We’re starting to sound like a broken record here at Awful Ads. Why is it that every major retailer is trying to come up with a cutesy, 30-second spot loaded with singing? Why is it that most ads feature singers without any kind of singing experience?
We digress. Microsoft Surface is the latest to break our “no singing in advertisements” rule. Here they butcher Winter Wonderland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5_CrXh227Q
Just bad. Even if you’re a big fan of the Surface, you’re going to have a hard time praising this spot. The disappointing thing here is that Microsoft is missing a big opportunity. Obviously they’re trying to counter Apple’s old “Hi, I’m a Mac” campaign from a while back by directly comparing their Surface to a Mac. It isn’t a fair comparison seeing as the Surface is more comparable to other tablets, but it’s an effective idea. That is, it was effective until the singing started.
Microsoft’s other Surface vs. Mac ads have been a bit better and have at least caught our attention. It’s just disappointing to see their holiday spot, the one we’re all going to see on a loop for the next month, is so bad. Oh, and shame on them for disgracing the classic that is Winter Wonderland.
