Microsoft Sees a New Image of Itself in Windows 8

In the runup to its official unveiling of Windows 8 on Oct. 26, Microsoft has flooded the airwaves with a catchy TV commercial for its homegrown Surface tablet. The spot features people of all walks of life performing dance moves while showing off the Surface’s attached kickstand and its clever cover that doubles as a keyboard. Early signs indicate the ad is doing more than just driving interest in Surface. It’s caused viewers “to see the company as moving in a new direction,” says Peter Daboll, chief executive officer of the ad tracking company Ace Metrix, which monitored consumer reception to the Surface commercials.

That’s the real message Microsoft wants to convey—that it’s not just rolling out another Windows upgrade but an entirely remade vision of the company. In the next week it’s going to release a new version of Windows for computers, tablets, and smartphones; the Surface tablet; a music and movie service; slick software for the Xbox; and an upgraded version of Skype. The company is trying to coax people into a computing universe in which all its products have a similar interface and work together in sophisticated, almost magical ways.