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http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=1113
Microsoft's secret "switcher ad" identity blown by own software
By Michael Flaminio, Insanely Great Mac
October 15th 2002
Microsoft Monday posted its own switch ad, a testimonial of a Mac user going PC. The
ad was fishy from the start, with an anonymous writer and fake photograph.
In the world of public relations, a PR blunder can be a funny thing, at least as long
as it happens to the other guy. Microsoft Monday fired back at Apple's switch ads with
an Internet ad of its own. The ad describes in detail how a long-time Mac user easily
switched to a PC running Windows XP. The article did not state a name, but did include
a picture and a few personal details.
The flack started flying on slashdot when a member recognized the photo from a stock
art image available for $49.95 at GettyImages. The image was flipped using a photo
editing program, but that didn't keep Microsoft's secret.
Things went down hill from there.
An AP writer caught wind of the hubbub and started to investigate into the article.
The Microsoft article lists a Word and PDF file which can be downloaded and used to
submit your own reverse switch story, similar to Apple. The Word document, however,
contained a few hidden notes, which included a name and company. Long lamented by
privacy advocates, Microsoft's Word documents contain personal information about the
author's Word registration information. The notes hidden in the document listed a name
of a women who works for a Microsoft PR firm, and as it turns out, she is the
mysterious unknown author of the "switch" testimonial.
Microsoft has now removed the ad from its Web site, however, a cached version is still
available at Google.
Analysis:
This is clearly an attempt of deception. Regular readers know I don't often beat up on
Microsoft, but this is a PR blunder of titanic proportions. Not only is the author
anonymous, unlike Apple's Switch ads, they further misrepresent the author by using a
common stock image. You'd think a multi-billion dollar company could at least spring
for spokesperson/model. If that doesn't cumbering all credibility from the
"testimonial," it gets worse. Finally we find out the individual is on Microsoft's
"payroll" through one of its PR firms. The AP article seems to indicate that she works
for the same firm that actually made the ad. What could possible come next out of
Redmond?
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