Awesome article in AdAge from Freddie Laker about the recent Microsoft ads and the internet population’s rapid takedown of the inauthentic premise

Authenticity is an interesting thing. I think the challenge for most brands is that it forces them to take a stand, with the good and the bad. That you have to say “this is what’s good about us, this is what’s bad, it’s a balance, but we think, on the whole, we offer something useful and good.” That’s scary for a lot of people. It puts the end judgement in the consumer’s hands. Which seems scary, except, of course, that it’s already the case. So perhaps it’s best to be more honest about it.

What’s weird to me is that Microsoft has yet to be all like “look. It’s a good OS. Almost everyone uses it. Is it perfect? No. Is it the cheapest? No. But it’s not the most expensive either. It’s workaday. It’s mainstream. It’s a good choice.”