Microsoft News Tracker

Holly Sanders is reporting in the NY Post that Microsoft is auditioning creatives for a proposed $300 million ad campaign for Windows Live:

Microsoft wants to show consumers where Windows meets the Web.

The software giant is gearing up for a major ad push to highlight how its suite of free online software connects to its Windows operating system over the Internet.

Fair enough although rather late since Windows Live left beta earlier this month. It’s also going to be a tough job given the patchwork way Windows Live was explained and rolled out:

The challenge for whichever agency gets the creative assignment is helping consumers understand what Windows Live is in relation to its other Web offerings.

Microsoft took a piecemeal approach to building out its Microsoft Live services, perplexing even people who follow the company closely.

Many consumers couldn’t tell the difference between Microsoft’s Web properties, such as its MSN site, and Windows Live, which is a collection of individual applications.

Sometimes it is hard to tell if Microsoft can explain the differences. I would also observe that it is rather lame to hang Windows Live off Windows instead of the Web, but given the number of applications carrying the “Windows Live” brand that are really just Windows client applications, why not?