Microsoft pays for free Saks shop window ads - for Apple...

Jonny Evans
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November 25, 2009
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This is priceless - Microsoft and New York department megastore Saks are together engaged in a big Christmas promo for Windows 7. Part of which includes the OS powering the store’s window display - and part of this includes a screen showing a live Twitter stream... Posts sent through the service which are hashtagged #HolidayWindows automatically show up on the display - so what have local New York Apple users started to do? Why, Twitter messages saying such simple relevant things as “Get A Mac”...
Via: PocketLint

Video below

 

Comments (23)

Tranceaddict420 (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 6:05am

This is one of the funniest things I have read recently.  Another example of M$ not totally thinking things through!

twist (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 8:35am

I think this was a rational decision made by Microsoft and it was aware of this taking place. 

Now due to the such twitter floods, this feels less like Apple publicity and more like fanboy troll. To a casual visitor, this may look like forcing a product and may work against Apple... 

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 8:37am
I think this was a rational decision made by Microsoft and it was aware of this taking place. 
Now due to the such twitter floods, this feels less like Apple publicity and more like fanboy troll. To a casual visitor, this may look like forcing a product and may work against Apple... 
9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 6:06am

You made my day! Thx. Lulz. This is indeed priceless. Hehehe....

I guess Steve 'MonkeyDonkeyKong' Ballmer will throw more chairs and trample on more iPhones right now. Beware - he is dancing again! Expect sweat floodings in 3...2...1.

Michael Braun (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 7:33am

In general, I hate Twitter. But I just had to put out a pro Mac message. Good use of social networking, Microsoft!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 7:38am

Microsoft needs the "power" of Windows 7 to make that display?

Heck, that application could be built to run on a 486 running Windows 3.11.

Sixteen years of "Microsoft innovation" can be summed up in one word: Twitter.

 

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 7:46am

It's funny but it also confirms in some people's minds the smug attitude of Mac users. A Mac in the 00's is like a BMW in the 1980s, a great machine tarnished by the image of the people who like them.

AceBytes (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 10:29am

The attitude of most verbal Mac users is the reason I can't even start a discussion about Macs with my Windows friends. 

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 3:19pm

Which is just hilarious - you winboyz are so hateful of Apple/Mac users, yet you come to ALL of our Mac sites and post this kinda EMO whiny crap?
LOLZ to you Twilight prissies.

 You can't stand it yet you can't get enough.
This is worth the cost of a Mac alone. 

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 3:36pm

A perfect example of what I was talking about. Thanks for demonstrating.

Don't get me wrong though, I love Apple products.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 8:11am

This is one of the funniest things I have read recently.  Another example of M$ not totally thinking things through!

How's that? I know this is not the place to post this lest I want to be burned to the ground, but won't you go cry and point at Microsoft had they blocked all pro Mac messages?

I'm no Microsoft fanboy but you could also say that Microsoft isn't afraid of the competition.

 

As to how this should promote Microsoft or Windows 7, I'm at a loss though.

Michael Braun (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 8:25am

It's just a case of Microsoft not thinking how the efforts would actually promote their brand.  If Windows 7 is supposed to be refined, then Microsoft should be able to come up with a marketing strategy that shares 7's (attempted) design.  Instead, they come up with ideas like this that end up as further evidence (however anecdotal) that masses of people are shifting to Apple.  Global use data doesn't necessarily support this, but Microsoft hasn't been able to turn their market share into anything other than a weakness.  

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 8:23am

The first two tweets on the screen in the video don't show the #WindowsHoliday tag. How come they got there? Is there any evidence the tweets are being shown in the window?

Woody | November 25, 2009 - 9:33am

...makes me want to sign up for Twitter. Almost.

Bill Jon (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 9:42am

Does anyone have a better video? :13 is not much to look at.

Bill Jon (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 9:42am

Does anyone have a better video? :13 is not much to look at.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 10:51am

doh!!

media_lush (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 11:25am

to all those above who suggest smugness and tarnishing a mac image... comparing it to a BMW owner of the 80's..... sheesh.... just pull my metaphorical finger and take a deep sniff.

.... this is nothing but hilarious mac pwnage of MS (again).... just funny, nothing else (notice the politeness of all the comments.... imagine if the roles were reversed.... I doubt it would be the same)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 1:06pm

Looks like Microsoft has started filtering Pro-Mac tweets.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/186288.asp

So Microsoft's view of Social Media is that you only need apply if you're on message with Microsoft PR.

WixosTrix (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 11:52pm

I think they have the right to filter out pro-Apple and anti-Microsoft tweets in this case.  It isn't as if you cant see the tweets online, just not in the windows at the store which makes sense.  They paid to use the space, they have the right to control what goes on in.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 3:55pm

Hmmm wonder why none of the messages ever showed up in a photo. What a spectatular waste of time and tweets.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 25, 2009 - 8:02pm

Oh they showed up alright. I saw them, and it was a deluge!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 26, 2009 - 3:29pm

does that mean you could type in #holidaywindows and just swear and have it pop up on the display?