Time for a commercial break

I hope that I can jump rope like that after I get my XBox :(

My reaction: cool, but what does it have to do with the Xbox?

25 posts, feel very ashamed! Although lets be honest, cool advert.

I knew you couldn't do it.
But it's OK, it's a cool video :P
Not that i'm going to be dropping 400+ on an Xbox or any other console, i'm happy with my game cube.

I think it's obvious what they were getting at. They're saying anybody can just jump into Xbox Live and have fun, doing simple jumproping or very skilled things.

Personally, I don't think it was worth breaking the 100 posts for. And I think Nintendo's ninja Wi-Fi commercial out-cools it and also gets the online gaming point across a bit better

http://media.gba.gamespy.com/articles/664/66498...

Heh. Wonder how long until some animal rights group starts griping about the water baloon hitting the dog.

Neat ads, though. :)

Eric: will the iPod turn you into Eminem and make you dance? Heheh.

Adam: yeah, if I get this kind of stuff it's worth breaking in for.

Quick note to say that your little challenge has vastly improved your blog. It is easy to get tunnel visioned focusing on the same old bigcos over and over. But that gets old. There is so much other stuff new out there.

Keep it up!

I am interested to know what your reaction is to Dare's post today saying that the XBox brand image (cool, hip even though XBox is a loss making division) is different than the Microsoft brand image (not so cool). I mean, can you count an XBox ad as part of "M"?

I was going into withdrawal anyhow - but enjoying your test of "blog willpower" nonetheless :)

Awsome commercials! By contrast, here are the commercials airing in Japan, which are linked through Major Nelson's blog-

http://www.majornelson.com/2005/11/11/cool-japa...

interesting approach

cool ad! :)

I second the voice to the improved blog, halfway readable now, reminds me of the old Scoble, the pre-MFST Scoble, but then people come here for Microsoft news too, and even when you covered M news it was so narrow and blah. But then not your day job, leave that to Mary Jo. ;)

It not just that anyone can jump in..
I think it was stressing the community feel of gaming. The inclusion. The fact that simple games can be a lot of fun when you have a lot of people. Both commercials show the theme - all different kinds of people having a lot of fun playing with each other, adding their own twists and interpretations.
They are selling the community and personalization features of XBox Live, and I think they did a pretty good job.

I've seen both of those commercials on TV (the first one twice, and the second one once).

They don't seem to be overdoing the TV ads, which I like.

It's funny, but as soon as I saw the second commercial (having seen the first one a couple days before) I was thinking "I bet this is an X360 commercial."


Have you noticed that Nintendo has started using "Jump in" as well? http://www.nintendowifi.com/global/index.jsp

Also... The Nintendo "Ninja" add is just plain awesome. When I saw it, I thought "God I hope this is for the X360" :)

Oh Scoble, by the way, there's some more MS news tonight or tomorrow that you might want to cover...

What is it Brandon lol?

That jump rope ad is for Xbox 360? I thought it was for Nike or another shoe company, it didn't really say Xbox for me at all...

Did Microsoft hire the same advertising agency as that bank/credit card company that has all the whacked out commercials that do nothing to promote the brand or what? That company's ads are so good neither my girlfriend or I can recall what bank/credit card they are for.

The Nintendo ninja ad is distinctly like a video game and even ties in the product, which goes a long way towards brand recognition, the Xbox ads just don't do anything for the brand at all.

Brandon, you talking about Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition or Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 or the Desktop Search launch? But then there is other news: Xbox 360 fanboy sites and other such NDA's lifted at 12:01pm PST. And the the Palmdale Launch news, New MSDN Website Layout and Changes, Casual Games Conference in Seattle and the Harmony Advanced Universal Remote Control for Xbox 360, the FSB (KGB's main successor) addmission that several "rogue" agents (or Russkie Mafiaoso) targeted (hacked) MFST and were largely successful, Soros Fund Management LLC increases stake in MFST, AOL talks pick up steam with Warner's Web TV gig, Allchin on a 'don't forget about me and my legacy' press tour, Old Xbox games only work with Hard Drive -- Core system owners out of luck...and much much MFST news...

In G news, they have a 5 city WiFi plan mapped out.

As far as the commerical, dang fire that Agency. Too inside baseball feeling, then again that's MFST problem in a nutshell, products marketed to the geek, webby people, "influentials and bloggers", early adopter and other usual "inside baseball" set. Kinda a shame when I know my own way small-time production company could smoke that.

Chris - so much for those NDAs eh?



Also, I believe those ads are largely Peter Moore's idea, and were meant NOT to target "influentials" and early adopters, but rather people who don't play video games (yet). Part of their goal with the X360 isn't just to steal market from Sony, but to expand the market itself.

I have mixed feelings about whether these ads are the right way to do that. I really like the PGR3 London ad which unfortunately I think doesn't air in the states.

Personally, I think they are rather crummy commercials if intended to create excitement and sell product. I honestly thought it was for Nike when I saw the first one and was confounded about what the point was re Xbox. Waterballons and jump roaps don't make me want to buy this product.

Tho' these are more interesting then the MSN sprinkler ads, or the Office dinosaur print ads.

I plug into a network that almost has the eyes of God. NDAs? Ha. Don't kid yourself. Hint: it's not the blogs. :) I wonder why tho, no Softies talking about the Static Driver Verifier, that's a heck of a boon, imho. Hecko interesting project. I am not a pure programmer, but always found the SLAM Project stuffs way interesting reading.

PS - Not to target “influentials”? I am not sure the mainstream will "get it", too out there. If that's targeting mainstream, oh boy. Here's why it's a target miss (plus bad in terms of production):

1. Mixed messages: minority urban youth (who can't always afford Xbox 360s), and the physical activity hints which are a WORLD APART from Xboxing.

2. And the Xbox 360 logo is not enough a brand for average consumers. Not yet sticky. X is not big enough.

3. On the jump rope, only one static camera, no "jump cuts" (apt pun) ;), no nothing, no flash, no decent sound, heck a high school kid could film that, and that's what it felt like. The dog one is just stupid cute, funny but fleeting and not much of a brand hook.

4. My sister and 4 of her friends, who are all clueless about video games -- I had them watch the jump rope one. The verdict? They thought it was a jump-rope 'get-outside' PSA. It does kind of remind you of those generic Sat Morn 80s PSAs and that whole 'After School Specials' era.

So when is the Microsoft Marketing overhaul set to begin? It sure needs it.

While we are at it with Microsoft, anyone has seen that article from The Reg (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/14/ms_seek...) : "According to a leaked memo, seen by the Financial Times newspaper, Microsoft has asked several businesses, including one big pharmaceuticals company, to lobby government officials on its behalf."

I thought this behavior was long gone already. Hmmm.

looks like you are clearing your mailbox. ... you had around 500 mails asking you to blog about them right ?

nice way to use that info now...

*ahem* think any of the people in that advert spend hours at the Xbox every day? They're probably at the gym or outside exercising :)

I knew you couldn't make it to 100. Maybe that just goes to show how ubiquitous Microsoft is in our culture.

Brilliant! I've been looking for that water ballon commercial ever since I saw it during Lost.

What's the name of the song and the artist that we hear on the jump rope XBox ad? I've been looking for it...