Celebrity advertisements for Windows Phone 8 go live on YouTube

By Sam Sabri
last updated

Marketing, it's always been hit or miss with Windows Phone over the past two years with not any in particular sticking. Things might be a little different this time around with Microsoft picking up a couple of big celebrities to pimp the platform. 

We now can get a taste of what those ads will be like, with videos for Gwen Stefani and Jessica Alba going live on the Windows Phone YouTube page. First impressions? Positive, mostly because these ads showcase the operating system and how it relates to the individual. The video with Jessica highlights Kids Corner, a handy feature that most consumers with kids would appreciate. You can watch it below. 

Up next is the video with Gwen Stefani, which doesn't highlight a particular feature of the platform but instead aims for the 'personaliztion' angle and how live tiles are unique to her life. That falls into the overall ad campaign of how Windows Phone has been "Reinvented Around You". Check it out below. 

Overall, I'd say this is a good start the campaign. The combination of likeable celebrities, highlighting platform features, and how each Windows Phone is unique to the users is a strong message and hopefully will resonate with the public. We'll update the post when we see the video with Jay-Z as well. 

What do you guys think of the new ads? Would you do anything different? 

Source: YouTube (1), YouTube (2)

44 Comments
  • These ads are exactly what Windows Phone needs. I expect Jay-Z's tv ad to focus on music.
  • Good call, Jay Z with a music focus would make the most sense. Unless he talks about how he has "99 problems but a static icon ain't one". 
  • "99 problems but a static icon ain't one"
     
    That is freaking hilarious.
  • haha +100000000000
  • Nailed it!
  • HAHAHAHA! You, sir, deserve a medal for that! :P
     
  • And the best comment of the day award goes to Sam Sabri :-)
  • Damn .. +100000000 POINTS lol that was fresh!
  • >"99 problems but a static icon ain't one".
    LOL, lets do more:
     
    "99 problems but 421,000 fart apps aint one"
    "99 problems but the need to have a hacked ROM to get battery life acceptable aint one"
    "99 problems but not being able to distinguish between Android and iOS from 10 paces aint one"
    "99 problems but wondering if my carrier will update me to Ice-Cream-Jelly-Frosting-No-No-Fail aint one"
    "99 problems but having the same phone as 99% of the western world aint one"
    "99 problems but a 80 pounds, YES, 80 pounds for a replacement iPhone f battery aint one"
    :)  
  • Actually, the updates are quite a problem...see ya in a year.
  • Maybe Xbox music and games
  • +1 nice ads
  • Even though I like the 920 more, Jay-Z will probably use the 8X, because of beats audio. I doubt the 920 and Dolby audio.
  • Yea, I would love a comparison between the 8X and the 920 audio. I was very pleased with the sound of my 920 both through a good set of buds,and on the built in speakers. My first impression was that it was an obvious step up from my T-II which far exceeds my expectations as I got it for the 32gigs and the camera but use it to jam through buds and listen to podcasts on the built in speakers.
  • Dolby Tech has always been good for Music.
  • When do we see these on TV?
  • I like Jessica's Ad not Gwen's. Gwen's doesn't really show anything that is unique to the phone and it passes by so fast I didn't even know what she was trying to say. Then again I like Jessica better so that helps. 
    What would be good is for them to use celebrities who actually use windows which might be more difficult not just the phone but the whole eco-system and do an AD that is similar to those windows ME phone series but shows them using windows. I remember one of those ADs that had the guy use windows phone but then everything else his music player, computer was an Apple product. It made it a bit hard to believe he would be using windows phone. Not impossible as I use several different things but it would also be good for them to feature windows 8 and such too bad zune is no longer around loved that.
  • I agree.  I feel like they should have slowed it down to really hammer home the "making space among your live tiles is like making space in your life" metaphor.
    That said, they needed a 30-second spot and I think that the ad does the job of presenting the phone and OS as cool and visually stunning.  Really, there's nothing out there as beautiful as Windows Phone and the ad really hits on that.
  • Jessica's ad is good, it'll get parents asking about Kids Corner & others intrigued about what phone it is. I would've liked to see her in the ad, but only cos she's super hot ;)
  • Finally lets do this with all kind of celebrities posted from my white Lumia 920
  • On a tangential note, I saw a "Windows Phone 8: Designed Around You" commercial before starting a Cumulus Radio Feed on the laptop today. So, Microsoft is truly "leaving no stone unturned". Well done.
  • Great ad!
  • I think this advertising is brilliant. Excellent. Another good job from microsoft.
  • I think it's about time that Microsoft is doing ads for both pcs and phones. Thank you Microsoft.:)
  • Celebrity ads from Thailand. He is a singer showing of the City Lens feature finding his love interest.
     http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NG58S2CFFfc
    Its quite cute. You dont wanna miss it.
  • Show the equalizer on the 920 via jay z
  • Jessica Alba has always used Windows Phone its great to see her show recognition (:
  • These are good and all, but they really need to put these on tv to the point we WP fans are even annoyed by it to generate that mindshare like what Verizon did with Droid
  • I agree. I know my coworkers are all sick of me right now with Surface and Lumia posts on FB or talks in person, but they really are amazing and impressive... and I can't help it that red sticks out and generates people's inquiries, lol.
  • @sdreamer-that's what I'm hoping for. It looks to be something that can take hold.
  • And they need an athlete doing one too (RGIII?)
  • They did have Cam Newton in that keynote commercial. 
  • She missed my call.
  • Looking forward to seeing the Jay-z one.
  • Can we get a Chris Brown one? "I use my Windows Phone to personally beat Rihanna upside her head. My Nokia 920 is big and heavy. It gets the job done."
  • love it!
  • Usain Bolt needs to do one with a limelight yellow 8X!
  • Is it possible to make an application that can creates ads like this for all WP8 users ??
    One can enter, choose his mobile and create his start screen and record 20 seconds with his own voice, and just click create; and the video appears :))))
  • that would be good, but I think we would end up with tonnes of "My name is Adolf Hitler, and this is my Windows Phone".  Not sure microsoft would like that all floating around :D
    Although Id love to see, "Hi my name is Tim Cook, and this is my windows phone"
  • yes finally Microsoft using celebrities big names. They wasted using chole kardashian. IPhone and android commercial are getting to boring has well there phones.
  • Lol + 1000
  • They should get The Woz to do one... Considering he has a windows phone and all.  That would be the best, and give us someone to write home to the Apple fans about xD
  • I've also seen an ad on the Facebook login page featuring Holly Willoughby.
  • And also there's one for James Corden