Microsoft begins New Era campaign
By Adnews Staff
Microsoft Canada broke a new advertising campaign this week for its Office software package called "New Era." The purpose of the campaign is to change the perception among customers that older versions of Office are good enough to keep using. The creative compares people using old versions of Office to dinosaurs who are not as productive as they could be. The ads focus on four "productivity pain points" experienced by office workers: the risk of sharing information, the stress of being away from the desk, the frustration of teamwork and information overload. The ads then describe how the latest version of Office can ease these pains. This is a global campaign, created by MacLaren McCann, which Microsoft Canada has localized for this country. Aimed at enterprise users and consumers, advertising will run on elevator wraps, elevator screens, subways, transit shelters, parking lot faces and washroom displays. Magazine, daily newspaper and online advertising are also underway. Promotional workers wearing dinosaur masks will also conduct street-level activities. The initiative will spread to 23 countries by mid-April. It will run through most of Microsoft's financial year. Public relations in Canada are being handled by High Road Communications.