Microsoft picks up James Corden, Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z to market Windows Phone 8

Microsoft is set to spend an incredible amount of money marketing both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. The former is the next version of the company's desktop OS, while Windows Phone 8 is the new release that is hoped to help bring Microsoft into the mobile market with a respectable share of the pie. The Sun has reported that Microsoft has snapped up multiple big names to help push the mobile platform.

James Corden, Jay-Z and Gwen Stefani have each signed up to Microsoft to help promote Windows Phone. We've already seen how Jessica Alba is enjoying the Windows Phone experience and how she even took part in the platform's launch. A source said the following about Corden, who plays Gavin & Stacey character Smithy, and his previous encounters with Microsoft:

"Since James picked up his Tony Award in America for the hit Broadway show One Man, Two Guv’nors, his agent’s phone hasn’t stopped ringing. Now Microsoft have just come in with big bucks to get him on board to promote their new Windows phone. He filmed an advert for them in London last week where he fiddles with his smartphone and plays with apps. He spent most of the time playing Xbox games on the new phone"

The advertisement that Corden will star in will hit TV screens in the UK from Monday, and will run for six months in primetime ad slots. We'll likely be seeing promotion from other big names in the future. Microsoft has already fired up campaigns starring both Hollie Willoughby and Will Arnet - it's definitely a stronger force than what we've previously witnessed.

How consumers will react to the new advertising push is another question, but we're still yet to see Nokia's input post-release for its Lumia hardware, though we're likely to witness such investment once the Lumia 820 joins the Lumia 920 in a number of markets. Then - of course - we have HTC with its renewed partnership with Microsoft, not to mention Samsung. Here's hoping for a Windows Phone packed holiday season.

Source: The Sun

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.