Microsoft’s Scroogled campaign may finally be coming to an end

Google is glorified Spyware. They deserve to have trash and manure heaped on them.

Are you serious with that comment? Apple has been doing that for years. Hell even presidential elections do that. People are cattle and need to be steered to a certain direction by cattle prongs in this case marketing.

Assholes are justified by other assholes? Is that an attempt at moral relativity or is it asshole relativity? Your opinion of people explains a lot. What's next? Cattle cars converted to gas chambers?

+1520

+920

I hope it's almost over. While I like the message, Microsoft always seems to have pretty corny/dumb ads. (scroogled and the people fighting to take a picture)

There was one ad that mimiced Google's chrome ad with the bouncing chrome icon. That one was actually pretty good.

The iPhone vs Galaxy wars were fun commercials

Agreed, those ones were actually memorable and got shared a ton. Scroogled was just cringeworthy.

While the ads may had ended, the coined word is here to stay: scroogled! lol

Yepp, their work is done. Everyone knows of Scroogle. :)

Totally and completely agree. :)

  Maybe that's why Amazon reports that Chromebooks are selling better than any other laptop. I don't particularly like chrome OS right now, not because I think it is bad, but because I think it needs work. Those commercials might've worked in Google's favor. The only place I've seen that term used is on this site.

A chromebook isn't a laptop, it's a portable dumb terminal.

 

Funny comment. No I mean it, I laughed a little. You really think that the os is what makes it a laptop? Anyway, that wasn't my point at all, you're way off. My point was that they are doing extremely well, no matter what you or Microsoft think.

It's how the OS functions. It's a paperweight without a connection.

  What is wrong with you, man? My point is that a lot if people bought the damned things. I agree with you that the os lacks some functionality. Every one knows that (in tech circles). And if you were talking about my comment on whether it was a laptop or not, my answer is of course it is. If I removed windows from my laptop, does that disqualify it from being a laptop? If I added chrome OS or chromium OS to my laptop, does that disqualify it from being a laptop? Most Chromebooks did receive ports of ubuntu. Do they automatically become laptops then?

It was called a laptop. It's not. Not sure why you need to take that and rant from one end of the market to the other.

  And I am saying that you don't understand the basic definition of a laptop. The OS doesn't define what a laptop is, hardware does. And the last time I checked, Chrome OS is an operating system. You could sell a laptop barebones with no OS and it would still be called a laptop. Are you really that brainwashed by Microsoft's marketing? You would have to be completely biased if you say Chromebooks aren't laptops. They are capable of running different operating systems than chrome os even if your definition of an operating system doesn't include chrome os, which of course would be wrong. Really. then what is your definition of a laptop. I really would like to hear this.

Fuck Google bitch as search engines Bing all the way! Scroogled was showing people the light! Google is on the dark side of the force! I should know I'm a sith lord. Nah. It's good I'm just bored and my neighbor keeps calling me a cracker. Which means I'm from Florida!

You sound intelligent.

Well he is Darth Plagueis.

You crackers don't blend well with the cookies.

It really is too early in the morning to read your comments, Darth! :-P

I hope so! Bad tactics. Wasn't making any friends for MSFT.  

Terrible ad campaign.

Finally. Immature playground attacks like this only hurt a companys credibility.

I know because it hurt Apple a lot.

As unfair as it may be, Apple can just plain get away with things that Microsoft can't. In all honesty, their ads were more smug, tongue-in-cheek superiority and not info-packed, thinly-veiled infomercials. I personally think Microsoft should continue to highlight their differences from Google (who gets a bit more terrifying by the minute) but there is also a tactful way to do so that doesn't come across as petty.

Agreed, completely useless and stupid campaign.
And I think it's a big flop so they stops

+822

Wasn't there a study that found this campaign to be effective?

Yes there was...and it actually did cause some to avoid Google's products. But also, the opposite happened in that some view Microsoft poorly. So it's probably for the best it is over. I just hope people really do realize how awful Google is as a company to give you no say in whether or not your data is sold to the next highest bidder.

If you have some time can you give me the name of article or even link?

I found this: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Claims-Its-Anti-Google-Campaign... It isn't the link to the ACTUAL study, but it references Answers saying how effective it was.

Well I loved the scroogled campaign. It was always a good laugh :-)

Yes good hope they get along better and google bring some apps here for us!

Fuck no. Google should form their own country and stay out of everyone elses lives.

If you don't like Google then don't use any Google products. Simple as that.

This. I for one am hoping for more Google product integration in Windows Phone, not because I prefer Google for its features, but because Microsoft platforms have horrible integration with non-Microsoft devices (read: my iPhone, Mac, Android) so I'd essentially be limited to my WP and barely my W7 laptop.

You mean like OneNote, Office, OneDrive, and XBOX Live? Because the way I see it, so far Microsoft has a much better track record of offering cross-platform support for Google and Apple products than Google and Apple do of offering cross-platform support for Microsoft products.

This ^^

Yeah but wherever you go on the Internet, Google get shoved into your face whether you like it or not. You may as well tell me to abandon the Internet and go live in a hole.

Which is why I have it blocked, completely via hardware firewall ;)

It's very easy to cut Google out of your online life: 1. Close all your Google-related accounts: Gmail, G+, etc.  You honestly don't need them if you truly think about it.  Outlook.com is a better email service, and they don't read/scan your email looking for keywords to target ads at you.  Uninstall Chrome and every related Google product from your computer. 2. Switch your search engine on all the browsers you use. Bing is a better search engine, yeilding better, more accurate results.  Further, Bing does not sell their search result rankings the way Google does, and the most certainly don't track everything you do on the Web either. 3. Install Google blockers in your Web Browsers.  Ghostery has the ability to block Google AdSense and Google Statistics.  There are also specific add-ins for browsers that will not send any data back to Google.  I recommend them highly. 4. Don't use Google Docs.  It's not that good to begin with, and now that Microsoft has made a Web-based version of Office available, either that, or OpenOffice is a much better alternative.  If you're on a Mac, use iWork. 5. If you use Picassa, there is a setting to prevent your pictures from being uploaded to Google's servers.  Turn it on.  Do it promptly!  The Picassa client is a really nice photo organizer, and it has it's actual developers to thank for that, but since Google bought it, all they've done is compromise the software to leverage user content to their advantage (much like they do with everything else).  Do you realize by hosting your photos on their servers, you give them the right to use them at any time without your permission for whatever purposes they want?  If you do have photos on Picassa that are online, and you want to keep them online, move 'em to Flick'r. Here's the bottom line with Google: YOU ARE THEIR PRODUCT.  YOU ARE WHAT MAKES THEM MONEY.  Their privacy policies give them permission to invade your privacy and take any data that runs through there servers and share it with any and all services they have, whether or not you make use of those services.  So even if you don't have a G+ account, guess what, you have a G+ account, and Google can use your name and image to endorse any product they like if they chose to because you've already given them permission to do so. Break free of Google.  I did, and I don't regret it one bit.

You should write a "Goodbye Google Guide" in the forums. Let me know once its up.

^5 * 100

It was very immature of them I hope they come up with better tactics

This WPCentral post just showed me there is a small problem with the new notification center... Since this post and the one before were posted about the same time, I got only one notification. Luckily I saw that the live tile was saying "2". Because in the notification center it only has a link to one of the two posts. (sent with the new swipe keyboard which is awesome and so much easier to get used to than I expected!)

+928 and make the option for transparency

WPCentral icon has transparency if you select the iconic tile. But they need to fix it because right now it becomes opaque when we get a notification and then it takes a couple of minutes to go back to transparent.

Dude I totally forgot about the new keyboard. It's really awesome!

One thing I'm noticing though, the new keyboard is faster than normal keyboard, but it's harder on the hands. I'm always having tendinitis problems and I noticed today that it hurts more to use the new keyboard than the old keyboard... I can feel it in the elbow... :(

It was pretty bad, but I do know one persons with a chrome book that is not so happy with it and says they got scroogled

I'm sensing nadella is making some good choices

Wow. I thought it was just my imagination, but over the last month I've been sensing something different about MS movements. A lot more friendlier, positive, forward moving even. Still skeptical, but can deny something is different with MS.

Well over it. Bad campaign from the start. It was a bit embarrassing to me. Win with positive smarts.

I think this is indicating towards the fact that Microsoft will start doing what Google did before - collect data. It needs it for Cortana and Bing!

Well they are but you have to give permission first which is more than Google lets you do.

Collecting data is not the issue. MS has long collected data. Just receiving an e-mail at an outlook.com account is already collecting data. After all, that data must reside somehwere. It's not possible to provide any of these services without collecting data. What is relevant is what that data is used for and how, or more specifically: the degree to which the data is used for monetization purposes rather than just providing a service who has access to that data the consumer's ability to manage it (and how easy/difficult that is to do) the degree to which the profile goes beyond recording just habbits and interests, but crosses the line of mapping a complete psychological profile. and most importantly, the question of whether your data is still legally "yours" (MS) or if all your data legally becomes your service providers property as soon as it lands on any of their servers (Google), to do with as they please.

About time..it was distasteful

Just stupid.

The real question we should be asking - Who is the red head?

Yes, an utterly stupid campaign that is not relevant to a modern Microsoft. The angle that Chromebooks are useless because they're always online flies in the face of what Microsoft is trying to achieve with OneDrive - replacing storage media. To me personally, a Windows PC that is offline is almost pointless - if I have a Word document open, its because I have a web browser snapped to the side of it. And the recent Outlook.com debacle made Microsoft appear a hypocrite.

I think the debacle made them look better. They announced they would involve law enforcement first. Google's response was crickets.

It is about time. Google, and MSFT working together is good for humanity. It will be interesting to see WP mature once Google provide their service to WP. Good professionalism move MSFT.

The campaign could have been successfull, but Microsoft is also scroogling their users. :(

I think they dragged it out for way too long. They should have used Scroogled in like one or two ads but a whole campaign with merchandise etc? Somebody had a pet project that received a little too much funding, it just doesn't scream "classy" or "cool", which is the whole point. I love Microsoft's products but jeez do they not have their marketing act together. I kind of hope Nokia's marketing team gets picked up with the merger/buyout.

I should have gotten the mug while I had the chance!

It was definitely not effective unless you loved Microsoft and hated Google. It kinda seemed.. pathetic. We all know what Google does, and we know the point of the products they create. Of course... Microsoft isn't the only one to take actions like these, so whatever. Either way, more money put into Microsoft and less into bad arguments! Lol.

Should've just been an internal thing, sadly :( Like the "Blue Busters" internal movie for Apple, playing along with Steve Job's hatred for IBM. http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/blue-busters-apples-ghostbusters-spoof-198...

Praise the lawd ! 

About bloody time.

Good riddance

Not sad to see that ad campaign end. I agree with the message, but it came across as whining.

They never should have done them in the first place.

I hope this is a sign that google apps are coming to WP asap! Its just impossible to live without google drive and specially the mobile version of chrome (with the tab and favorites sync) nowadays!

Impossible? Not even remotely. 5 months Google free and haven't missed a thing.

Loved the Scroogled Campaign. Googlites have thin skins and MS was just telling the world what Google is ALL about.

Microsoft needs to stop asserting opponents' devices and services in every god damn ad that they have. Every Surface ad has to have the "iPad" comparison. Every Scroogled ad has to tell the public "features" of the Chromebook. God...

So does this mean Google is stopping being a greedy bunch of jerks and allowing WP to use the offical Youtube app?   Oh.   We're still being Scroogled.

So running out of time to pick up a cheap hoodie eh?

Yes !

ZDNet is the source?  F ZDNet. Why not say google is the source? Same difference.

MS just Scroogled me with WP8.1. At least one positive is I have a standalone FM radio app.   USB On-The-Go goodness me.

All this does is keep people who like google services (G+, gmail, chrome etc) away from Windows Phone. I know everyone on this site that loves their windows phones, hate google and most likely apple too, for whatever dumb reason, but I don't want to do without Google + and I would like to have Chrome browser because when I log into Chrome all my bookmarks are already there. I don't have to re-enter all of them.  Windows IE might do the same thing, but I have an iMac with Safari and Chrome.  Microsoft, seems hell bent on sabotaging themselves as much as possible. Here, lets release a brand new phone, and even tho we have 1% of the market share, lets make it exclusive to Verizon.... Here, lets do everything possible to piss off Google so we can make absolutely sure, they will NEVER make any software for our phone with 1% market share.  Hey, what can we do to make sure Windows Phone never gets above 2% market share? I recently bought the 1520 and although I love the OS, the lack of all my google services is annoying.  I hate the Facebook app. Can't believe MS can't pay Facebook to make a REAL app for the phone.  The app selection still sucks a bit.. I have emailed starbucks 2 or 3 times over the last year asking for an app, they continue to say they are not interested in developing an app for windows phone.  Not sure why MS is having such a hard time getting app developers from android and apple to make a windows phone app, but they need to fix that.  I have 11 more days left on my 14 return period.  I love the phone, but the lack of apps that I use may end in me taking the phone back. But I am going to give it a fair shack, I am literally waiting til half way thru day 14 to decide.  Wish I had 8.1 already, that may make me keep the phone, but I am not paying to be a developer to get it.  PS: why does WP Central charge .99 for an app and then still have ads in it?  on other platforms, when you BUY an app, that Removes the ads....  PSS: I have no idea how much market share MS WP actually has, but its still in single digits im sure ( in US) 

Don't have to pay being a developer, it's free. And you can blame Google that there's no Google apps, not MS. They or no one else was allowed to build any apps to get google stuff in WP.
It all match their, "do no evil"
No, I don't hate google, but I sure think they're pathetic.

Certainly it was effective. I ditched Gmail after knowing that they scan word by word to show advertisements. Not cool.

:'( Scroogled shouldn't end. It was educational on google's evil practices. I no longer use any google services and they're blocked at the dns level too. google free since 3rd June 2009 :)

Hated this campaign. I thought it did more to promote a negative image of MS then Google. It wasn't clever, mostly mean spirited. True, but mean spirited.

I have no problem fighting evil with meanness.

It was a waste of time, energy and money :(

I think it just sounds "looser" to complain about competitors.... Good thing they let go

Kind of a shame. Most people don't seem to know how awful Google is, and they get a pass on too many things. Look at the way the EC treated them vs how they treated Microsoft for, in my opinion, lesser offences.

I liked the message as it related to Chromebooks, but now that they have made Office available as an app in the Chrome store and on the iPad, etc. It makes sense that they drop the campaign.

I didn't like the ads. I don't think they were executed well. Bad acting and concepts. Would have been more effective with simple and dynamic info graphic commercials that were much shorter.

What a waste.they could have spent it educating,training their own people in microsoft stores.

I'd take all the money they spent on it and buy mapping services resources or companies. Just yesterday I asked cortana where the closest Panera was and told me to drive 17 miles when a 3 year old panera bread is just 2 miles away. goes to show that the cortana team is indeed brilliant, but they are backed by the pathetic bing data which makes their awesome work...useless.

Likewise results:  I live on Long Island, NY, and Bing data and mapping results is pretty crappy.  Improves a bit once you get into NYC, but out in the surrounding suburbs, it's Google Maps all the way.

Part of the reason the campaign is ending, besides the new CEO, is that Microsoft is moving more of their software online, as services, and that involves using some of the same data mining procedures that Google has been critisized for. Or did you think Bing and Outlook online weren't collecting your data and selling it to advertisers?  It's in the fricking Terms of Service agreement that you check off.