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Microsoft's Distasteful Advertising

Stupidity

from the oops dept

Mon, Sep 24th 2001 2:32pm — Mike Masnick
Weren't we just talking about how advertising was changing to be extra careful in the wake of the September 11th tragedy? Apparently that "carefulness" doesn't apply to Microsoft, who are running an online advertisement that appears to shows two tower-like buildings toppling. What this has to do with their enterprise server is anyone's guess. However, I'd say that Microsoft will claim the image isn't really supposed to be of a building falling down, but it certainly looks that way. You would think that anyone who saw they were running such an ad would have pulled it pretty quickly.
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6 Comments

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  1. identicon
    MonaLisaOverdrive, 24 Sep 2001 @ 2:44pm

    No Subject Given

    Actually, if you browse to the zdnet.co.uk site where the ad was featured, the ad becomes a bit more clear. The two buildings are supposed to represent the hands of a clock, hence the longer building "minute hand" looks as if it were toppling next to the shorter building "hour hand"

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Sep 2001 @ 7:45pm

    Give us a break!

    Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Leeching off the current events in NYC for Microsoft bashing is despicable. Get a fucking clue.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    msykes, 24 Sep 2001 @ 8:53pm

    Re: Give us a break!

    Easy anonymous coward. Point is that the message behind the ad is VERY easy to misinterpret. Given the recent events, this is VERY insensitive. I'm sure with all of Microsoft's money they could pay someone to change the ad *if* they really cared. Problem is they don't really care. 5 million dollars in "software and related items". Give me a break, Microsoft did that for the PR, I bet street value on that stuff is about 100 grand. Oh I forgot, they also gave 5 million dollars. Bill Gates is the richest man in the world, and that's all he could cough up? Pathetic.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    Mike (profile), 24 Sep 2001 @ 9:24pm

    Re: Give us a break!

    Heh. People always acuse me of bashing. Apple bashing. Microsoft bashing. I just think that it would have been smart to pull this ad - and that was all I was saying. It definitely looks bad. If anyone else had this same ad, I'd say the same thing.

    If you don't think I have a fucking clue, then don't read this website. I have no problem with constructive criticism, but I don't consider "get a fucking clue" to be constructive.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Scott, 25 Sep 2001 @ 10:41am

    No Subject Given

    Sometimes you just have to grab loudmouth idiots by the face and throw them to the floor. This would include Jessy Jackson, Jerry Fallwell and anonymous coward. What they say really doesn't matter, especially with the graphic language.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Tobacco Chewin' Redneck, 25 Sep 2001 @ 6:45pm

    Re: No Subject Given

    While you're bashin' Jessie Jackson, don't forget to defame Hillary Clinton. It's been too long since the Kennedy family has embarrassed the nation. Leave Fallwell alone, though, he's a good man.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]


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