Apple has struck back at Microsoft’s attempts to have the term “App Store” deemed generic , suggesting that its arch-rival’s own battle to preserve the “Windows” trademark is the perfect example of why it should be allowed to retain the term.
Microsoft’s got a new tagline and isn’t afraid to use it. Having just being registered at the US Trademark Office earlier this month, Microsoft is already putting good use of “Be what’s next” in a series of promotional material for a new college recruiting campaign dubbed “A Playground Of Innovation” as exhibited by creative agency Mondo Robot.
Although the video and print material (embedded below) aren’t the most exciting thing in the world, what’s interesting is how fast Microsoft has begun adopting the use of the new tagline for a company its size and marketing scope.
Considering this is the first of presumably many marketing material refreshes to come (with the new straighter logo), it’s actually a little odd seeing a tagline under Microsoft’s logo after years long absence of its previous tagline “Your potential. Our Passion.”
Nevertheless, I like it. Especially with as many product offerings and business groups as Microsoft, it’s good to have, or at least have the appearance of, a single focus for the brand and everyone associated with it.
In my casual scavenging of trademark applications at the USPTO, a new trademark filed this week has revealed an interesting new project from Microsoft that aims to help people familiarize themselves with the Ribbon user interface with a game inspired by the “Hero” franchise. No, I’m not kidding.
Trademark serial number 77872539 for “Ribbon Hero” is classified as a “computer software for training users to use business application software; and computer game software for use in computer user training”. In detail, it will…
providing online training in the nature of tutorials and “how to” demonstrations in the field of business application software; educational services, providing training and educational materials in the field of business application software; entertainment in the nature of competitions in the field of business application software user skills; and providing recognition and incentives by the way of awards and contests to demonstrate excellence in the field of business application software user skills.
After some more digging around, it turns out this is actually a project by the Office Labs folks whose privacy policy page reveals this will actually be a Facebook game with competitive scoring.
If you use the Ribbon Hero Facebook application, Microsoft stores your Facebook ID and the ID of your primary Facebook network. When you connect to Facebook, you can choose to share your scores with your friends. This will make your Facebook profile picture and overall score appear in your Facebook friends’ Ribbon Wars leaderboard. In addition, your overall score will be counted towards your primary Facebook network’s average score. Your Facebook friends will be able to click on your profile picture in Ribbon Hero, and then see how many points you have on each challenge.
Will this be a bigger hit than Guitar Hero 3 and Farmville? Only time will tell.
A trademark application filed earlier this month has quietly revealed a new logo for Microsoft’s online content brand MSN and, presumably, also its many regional subsidiaries.
Unfortunately with only a black and white preview to work with, it’s not fair to judge the new logo just yet but its obvious it still retains the now iconic butterfly which was actually not that well received when it debuted in early 2000. And like many recent logo redesigns, this too seems to be all about simplifying the elements with the body of the butterfly removed and wings rounded off to roughly stretched ellipses.
Ever since parts of MSN was (painfully) rebranded under Windows Live, the brand has lost some of its meaning and mojo. I can only hope with this new logo will also come a refresh of the entire brand that clears the slate on what they do and where they’re heading.
Update: Thanks to an anonymous Microsofty commentor, a full color version of the logo with a new lowercase font as well has been posted in all of its Web 2.0 glory above.
Update 2: The new logo along with the new website is now for public preview at http://www.msn.com/preview.aspx.
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