AND AMAZING FRIENDS!
February 20, 2008 4:41 AM Subscribe
Wheel of branding, turn turn turn, tell us what resonates with our target demographic. Lego… anime… pokémon!
Windows Vista Sensei spends his time "traveling from place to place in a quest to help the underprivileged global citizens… With his sense of clarity he possesses the things that legends are made of." If that marketing copy isn't compelling enough, there's a game, a conference, a web comic and a series of "webcasts" you can complete to earn the "311t3" Source Fource figures. Collect them all! [Compare][Contrast]
Windows Vista Sensei spends his time "traveling from place to place in a quest to help the underprivileged global citizens… With his sense of clarity he possesses the things that legends are made of." If that marketing copy isn't compelling enough, there's a game, a conference, a web comic and a series of "webcasts" you can complete to earn the "311t3" Source Fource figures. Collect them all! [Compare][Contrast]
This is just so shoddy someone must be taking the piss. I mean it's unbelievably bad. It's like a ten year old with a poor grasp of grammar putting on a chinese accent. And then halfway through it starts talking in a jokey second person plural, with a brief detour into first person for Server Girl.
And the 'retro' game requires three different downloads, and the web *comic* requires silverlight, which failed to find a required .dll when I attempted to install it.
All of which is plain stupid, but worst of all...why the heck are they called the Source Fource when there are seven of them?
posted by Sparx at 5:09 AM on February 20, 2008
And the 'retro' game requires three different downloads, and the web *comic* requires silverlight, which failed to find a required .dll when I attempted to install it.
All of which is plain stupid, but worst of all...why the heck are they called the Source Fource when there are seven of them?
posted by Sparx at 5:09 AM on February 20, 2008
It's the standard approach for marketing a bland, cautious brand online - inoffensive cartoon characters, a simple game and some kind of competition/giveaway. Sometimes it's all you're left with after all of your interesting ideas have been shot down by the client.
posted by malevolent at 5:11 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by malevolent at 5:11 AM on February 20, 2008
If I were the CEO of Microsoft, I would have someone kick someone's ass for this. Hell, if I worked for Microsoft, I would consider doing it myself.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 5:38 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 5:38 AM on February 20, 2008
Who is this marketed towards? Kids interested in Legos? Adults who care about Windows servers? I'm so confused... Although, it is kind of cute - the way they try to tap into the Things that are Hot with the Kids on the Street.
posted by Muttoneer at 5:50 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by Muttoneer at 5:50 AM on February 20, 2008
Occupation: Crusader against evil doers around the world.
Since when is Ann Coulter writing copy for MSNBC?
posted by three blind mice at 5:52 AM on February 20, 2008
Since when is Ann Coulter writing copy for MSNBC?
posted by three blind mice at 5:52 AM on February 20, 2008
They misspelled "Farce".
posted by SevenPercentSolution at 5:56 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by SevenPercentSolution at 5:56 AM on February 20, 2008
I picture Steve Ballmer whooping with excitement when he approved this.
SOURCE FORCE! SOURCE FORCE! WOOOOOOOOO.
Then accusing Linux users of patent infringement for having a penguin character on some t-shirts.
posted by Happy Dave at 6:03 AM on February 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
SOURCE FORCE! SOURCE FORCE! WOOOOOOOOO.
Then accusing Linux users of patent infringement for having a penguin character on some t-shirts.
posted by Happy Dave at 6:03 AM on February 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
Oh, man, is that crap embarrassing, or what?
Sadly, I've worked with enough marketing droids to know that this exact sort of thing gives them monster boners. Really. The whole super-hero imagery just strikes a chord with those people.
Last year, I met with a small local marketing firm who was developing an almost identical program/website/blog to promote their supposed SEO expertise. Super-hero and all. In fact, when I saw this MS turd, I had to do a double-take because it's so similar.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:10 AM on February 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
Sadly, I've worked with enough marketing droids to know that this exact sort of thing gives them monster boners. Really. The whole super-hero imagery just strikes a chord with those people.
Last year, I met with a small local marketing firm who was developing an almost identical program/website/blog to promote their supposed SEO expertise. Super-hero and all. In fact, when I saw this MS turd, I had to do a double-take because it's so similar.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:10 AM on February 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
This seems like MS is trying to make their own official "OS-tans".
posted by Dr-Baa at 6:36 AM on February 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Dr-Baa at 6:36 AM on February 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
Durrrrrrrrrrrrr.
I missed the Compare/Contrast links. I want to change my username to Dr-Oblivious.
posted by Dr-Baa at 7:11 AM on February 20, 2008
I missed the Compare/Contrast links. I want to change my username to Dr-Oblivious.
posted by Dr-Baa at 7:11 AM on February 20, 2008
Difipen institute? Didn't they begat Portal? oy vey....
posted by davemee at 7:17 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by davemee at 7:17 AM on February 20, 2008
I think Anthony had it right when he installed Vista.
posted by VicNebulous at 7:18 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by VicNebulous at 7:18 AM on February 20, 2008
Don't forget Microsoft's own comic! Don't forget to laugh.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 7:29 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by Foci for Analysis at 7:29 AM on February 20, 2008
This is just a *really* desperate attempt to get you to install this Silverlight crap, right?
posted by DreamerFi at 7:53 AM on February 20, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by DreamerFi at 7:53 AM on February 20, 2008 [2 favorites]
Please don't make me dislike Vista more than I already do.
posted by louche mustachio at 7:58 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by louche mustachio at 7:58 AM on February 20, 2008
I had the unfortunate experience of going to a small get-together a couple weeks ago, attended by a gaggle of five or so early- to mid- twenty-something Microsoft employees. I can't recall ever having been around a more boring, inane, childish bunch of people in my life. I'm not surprised at all this came out of Redmond.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:32 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:32 AM on February 20, 2008
Why are they Legos, again? This shit is cheapening their brand, what's in it for Lego?
posted by Mister_A at 8:34 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 8:34 AM on February 20, 2008
Why are they Legos, again? This shit is cheapening their brand, what's in it for Lego?
I seriously doubt that Lego has anything to do with it. Those figurines were probably made by some small manufacturer. Hell, I wouldn't doubt that there aren't a few companies specializing in custom-made "lego" figures for marketing and promotional purposes. Sort of the geek version of pens with your company logo.
As for why Legos...common cultural touchstone for the imagined target audience.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:04 AM on February 20, 2008
I seriously doubt that Lego has anything to do with it. Those figurines were probably made by some small manufacturer. Hell, I wouldn't doubt that there aren't a few companies specializing in custom-made "lego" figures for marketing and promotional purposes. Sort of the geek version of pens with your company logo.
As for why Legos...common cultural touchstone for the imagined target audience.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:04 AM on February 20, 2008
These aren't Legos. They're knock-off Minimates (which are knock-off Kubricks (which are knock-off Mega Bloks (which are knock-off Legos))).
posted by designbot at 9:21 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by designbot at 9:21 AM on February 20, 2008
It's moments like this that make me think of Windows NT Caveman [Scroll down].
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:39 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:39 AM on February 20, 2008
Wait… what?
Not only have these characters been through multiple iterations, but there's also an animated series, and live models?!
This wasn't an intern project that slipped out the door, this is at least the second iteration in an ongoing, well funded effort.
posted by Rictic at 10:37 AM on February 20, 2008
Not only have these characters been through multiple iterations, but there's also an animated series, and live models?!
This wasn't an intern project that slipped out the door, this is at least the second iteration in an ongoing, well funded effort.
posted by Rictic at 10:37 AM on February 20, 2008
Has anybody worked out how to navigate the webcomic?
Or worked out why it's not branded the same as the Source Fource?
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:56 AM on February 20, 2008
Or worked out why it's not branded the same as the Source Fource?
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:56 AM on February 20, 2008
(uh, ok, there's a kinda slideshow thumbnail thingy way down off the bottom of the page)
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:00 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:00 AM on February 20, 2008
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posted by zenzizi at 5:06 AM on February 20, 2008 [4 favorites]