Having gone through quite a few ad campaigns in the past year, Microsoft is at it again. This time around, they bring us a series of ads entitled "Laptop Hunters". The idea behind the advertisements is to break down laptop shoppers into segments such as gamers, jetsetters, socialites, designers and parents. Through Microsoft"s Laptop Hunters website, you can browse various models associated with each of the segments in an attempt to narrow down your choices to something more suitable for your needs.
The site is nice, but the first commercial is where people are likely to take notice. In the first ad to premier from the series, we are introduced to Lauren. She is looking to purchase a laptop with decent performance and a 17" screen for under $1,000. The camera follows her travels around town and, of course, greets her outside of an Apple store. As Lauren exits the building in dismay that the only Mac within her budget has a tiny 13" screen, she says, "I"m just not cool enough to be a Mac person". The Windows world is, of course, very welcoming and Lauren winds up finding an HP system at a nearby Best Buy that suits her needs. She keeps the laptop and gets to keep the change.
This is one of the first advertisements where Microsoft has directly attacked Macs, by name. There have been hints and friendly nudges, but, for the most part, Microsoft has kept silent while their Cupertino based competition has thrown stone after stone at them. It shall be interesting to see how people react once the advertisement airs during the current NCAA Basketball tournament.