Microsoft’s advertising strategy has evolved over the years, reflecting changes in technology, consumer expectations and market competition. But the company’s approach has consistently focused on innovation, inclusivity and emotional storytelling, positioning its products as essential tools for work, creativity and personal growth.
In this blog we chart the best Microsoft advertising and Windows commercials, paying special attention to their music choices.
Top Microsoft Ads
- Where Do You Want To Go Today? (1998)
- I’m a PC (2008)
- Microsoft Surface Studio Trailer (2016)
- Danny Trejo is Addicted to Creativity (2018)
- We All Win (2019)
- More Ways To Be A Team (2020)
Where Do You Want To Go Today? (1998)
This is not only one of the most memorable Microsoft commercials ever, it’s arguably one of the most iconic tech commercials of all time. Sure, its pixelated graphics look a little dated in the year 2025, but this super-fast montage of different Windows interfaces – backed by hectic, boogie-woogie piano – helped bring the tagline ‘Where do you want to go today?’ into common parlance, and cement Windows as the operating system of infinite possibilities
I’m a PC (2008)
In a rundown of the best Microsoft adverts of all time, Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s ‘I’m a PC’ campaign has to be up there. A direct response to Apple’s 2006 campaign ‘Get A Mac’, which humorously portrayed Windows users as fusty, outdated and inefficient compared to their Mac-using counterparts, ‘I’m a PC’ sought to reclaim and redefine the identity of Windows users. Featuring people from all walks of life, alongside famous faces like rapper Pharrell Williams, author Deepak Chopra, actor Eva Longoria and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the ad serves as a light-hearted but brutally effective rebuttal.
The soundtrack is a light-hearted and unobtrusive instrumental, featuring hip hop beats, funk bass and playful synths.
Microsoft Surface Studio Trailer (2016)
As product showcases go, the trailer for Microsoft’s Surface Studio has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing in recent memory. It’s slick, music-driven montage is almost Apple-like, putting the capabilities of the Surface Studio front and centre, before revealing the tagline, ‘Turn your desk into a studio’. To capture that sense of awe, the soundtrack is Stephanie Tarling’s remix of ‘Pure Imagination’, from 1971 kids classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Danny Trejo is Addicted to Creativity (2018)
The Jung von Matt Agency took a light-hearted approach to this 2018 spot, casting movie tough-guy Danny Trejo (Desperado, Heat, Con Air) to set up expectations before flipping the script on viewers. The premise is that Trejo is discussing his heist crew at an addiction support group, before revealing that his real vice is sketching on his Microsoft Surface tablet – the message being, that art is for everyone and that Microsoft empower can help empower your creativity. And that driving hip hop track you can hear in the background? Why that’s an Audio Network original called ‘Recognition’ by Thom Franck, Curtis Clacey and Jamie Elder. Like what you hear? There’s plenty more where that came from over on our hip hop collection page.
We All Win (2019)
Aired during the 2019 Superbowl, ‘We All Win’ highlights how Microsoft is supporting the needs of gamers with disabilities by creating a modified, accessible controller for the Xbox. Probably our favourite ad of all, it features children with additional needs telling their stories – helped by members of their family – in an impactful spot that shows both the potential and the responsibility big tech companies have in finding solutions to help improve lives. Because, as they put it so succinctly in the ad, “When everybody plays, we all win.” Accentuating the ad’s impactful message is a hopeful, piano-led instrumental.
More Ways To Be A Team (2020)
It’s no coincidence that Microsoft picked the global pandemic to market the features of their Teams software. Created by McCann New York, ‘More Ways To Be A Team’ showcases the tools Teams offers to aid remote collaboration, including features like ‘Gallery’, ‘Whiteboard’ and ‘Together Mode’. To create an atmosphere of hope during – what was – a deeply unsettling time, McCann opted for a vivid mixed media ad, interspersing film footage of friendly faces with colourful 2D and 3D animation and motion graphics that reflect the broad range of creative projects Teams can facilitate. And further boosting that optimistic feel is a soundtrack of upbeat, hip hop-influenced pop.
As Microsoft marketing campaigns go, it’s arguably one of their most impactful emotionally, fostering a much-needed sense of community during a time of crisis.
More More More!
So now you know which Microsoft ads got audiences talking, why not read more of our advertising deep-dives, which cover everything from standout Samsung ads and orchestral music in adverts to selecting music for adverts and the types of stories in advertising. Want to know how much it costs to advertise on TV and what are the key trends in music licensing? We’ve got blogs on those too.
Or if you’d rather pick up some playlist inspiration, check out our playlist hub, which features everything from spotlight releases and playlists for business and brands, to production effects including drones, transitions and hits and booms.
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