have the chance to learn to use today’s technology. Because we believe that given the right tools, kids can do just about anything. Your potential. Our passion.”
The creative work for the campaign began in April of this year and was developed by Microsoft advertising partner McCann-Erickson, in partnership with Microsoft’s Corporate Advertising team.
“Realizing Potential”
is the overall umbrella campaign that supports and complements Microsoft’s advertising for MSN, Agility, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Tablet PC and others by explaining the company’s brand proposition of realizing potential. Altogether, Microsoft plans to spend approximately US$400 million in the United States during its current fiscal year on advertising spanning all of these campaigns.
Says Mathews,
“I believe the new ad campaign conveys the optimism we share as a company about the potential of people around the world, and the role that technology can play to help them realize that potential.”
