• by Shankar Gupta , March 17, 2006

Microsoft Thursday kicked off a $500 million advertising and marketing campaign to promote the upcoming versions of Microsoft Office, Windows Vista, Windows Mobile software, and the Microsoft Exchange Server. The ad push, targeted toward company CEOs, focuses on the idea that Microsoft's software is "people-ready"--meaning that it allows employees to connect and share their work.

The ad and marketing campaign began Thursday in the print and online versions of The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, as well as BusinessWeek.com; other print publications in the campaign include Fortune and Forbes. Microsoft also will run ads on television programs, including Fox's "24," the March Madness basketball games, and TV news shows. Radio and outdoor ads will also appear shortly. Online, Microsoft will purchase banner ads, and will run streaming video ads on MSN Video.

"One of the things that we're most excited about is the integrated nature of the campaign. It's TV, print, it's online, it's at-home, airports, radio as well," said David Hamilton, Microsoft marketing director. "We've really tried to integrate our print efforts and online efforts, so where we have print coverage, we also have online coverage, too."

The Interpublic Group's McCann Erickson, San Francisco was responsible for the creative, while Universal McCann did the media buy. Broadcast ads will begin appearing next Thursday, with the kickoff of the NCAA "March Madness" tournament, and those ads will be integrated throughout CBS online properties which will be promoting the network's coverage of the event.

The products and services touted by the ad campaign will begin roll out over the next 12 to 24 months, Hamilton said.