Microsoft teams up with PC makers to launch ‘PC Does What?’ campaign

Microsoft is partnering with Intel, HP, Dell, and Lenovo in a big marketing push to get consumers to buy new PCs with Windows 10. All five companies are contributing to a new campaign called “PC Does What?,” that’s designed to target consumers who have four- or five year-old computers. Intel claims there are around 500 million old machines out there, and naturally all of the companies involved want consumers to upgrade.

The marketing campaign will launch initially on October 19th in the US and China, which is around 50 percent of the entire PC market. Normally these types of joint marketing campaigns don’t involve competitors products in the same spot, but that’s exactly what Dell, HP, and Lenovo are doing on some of the 30-second commercials. All of the spots involve someone shouting “PC Does What?” after seeing an edge-to-edge display, 360 degree rotations, or “amazingly thin designs.”

Microsoft has launched several campaigns over the years to try and boost PC sales, including “laptop hunters“ searching for a new PC for Windows Vista, and ”I’m a PC” for Windows 7. This new “PC Does What?” campaign feels a lot like those, targeting consumers directly to convince them to refresh their hardware. With PC sales constantly in decline, it feels like the top OEMs are finally joining forces instead of running their own separate campaigns.

These PC makers don’t want their sales going down without a fight, so get used to seeing these ads in newspapers, on TV, and online because this is a big push to get people to buy new computers.