“The inspiration came from the 1998 Brazilian film Central Station’ depicting the true story of a retired school teacher who wrote letters for illiterate individuals,” say Lucas Casão and Guilherme Rácz, SVPs at McCann. “The image of her in the streets, skillfully crafting people’s stories into letters, seemed truly honest and powerful. That kept us thinking about how nice it would be if we could use AI to turn different holiday stories into masterpieces.”

In addition to the long-form ad, seven individual stories were packaged as 30-second spots. Andree Ljutica directed. Consumers can learn how the memories were brought to life and visit Bing to create their own stories.

“This campaign is centered on rekindling connections with people, memories, and the things we cherish most about the holiday season,” says McCann EVP, executive global CD Cristina Reina. “We chose AI to amplify those feelings and evoke a sense of wonder. To show how incredible a modern tool like AI could make those past memories and connections feel new.”

CREDITS

Microsoft
Kathleen Hall | Corporate VP of Brand  
Sven Seger | General  Manager, Global Creative  
Carol Phillips | General Manager, Global Advertising  
Sunita Richardson | Senior Director, Brand Strategy + Ops, Chief of Staff  
Aleksey Fedorov | Director, Global Brand Marketing  
Kaity Butcher | Brand Manager, Microsoft Brand Studio  
Pia Rodriguez | Global Brand Strategist  
Stephanie Quartararo | Managing Advisor, Content Creation  

McCann 
Creative
Sean Bryan | CCO & ECD Global Brands, North America 
Shayne Millington | CCO & ECD Global Brands, NY 
Cristina Reina | EVP, Executive Global Creative Director  
Pete Johnson | EVP, Executive Global Creative Director  
Lucas Casão | SVP, Group Creative Director  
Guilherme Rácz | SVP, Group Creative Director  
Camilla Ciappina | Associate Creative Director  
Daniel Trimarchi | Associate Creative Director  
Matthew van Leeuwen | EVP, Head of Design 
Mook Phoungbut | Design Director 

Business Leadership
John Dunleavy | President, McCann Worldgroup
Socrates Papazoglou | SVP, Executive Account Director  
Hugh Simpson | VP, Account Director  
Marguerite Daly | Account Director  
Courtney Marin | Account Director  

Project Management
Anne Denny | VP, Project Management Director 

Strategy
Emily Portnoy | Chief Strategy Officer
Sam Chotiner | EVP, Executive Strategy Director
Danielle Noto | SVP, Group Strategy Director
Kyla Jackson | Strategist

Production
Aaron Kovan | Chief Production Officer  
Stacy Flaum | SVP, Executive Producer 
Debbie Myllek | Talent Payment Manager  
David Halberstadt | Integrated Production Business Manager 
Jamie Jou | Director of Music Licensing

APR  
Stephanie Quartararo | Managing Advisor, Content Creation 
Tommy Murov | Post/VFX Advisor 

Craft Worldwide 
Andree Ljutica | Director  
Adam Hirsch | SVP, Head of Content, North America  
Zoe Greene | Executive Producer  
Kim Anderson | Line Producer  
Malik Dupree | Photographer 
Marta Gromysz | Business Director
Lisa Kawamoto | Client Partner Americas Language Services
Ajit Jha | Project Director, Translation

No6 
Corina Dennison | Executive Producer  
Laura Molinaro | Head of Production  
James Duffy | Editor  
Nick Schneider | Editor 

Revolve Audio 
Paul Weiss | Mix Engineer  
Gilda McCrann | Studio Director 

Music:
JSM

A talking plush Series S gaming console in an Xbox commercial? It better be sassy!

Of course it is, as comedian Jimmy O. Yang discovers in a two-minute film from 215 McCann that’s all about “Nowstalgia.” Directed in surreal sitcom style by Ryan Staake, the spot seeks to evoke fun memories for Gen Z and lure new gamers to Xbox for Fall Guys, Rocket League, Fortnite and so forth.

Yang’s superlative sissy-scream around the :10 mark is worth the price of admission. And his “stunt double,” who skulks around aimlessly, nearly steals the show.

They work the ad-within-an-ad format for all its worth, with ample jokes and clever touches to please loyal fans and the uninitiated alike. (Those gilded grapes are pure gold!)

This kind of self-aware stuff could’ve easily gone off the rails—or straight-up sucked from the jump. But it doesn’t. In fact, it’s pretty great! Yang, of Silicon Valley and Space Force fame, nails the bemused everydude role, generating sublime, silly chemistry with his chatty pliable pal. 

Xbox created limited-edition versions of the cushiony console, complete with Series S audio hype messages. They’re earmarked for influencers, because celebrity has its privileges.

Elsewhere, the brand doubles down on “Nowstalgia,” sans Jimmy or Plushie, in social videos designed to emulate old-school toy commercials:

And photographer Jax Navarro, aka @PlaticAction, crafted content with toys and tiny props that capture the essence of classic games:

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jax Navarro (@plasticaction)

@plasticaction ? BTS from my latest Rocket League piece for @xbox! #XboxSeriesS #SimplyNextGen #RocketLeague Huge thanks to @urthlings ♬ original sound – Jax Navarro

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jax Navarro (@plasticaction)

@plasticaction ? BTS from my Fall Guys piece in collaboration with @Xbox ! My living room was in chaos for a few weeks but it was well worth it! ? #XboxSeriesS #SimplyNextGen #FallGuys ♬ original sound – Jax Navarro

CREDITS

Title: Xbox Series S Nowstalgia Campaign (Game With Me Series S, Fall Guys, Overwatch)
Product: Platform
Brand: Microsoft Xbox

Client: Microsoft
Director, Xbox Integrated Marketing: Josh Munsee
Integrated Marketing Manager, Xbox: Courtney Luk
Senior Global Product Marketing Manager, Xbox Platform Marketing: Bree Adams
Director, Xbox Brand and Marketing: Craig McNary
Senior Director Product Marketing, Xbox: Cindy Walker

Agency: 215 McCann
Chief Creative Officer: Scott Duchon
Creative Director: Brad Meyers
ACD/Art Director: Kyle Johnson
ACD/Copywriter: Zack Johnson
BTS Social Creative Director (Super Digital): Spencer Kupish
Copywriter: Ian Forsyth
Copywriter: Amy Char
Art Director: Maddy Thompson
Director of Integrated Production: Whitney Ferris
Senior Producer: Nina Ulbrich
Director of Business Affairs: Mary Beth Barney
Business Director: Peter Goldstein
Account Director: Sunni York
Assistant Account Executive: Akshaya Sridharan
Executive Strategy Director: Sam Chotiner
Strategy Director: Ryan Riley
Senior Strategist: Caitlin O’Malley

Production Company: Pomp & Clout
Director: Ryan Staake
Director of Photography: Kristian Zuniga
Production Designer: Daria Savic
P&C Executive Producer: Ryen Bartlett
P&C EP & Head of Production: Kevin Staake
P&C Line Producer: Doug Smith
P&C Production Manager: Brian Sabowski
Common Good EP: Stefani Kouverianos, Dwight Phipps
Common Good Coordinator: Syd Beaumont
Producer: Jeff So
Production Manager: Meika Wagner
Production Coordinator: Mason George
Talent Coordinator: Wendy Vuu
1st Assistant Director: Billy Shand
2nd Assistant Director: Bree Ahmed
Aspiring Director: Tziara Reyes Herrera
Aspiring DP: Kimberley Brown
1st AC: Eric Scweiger
2nd AC: David Shin
3rd AC/Camera Trainee: Alex Acton Jones
VTR/DIT: Michael Flax
Photographer: Tyler Hayward
Gaffer: Ed Kopp
BBE: Tyson Erb
Electric: Andrea Hernandez, Andre Mike
Key Grip: Martin Kenji
BBG: Koadie Preston
Grip: Simon Stunt, Mike Dach
Wardrobe: Skye Kelton
Wardrobe: Assist Talia Godin
Manicurist: Natalia Dolzycki
Mua Tattoo: Viktor Peters
Animal Wrangler: Tamara Conway, Tracey Hill
Animal Handler: Suzana Vecchiarelli, Rob & Deb Mahon
Script Supervisor: Laura Herriott
Buyer: Nicole Zimmer
Assist Buyer: Hannah Hollatz
Art Coordinator: Ysabel Seclen
Props: Allen Pavela
Miniature Builders: Katie Redikopp, Vasylya Shudryk, Emily Dickinson
Set Dresser: Nathan Rideout
Carpenters: Max Castro, Andy Eliopoulos, Dave Sandink
Food Stylist: Kelly Jabbaz
Sustainability: Christopher Buckner
Medic: Isaac Soleiman
Covid Super: Sebastian Mellasastre
Covid Assist: Aquiles Serdan
Craft Front: Manuela Lima, Mo Kapasi
Craft Chef: Biju Kumar
Wardrobe Trailer Driver: Roy Vaughan
Key PA (Cube): Yianni Demiatriadis, Eric Tanguay
PA Driver (Runner): Emma Hesson
PA: Hannah Bergstein, Liam Parkins, Rynn Floors
Drivers: Marcel Syncs and Orland V

Post Production: Pomp & Clout
Editor (IP Films): Jay McConville
Editor (Game With Me): Zach Stone
Assistant Editor: Maddy Leshner
Producer: Misha Kozlov
Creative Director: Aaron Vinton
Cel Animation: Stephanie Simpson
Comp Lead: Jesse Newman
Compositor (GWM): Pete Puskas
Comp Production: Helen Newman
Color Producers: Heath Raymond, Evan Bauer @ Rare Medium
Colorists: Fergus Mccall and Ayumi Ashley

Plastic Action Stills
Photographer: Jax Navarro
Set Designer: Tracy Ealdama

Music:
Overwatch and Fall Guys: Squeak E Clean
Game With Me: Asche & Spencer, Artlist, Pond5, Premium Beat 

Sound Design and Mix: Barking Owl 
Sound Design and Mix: Elizabeth McClanahan
Audio Assistant: Mikayla Petersen
Executive Producer: Ashley Benton
Creative Director: Kelly Bayett

Loneliness among the elderly is on the rise, with one in three suffering from it. Age U.K. finds that a million older people go a month or more without speaking to anyone, and isolation has only gotten worse since Covid-19.

Microsoft’s Xbox is seeing what it can do to help. Along with McCann London, it’s launched “Beyond Generations,” which explores how gaming can improve real-world relationships, especially between family members who are divided not only by space but by time.

The objective is for young people to teach older people how to game. And in so doing, they get to know them over the meditative course of their shared virtual journey.

Meet Mary and Jason.

“I’m looking forward to learning how to play video games with him. Whether it would help me to get to know him better or not, I’m hoping. I’m really hoping,” Mary, the elderly family member, says at the video’s start.

Over the course of weeks, playing games like Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, and Forza, we see them chat openly about Mary’s life.

“Any sort of activity where you’re engaging with someone else, it instantly sparks a time opportunity just to talk,” Jason adds.

The video “Howard and Dhillon” explores those same dynamics with a guy even younger than Jason. It also addresses the challenge of Covid in a more direct way and tacitly addresses the difference between video calls, which tend to be surface-oriented and perfunctory, and the experience of gaming together, where you can really get to know one another over a deep, collaborative process.

“I think the best way to improve a relationship is to learn something together,” Dhillon says.

Despite stereotypes about how gaming increases isolation, much has been said this past year about how it actually creates safe community space, especially when people can’t otherwise congregate or interact normally.

“Isolation and loneliness are topics brought into sharp focus in present times, particularly for the elderly,” says Michael Flatt, director of global integrated marketing at Xbox. “It’s important that we shine a light on the problem, and we’re proud to bring this initiative into realization with the hope of making a step toward renewing family connections and democratizing gaming for everyone.” 

As a supplement to the campaign, Xbox is introducing a “ReBoxing” initiative, which subverts the trend of unboxing videos by getting gamers to re-box old consoles to share with elderly family members. An accompanying three-step guide walks them through the process, encouraging them to add gift messages and product tags that make it easier for recipients to understand what each item does and how it fits together.

Xbox also partnered with multiple charities dedicated to supporting the elderly right now, including Age U.K. and Age International.

“This initiative is close to our hearts because it shows the power gaming has to make a genuine difference in people’s lives,” says Sanjiv Mistry, executive creative director at McCann London. “And the more people who take up the call and start reboxing their old consoles and giving them to their grandparents, the more those siloes of loneliness start to break down. We’re honored to partner with Xbox to help nudge families a little bit closer together.” 

This isn’t the first time Xbox has explored the out-of-the-box potential of its own services. Early last year it created travel guides that blurred the real and virtual worlds … and in December, it explored the lucid dreams of influencers after their gaming experiences.

CREDITS

McCann London
Laurence Thomson – Chief Creative Officer McCann UK and Co-President, McCann London
Rob Doubal – Chief Creative Officer McCann UK and Co-President, McCann London
Jamie Mietz – Executive Creative Director
Sanjiv Mistry – Executive Creative Director
James Crosby – Senior Creative 
William Cottam – Senior Creative 
Lisa Carrana – Head of design
David Coates – Designer
Jonathan Bender – Senior Planner
Mike Phillips – Senior Planner
Jessica Tamsedge – Managing Director
Sailesh Jani – Managing Partner  
Oscar Flintoft – Business Director
Melanie Vickers – Account Director
May Sinlapa – Senior Account Manager 
Eloise Thompson – Account Associate
Clare Prager – Project Director
Georgia Wettenhall – Senior Project Manager

Production agency (Craft)
Chief Production Officer – Sergio Lopez
Head of Integrated Production – Sophie Chapman-Andrews
Executive Producer – Alec Christie
Senior Producer – Zara Balfour
Head of Post Production – Pedro Pinto 
Post Producer – Jamie Cooper
Producer – Sarah Hall
Senior Print Producer – Liam White
Print Producer – Steve Tester
Production Business Affairs – Val Boyce and Molly Strasser

Production Company Credits
Production Company – Craft 
Director – Chris Fowles
Producer – Zara Balfour
Director of Photography – Terrence Wilkins
Composer – Chris Davey
Editor – Alex Young @ Craft
Assistant Producer – Toby Burden  
Assistant Editor – Ashley Joiner @ Craft
Assistant Camera – Marti Guiver & Luke Makepeace
Sound Design & Mix – Mihai Meirosu @ Craft
Grade – Steffan Perry @ Framestore
Online Editor – Simon Hall @ Craft
Covid Supervisor – David Devine
Illustrator – Son of Alan

We had thought most dogs were happily (though sometimes excessively) being tended to during Covid, but apparently some of them are bored out of their minds. Enter Microsoft’s holiday commercial from McCann New York, in which a dog named Rufus gets to enjoy Microsoft games—just as his owners have been doing for months—thanks to a timely nap that transports him to fantasy land.

The spot, directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks, focuses on Halo, Minecraft and Microsoft Flight Simulator, though we get a glimpse of Microsoft Teams as well. (Apparently, dogs dream of working, not just playing—though perhaps it’s just a happy hour gathering.) 

Rufus rolling around on the iconic Windows wallpaper at the end is a nice touch, too.

“This holiday, find your joy,” the onscreen text says at the end, followed by the line “See you out there.” In this case, “out there” really means the “in here” of gaming worlds—and the whole spot, really, is an ode to virutal fun-having in this time when in-person joy remains largely untenable.

“This year more the ever, we felt it was important to give people a little lift, to remind them that while we are facing a lot of challenges, there are many ways we can connect, be productive and enjoy the time we have at home,” says Kathleen Hall, corporate vp of brand, advertising and research at Microsoft.

The campaign is being activated within a few of the featured games, too. Blockworks has released a Dogtopia world as a free download available from Minecraft Marketplace and for Java. Press materials advise you to “run through a colorful bone-shaped forest, where bacon grows on trees and there are never any fleas. This world will be complete with doggie hot air balloons, a mountaintop dog mansion, a fire hydrant fountain, a doggie Mount Rushmore and so much more.”

Later this month, Flight Simulator will be decorating 12 cities around the world with holiday lights and magic, a holiday scavenger hunt for every Flight Simulator pilot to enjoy. Also, users will be able to fly the planes from the commercial, too.

CREDITS

Microsoft 

Kathleen Hall – Chief Brand Officer
Carol Hutchinson – Sr. Director, Global Advertising
Stacey Terrien – Director, Global Advertising
Jenny Leahy – Director of Global Advertising, Social and Media Partnerships
Ron Schott – Senior Advertising Manager
Dawn Novak – Senior Advertising Manager 
Hannah Westing – Senior Advertising Manager
Danielle Radcliffe – Social Media Manager
Jorg Neumann – Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator

McCann New York 

Creative  
Sean Bryan – Co-Chief Creative Officer   
Tom Murphy – Co-Chief Creative Officer   
Shayne Millington – EVP, Global Executive Creative Director   
Piper Hickman – EVP, Global Executive Creative Director  
Ferdinand Daniele – Creative Director   
Stephanie Cajucom – Creative Director    
Gabie Fleischer – Art Director   
Jessica New – Copywriter 
Gonzalo Hergueta – Designer 
Yung Lee – Designer 
Malik Dupree – Junior Designer 
David Cliff – Director of Creative Technology   
Hiya Vazirani – Creative Technologist   
Alicia Foor – Creative Technologist 

Business Leadership  
Kevin Nelson – Managing Director, McCann NY 
Jeremy Miller – EVP, Global Chief Communications Officer, McCann Worldgroup 
Scot Beck – EVP, Global Business Lead  
Socrates Papazoglou – SVP Group Account Director 
Patricia Burelli – Account Supervisor 
Divya Joseph – Senior Account Executive 

Project Management  
Monica Daniels – Project Manager 

Production  
Nathy Aviram – Chief Production Officer   
Mel Senecal – VP, Executive Producer  
Morgan Edstrom – Producer  
Kelly Ramsey – Senior Art Producer 
Caroline Sollman – Art Producer 
Charlotte Popper – Digital Producer  
Sean Flanigan – Digital Producer  
Eric Johnson (aka DJ Bunny) – SVP, Executive Music Producer 
Dan Gross – Music Producer 
Jamie Jou – Business Manager, Music  

Strategy  
Ash Farr – EVP, Global Director of Strategy & Research 
Jordan Berger – Strategy Director 

Business Affairs  
Danielle Korn – EVP, Talent Partnerships 
David Halberstadt – Business Manager 
Terry Marcello – VP Director Talent Payment  
Rosemary Smith – Talent Payment Manager 

Biscuit Filmworks  
Noam Murro – Director 
Shawn Lacy – Partner / Managing Director 
Andrew Travelstead – Executive Producer 
Rachel Glaub – Head of Production 
Sean Moody – Head of Production 
Emily Skinner – Producer 
Jennifer Berry – Production Supervisor  

MPC 
Matthew Loranger – Executive Producer  
Elias Bermudez Jr – Producer    
Stefani Na – Producer  
Daniel Seddon – Shoot Supervisor  
2D Lead Rob Walker 
Tim Kafka – CG Supervisor  
Colorist Vincent Taylor 
Color Producer: Kay Carpenter 
Color Assistant: Tyler Robinson 

RPS 
Damion Clayton – Editor   
Michael Shugarman – Assistant Editor 
Eve Kornblum – Managing Director  
Jenny Greenfield – Producer 

Giant Artists (Photographer)  

David Black – Photographer  

Craft New York  
Michelle Massaro – Senior Print Producer 
Lorrena Lapouge – Retoucher 
Andrew Bacha – Retoucher 

Sonic Union  
Michael Marinelli – Sound Designer/Mix Engineer 
Pat Sullivan – Head of Production  

JSM 
Joel Simon – CCO/CEO/Co-Composer 
Jeff Fiorello – VP/Executive Producer 
Jonathan Russell – Co-Composer 
Norm Felker/ Producer 
Andrew Manning/ Producer 
Sharon Cha – Producer 
 
Blockworks (Minecraft Dogtopia)

James Delaney – Founder and Managing Director

On Nov. 5, Sony announced that due to Covid-related customer safety concerns, there would be no launch-day sales of the new PlayStation 5 console at any retail stores. And with that, gone temporarily was the beloved tradition of lining up all night with your freezing cold, early-adopting brethren, credit card in hand, to be the first to hoist the prized new console over your head in victory. Happy memories, but safety comes first during these challenging times.

Stop and think for a moment about the news cycle that the PS5 and Xbox Series X are entering as they hit the market. Then consider that the launch of Xbox One and PS4 in November 2013 had to compete with the divorce of Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore in our collective consciousness. Halcyon times.

Indeed, Covid and political unrest have made the launch of this generation’s high-octane consoles a different kind of cultural moment. But even if 2020 had been super normal, there are still several interesting reasons why this would have been a generational kickoff unlike any other that has preceded it—and that includes the Atari 2600 vs. Mattel Intellivision war that started it all.

A Tale of Two Platforms

With every console release, Sony and Microsoft find ways to approach their new systems a little differently. An exclusive title or new game IP here, a pair of VR goggles or motion control device there—at the end of the day, it’s always been about the games for both companies. There’s a sameness to the strategies. Not so in 2020. Sony has taken the traditional “wow them with the content” approach, adopting the mindset that filling launch day with top notch AAA exclusives (Spiderman Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, a new Final Fantasy) will win in the short term and build an insurmountable lead over the Xbox Series X. 

Microsoft, on the other hand, has a grander long-term vision for the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles. In fact, what if we told you that these high-powered, high-priced systems were nothing more than a Trojan horse? That in fact they were just a means to get gamers invested in the real endgame—buying into a highly profitable subscription service that realizes a core dream of everyone who loves video games in this digital download era.

Microsoft’s Secret Weapon

Let’s get this out in the open: Xbox Game Pass simply rocks. For the cost of dinner for one from Chick-Fil-A ordered via Postmates, you get unlimited access to an ever-growing, carefully curated library of top games. You can play them as much as you want until they’re rotated out of the service and replaced with even more cool stuff. And to really get people hooked, Microsoft has launched several of its biggest titles on the service, including Flight Simulator, Sea of Thieves and the latest Gears of War.

In sum, while gamers dreamed romantically of there one day being a true “Netflix for games,” Microsoft went ahead and built the darn thing. Enter the Xbox Series X and S—the absolute best way to enjoy what Game Pass has to offer—and the most compelling reason yet to sign up for this highly profitable subscription service that’s to be a revenue driver long after these sharp new consoles have grown dull in the eyes of fans.

First Shot Fired. Beware the Fallout

But Microsoft wasn’t done there. On Sept. 21, the folks up in Redmond proved they were playing for keeps in the battle against Sony when they acquired ZeniMax Studios and its most famous property, Bethesda Softworks, for $7.5 billion. In a flash, the phrase “well that escalated quickly” popped into the collective minds of game business analysts everywhere. Bethesda is home to some of the biggest gaming franchises in industry history, including Doom, Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Microsoft’s plan for the Bethesda content is still unclear, but the move was incredibly aggressive and proved that this game was being played at a decidedly nuclear level. The potential consequences for Sony run the gamut, but each is a different kind of awful, including:

• Will Microsoft make these huge game franchises exclusive to Xbox—walking away from hundreds of millions of dollars in PS5 game revenue just to gain a big edge on their competitor?
• Will they happily tell PS5 fans not to worry and they will absolutely be getting the new Elder Scrolls for their favorite system … two years after it launches for the Xbox Series X? 
• Will Sony fanboys and fangirls ever stop calling on their company to go buy Rockstar Games or Konami … anything to stick it to Microsoft and show that they won’t lie down in the face of such aggression?

The answers are yet to be revealed. But one thing is certain, Xbox chief Phil Spencer has been wearing a Cheshire cat grin since the acquisition.

A Stalemate in the Battle of the Ads. Then One Pulls Ahead

New consoles mean new budgets and fresh ads, and out of the gate, glossy spots from both companies felt pretty even-steven. Both “Power Your Dreams” from 215 McCann for Xbox and “Play Has No Limits” from adam&eveDDB for the PS5 are solid. They look expensive but feel a bit too familiar at times. A slight edge goes to “Dreams” here with the compelling casting of Daniel Kaluuya, but watching the impressive visuals featured in both, you’d be forgiven for asking yourself, “Is that all there is?” 

That line of thinking comes to an abrupt end with “Unboxing Reimagined” a long-form mash up of stylish branded content orchestrated and energized by The Man Who Owned 2020, hip-hop star Travis Scott. Sony (like the entire world, it would seem) has partnered with Scott to create something that delivers excitement now and feels several steps ahead of everything else. The resulting content is revolutionary, yet highly relatable to its target audience. Even the effort’s more traditional tropes—rolling up on unsuspecting fans and giving each their own PS5—feels fresh and different in the neon-lit interior of Scott’s custom armored carrier vehicle.

This is what brands need their content to be—relevant, stylish and surprising.  Travis Scott nails all three. He’s still on a winning streak and that gives the edge to Sony right here.

Don’t Switch Just Yet 

Back in 2016, then-president of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Amie was asked how Nintendo and its upcoming NX Game Machine (which would soon be known as the Switch) fit into the console war brewing between Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PS4. Fils would famously reply, “That’s for them to fight out in that red ocean,” and that Nintendo would be taking a more mannered approach with the unique console/mobile hybrid device—focusing on beloved franchises and accessible games. 

At the time, the Switch was still an unknown quantity—not yet the surprise hit it would become, driven by the Covid-era popularity of Animal Crossing and other exclusive hits. Now it’s 2020, and the Switch has a growing legion of fans—snapping up the units as fast as they can be restocked around the globe. Could this make an impact on the market share of the next-gen consoles? Maybe, maybe not. But you know what could disrupt the process for Sony and Microsoft? The all-new Switch 2 that appears to be launching in 2021. If that system does all the things the original Switch did right, plus ups the processing power and resolution significantly, this could easily become a three-horse race by the end of next year.

Looks like someone may be diving into that red ocean after all. Underestimate Nintendo at your own risk.

Could This Be Our Endgame?

Just as adults say that each generation of teenagers spells the end of society as we know it, so too does each console generation restart conversations about this being the last time we ever see two expensive homebound systems dominate the market. Many factors have been predicted over the years to bring about the end of the set-top system: mobile gaming, the bursting of the gaming bubble, a societal rediscovery of bowling. Even VR, which is finally having its moment in 2020, does not look to replace other popular gaming experiences anytime soon.

If there was anything that spelled the end for the living-room game console, it would have to be the rise of cloud-based play—something Microsoft itself is helping to pioneer. Because if we can play Game Pass content anywhere, anytime, on any device—all in perfect fidelity with no lag—then maybe, just maybe the console itself will enter the realm of the dinosaurs. Intriguing but unproven. 

We know that this console war will be like none before it. But who will come out on top in this epic boss battle? Only time will tell. Sony, and its approach to games, games and more games right out of the gate, would appear to be the early front-runner. However, Microsoft is playing the long game, and the Game Pass is that rare product that is simultaneously a solid value for consumers and a license to print money for its owners. In the end, it might be up to game creators, because until the developers begin to really master these systems, you won’t truly be able to see what they have to offer.

For now, the only clear victor is you … the gamer.

Microsoft was in the weeds with Covid-19 long before most other brands. Big hospitals, the CDC, police forces, educational institutions—they all rely on Microsoft, so the company had to move swiftly to keep them connected to their stakeholders. On this episode of On Brand, we catch up with Kathleen Hall, Microsoft’s chief brand officer, to hear about the impact on the brand and marketing side—given how product and messaging are so intertwined at the company. We also talk about her agencies, McCann and Blk-Ops, whether all brands should aim to do good in the world, and which other companies she’s admired lately for their marketing.

Timestamps:

1:49 – How Kathleen has been handling WFH.
4:29 – How Covid has changed the way people interact with Microsoft, and vice versa.
7:40 – A look at the Mother’s Day spot for Microsoft Teams and the brand’s tone in recent advertising.
10:14 – How the award-winning Xbox Adaptive Controller reflects Microsoft’s mission to do good in the world—and the confluence of engineering and marketing.
14:04 – If Kathleen thinks all brands should value social good as highly as profits.
15:37 – Other marketers she admires.
17:14 – Microsoft’s relationship with its ad agencies.
20:00 – What the next 6-12 months look like for Microsoft.

Every Thursday at 4 p.m., Clio president Nicole Purcell and I chat with top brand marketers—most of whom are still working from home—about the value of creativity, what they want from their agency and solution partners, how they’re shepherding their brands through Covid and beyond, and more. See all the On Brand episodes here.

If you’re a brand marketer who’d like to take part in the series, please get in touch.

Yeah, sometimes they just pull you away from the screen—chair and all. Who can blame them? You’re their mom, and that’s how much they love you.

What are kids supposed to do, just leave mom the fuck alone? (Well, sometimes, actually, yeah.)

With footage sourced from actual Teams conversations, Microsoft’s Mother’s Day salute dovetails with earlier McCann efforts promoting the platform.

“Parenting has been called the toughest job you will ever love—and this has probably never been truer than it is today,” says Kathleen Hall, Microsoft corporate vp of brand, advertising and research. “The boundaries between work, home and school have been breached, each spilling over into the other’s space. We thought it would be fun to give a realistic portrayal of what life is really like for moms working from home these days to salute them, and let them know they are not alone.”

CREDITS

Client: Microsoft
Agency: McCann New York
Edit: Rock Paper Scissors
Finishing/Post: Craft

Last week, Domino’s launched an employee recruitment spot shot entirely on Zoom, the video-chat platform that has helped millions of folks work from home during the coronavirus crisis.

Now, McCann introduces an entire film series made with Microsoft Team, the tech giant’s offering for business chat, video meetings, file storage and collaboration.

First up is a :60 focusing on pandemic-related efforts by St. Luke’s Health, the London Metropolitan Police, L’Oréal (which is making hand sanitizer) and the University of Bologna:

“When the world changed,” the ad begins, “people started connecting in a new way.” Footage of decision makers from the above companies follows. Each participant explains how the product helps them achieve their goals, battle Covid-19, and continue to innovate despite physical separation and lockdowns.

“Nothing can stop a team,” the spot concludes.

It’s a big stylistic change from McCann’s global Teams campaign that dropped in January. These days, such slick, bustling ads look like relics of some distant age.

The new work’s earnest, homemade vibe feels in sync with the times, more vital, in its way, than Apple’s heartfelt though stylized paean to creativity.

Teams claims about 44 million daily users, double its total from late last year. While a leveling off or dip is inevitable, Microsoft believes the virus-propelled move to remote workflow represents a turing point in how people work and learn, and the company plans to push hard against Slack and other competitors.

More films, created on Teams with no directors, crews or formal video shoots, will roll out soon in the U.S., France, Germany, China, Japan and elsewhere. They’ll dig deeper into the platform’s attributes and applications, telling stories of individuals, companies and organizations striving to make a difference in the world.

“It’s just real people, connecting over real Teams meetings and calls, to share the impactful work they’ve been doing since they’ve had to work apart,” Jared Spataro, corporate vice president for Microsoft 365, writes in a blog post. “For me, their stories capture the essence of why Microsoft exists in the first place: to empower every individual and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

He adds: “As a platform and tools company, we’re here to help educators and healthcare professionals connect with students and patients from anywhere, to help multinationals and small businesses stay productive, and to help people everywhere keep reaching higher—even in difficult times.”

CREDITS

Client: Microsoft
Agency: McCann New York
Edit: Craft New York/London
Sound: Sonic Union

Her questions—”How do you guys fly?” “What does Santa do in the summer?” “Is Mrs. Claus a good cook?”—seem like the kind of things kids would ask. And chatting with animals is a charming notion, well suited to this time of year.

“In the hands of many other brands, that would be a pretty ridiculous premise,” says McCann New York and m:united//McCann evp and creative director Shayne Millington. “In the hands of Microsoft, it’s almost feasible.”

The minute-long spot breaks on TV during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

“We wanted to create a nice, warm, cozy feeling that captures this wondrous time of year,” says Millington, “to lean into the tropes of the holiday ads we see so often, with a twist. Plus, we wanted to reinforce the power of connecting and empowering people, which are core philosophies of the Microsoft brand, sprinkled with a bit of magic and human truth.”

Those were genuine, live Rangifer tarandus on set, by the way.

“One of the reindeer, ‘Larry,’ looked squarely at Lucy after she delivered her line, thought about it for a moment, then turned around and laid down in the snow with his back to her,” Millington recalls. “I think it was his way of saying: ‘Nailed it!'”

CREDITS

Client: Microsoft

Kathleen Hall – Corporate Vice President of Brand, Advertising and Research
Deana Singleton – GM, Global Advertising
Stacey Terrien – Director, Global Advertising
Jenny Leahy – Director, Social and Media Partnerships
Ron Schott – Senior Manager, Global Advertising
Hannah Westing – Manager, Global Advertising
Danielle Radcliffe – Manager Social Media
Dawn Novak – Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Global Advertising

Agency: m:united//McCann New York

Creative
Sean Bryan – Co-Chief Creative Officer
Tom Murphy – Co-Chief Creative Officer
Shayne Millington – EVP, Executive Creative Director
Michael Aimette – Executive Creative Director
Rick Ardito – Creative Director
Emmie Nostitz – Creative Director
Edu Lunardi – Senior Art Director
Hunter Pinnell – Copywriter
Nick Larson – Senior Copywriter
David Cliff – Director Creative Technology
Alicia Foor – Creative Technologist
Hiya Vazirani – Creative Technologist

Business Leadership
Kevin Nelson – Global Business Lead
Tina Galley – EVP, Executive Account Director
Rosemary Calderone – SVP, Executive Account Director
Jeremy Miller, EVP, Global Chief Communications Officer, McCann Worldgroup
Ellie Choi – Account Director
Emily Swastek – Account Supervisor

Production
Carolyn Johnson – SVP, Head of Integrated Production
Mel Senecal – VP, Senior Producer
Nina Roussarie – Senior Producer

Project Management
Stella Warkman – SVP, Director of Project Management
Lauren Kosche – Senior Project Manager

Business Affairs
Eric David Johnson – SVP, Executive Music Producer
Jamie Jou – Music Business Manager
Dan Gross – Music Producer
David Halberstadt – Business Manager

Strategy
Joanna Schwab – EVP, Global Strategy Director
Jordan Berger – Social Strategy Director

Production: Hungry Man
Hank Perlman– Director
Kevin Byrne – Managing Partner/Executive Producer
Martha E. Davis – Producer

Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors, NY
Damion Clayton – Editor
Sebastian Zotoff – Assistant Editor
Eve Kornblum – Managing Director
Jenny Greenfield – Producer

Post/VFX: MPC
Matthew Loranger – Executive Producer
Chris Connolly – VFX Producer
VFX Supervisor/Flame Lead: Tim Crean
2D Team: Julien Aucouturier, Lawrence Merrill
VFX Team: Jaswan Prasath, Sathish Chellappan, Shyam Babu, Yasasvini Vagampalli, Muruga T, Vishal Dark, Geetesh Tari

Color House: MPC
Ricky Gausis – Senior Colorist
James Tillett – Senior Colorist
Sasha Pace – Producer

Music: JSM Music
Joel Simon – CCO/COE/Co-Composer
Jeff Fiorello – Executive Producer
Becca Riter – Co-Composer

Audio Post: Sonic Union
Mix Engineer: Michael Marinelli
Mix Engineer: Owen Shearer
Senior Producer: Patrick Sullivan

While promoting inclusivity and acceptance, the initiative also provides another level of artistry for fans to enjoy. “The app is for everybody,” Harris says. “I hope visually impaired people enjoy and get a lot out of it, but I’m also really excited for sighted people and everyone else to experience the world—and a music video—in a totally new way.” 

What’s more, on X Ambassadors current tour, the band provides a VIP pre-show event with sounds, fragrances and props that evoke a crackling woodland bonfire from Ithaca and a bustling Bushwick bodega. 

“We’re going to keep on pushing boundaries,” Harris says, “trying new things as much as possible to make our music available to as many different types of people as we can.”