It's been a rough year for human connection, with many of us going months without seeing friends and loved ones outside our homes.
But what we might take for granted are all the ways we still have to connect digitally, via video calls, online gaming and more.
Microsoft and agency McCann New York found a delightful way of reminding us how much-needed those services were this year with the brand's holiday spot, "Find Your Joy."
The ad shows a dog wandering his house, watching the humans enjoy time online. Meanwhile, he misses his fur friend from across the street. In the subsequent dream sequence, the dogs frolic in some of Microsoft's most popular games, including Halo and Minecraft, and even get to enjoy a video call with other canine pals (via Microsoft Teams, of course).
The spot accomplishes the difficult task of conveying a relatable feeling of 2020 while still selling Microsoft products. Be sure to watch it and see what you think.
I'm reminded of how Microsoft's gaming philosophy has evolved over the past decade. Xbox used to be a device with a somewhat enclosed ecosystem defined by first-party games like Halo. But the Xbox experience was isolated within the Xbox and didn't really connect with anything else Microsoft was doing.
These days, Microsoft sees itself more as an omni-device platform where gaming, messaging and productivity all overlap. In my household, our Microsoft accounts are probably logged into at least five different devices, covering everything from Minecraft on tablets to work email on my laptop.
In short, even setting aside the very 2020-ness of this spot, I think you could still argue it's an ad Microsoft wouldn't have been able to convincingly creative five years ago.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
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