Microsoft will use tonight’s NFL season opener to begin hyping Windows 11 via a fantastical ad that seeks to inject the operating system with a calming vibe.
The new version won’t begin rolling out until Oct. 5, but Microsoft is using the game’s expected massive viewership draw to build buzz for the Windows upgrade, which includes features meant to make multitasking easier, which has become a necessity as more people work from home during the pandemic. That includes functions meant to better organize and navigate between multiple windows open at once. Microsoft has also plugged features it says provide for a better gaming experience, including a wider range of colors.
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The ad, which comes from McCann New York and is directed by Tarsem Singh, begins by showing a woman sitting alone in a darkened room. She opens up her laptop and is taken to an otherworldly experience that dramatizes windows functions. The spot plugs gaming functions via a cameo that teases the “Warthog” all-terrain vehicle that will be in the next installment of the “Halo” game due out later this year. The ad’s soundtrack is “All Starts Now” by Odessa.