Microsoft Breaks New Bing 'Social Search' Work From CP&B

Microsoft is wasting no time getting the word out to consumers about its Facebook partnership, which brings the social network's data to Bing's search results. Starting tonight, it will begin airing TV ads from its new creative agency for Bing, Boulder-based CP&B, that promote the new social service. The MDC Partners-owned agency was suddenly handed the business earlier this month, taking over for WPP's JWT, the shop that worked on the launch of Bing in 2009. "The Bing and Facebook social integration seemed like a new story to tell... we did look around at multiple agencies and looked for the right killer idea to simply convey," Gayle Troberman, Microsoft's chief creative officer told Ad Age . "Back when we were in the briefing phase and the product wasn't built yet it was an interesting and challenging assignment... some of the most challenging assignments we have is when we're introducing something new. When we looked at a range of ideas this campaign from Crispin does a really good job of both showing the product and how it comes together and very, very simply explaining why you care." She notes that Microsoft views the Facebook deal as another way to underscore Bing's positioning as a "decision engine" because today people are more likely to choose where they go to eat and shop, or what places to visit in a new city based on what their friends recommend. The ads breaking tonight -- which are told through the lens of a Facebook profile page -- are the result of a three-day shoot a few weeks ago in Los Angeles. "The hardest part of this was editing," Ms. Troberman said. "We shot so many different sort of setups in the course of each day. We have a lot more footage in the can and maybe we'll think about doing some more long-form stuff." The fact that Microsoft worked feverishly with CP&B to get out the campaign is a sign that it's trying to drum up awareness for its social search service ahead of Google, which recently made its foray into social search with the "plus -one" button. Advertising Age Player //--> Bing: Restaurant Advertising Age Player //--> Bing: Music

Microsoft Breaks New Bing 'Social Search' Work From CP&B

Featured Stories