Microsoft has stepped-up its not-so subtle ‘Scroogled’ campaign launching a clothing line that still lets members of the general public lambast Google’s privacy policies with various T-shirts, mugs and caps bearing captions similar to: ‘Keep Calm, while we steal your data.’
The items’ retail prices range from $7.99 for a mug, through to $25.99 for a ‘Don’t get Scroogled’ hoodie. All the items borrows heavily from the leading search engine’s official corporate images, including using its Chrome web browser logo.
Microsoft’s ‘Scroogled’ push kicked off last year and attempts to color Google in a in a nasty light using negative tactics, resembling highlighting how Google improves its online ad targeting by ‘going through’ Gmail account holders’ correspondences. a tradition Microsoft claims is an “invasion of privacy”.
It also claims that Google doesn’t clearly warn users of its practices.
By contrast, Microsoft hopes to draw web users uncomfortable with such practices by highlighting how its suite of services comparable to Outlook and Bing don’t seem to be as intrusive as Google’s.
A statement justifying the negative marketing tactics – not a methodology normally employed by the desktop software giant – reads: “We believe that it’s important to teach the general public about practices which are misleading and should harm consumers.
“This ‘Don’t Get Scroogled’ effort is targeted on educating consumers about Google’s deceptive privacy practices.”
Speaking with Marketing Week earlier this year, Microsoft VP of Europe, advertising and online Andy Hart explained Microsoft’s “invitational marketing” drive, adding “the industry might eat itself” with too many ads.
He said the corporation had shifted towards limiting the number and sort of ads served through restrictions on its web browser. It has also changed its email service to extend the impact of the ads it does serve to users.