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Microsoft Surface product placement in CNN election coverage fails as iPads revealed behind them [Updated]

surface-vs-ipad

Microsoft must have thought it had pulled off a nice piece of product placement when it gave CNN election commentators a bunch of Surface Pro tablets to help with their coverage. CNN dutifully covered its desks with the devices, resulting in a series of proud tweets from Microsoft fans.

There was just one small problem, noted by GeekWire: a closer look revealed that hidden behind the Surface tablets were the iPads that commentators were actually using. In one case, the commentator was actually using her Surface tablet as a stand for her iPad.

stand

Microsoft, which was last year forced to write down $900M on its ill-fated tablet, has frequently taken pot-shots at the iPad, running a series of misleading Surface tablet ads attacking the iPad (and iPad mini) before more recently turning its attention to the MacBook Air. Switching overt advertising for product placement doesn’t seem to be working out too well.

Update: iMore later drew our attention to CNN anchor Mathew Sheffield digging deeper into the hole, claiming he was using both devices:

cnn

So, er, using the Surface as a dumb monitor while actually doing stuff on the iPad, then. Didn’t Microsoft tout the famed multi-tasking abilities of the Surface while claiming the iPad was only a single-use device … ?

Left image screengrab tweeted by Microsoft employee  Stephen Legler. right grab by IT developer @adamUCF

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Comments

  1. Michael Superczynski - 9 years ago

    OMG! LOL!

  2. 89p13 - 9 years ago

    And another PHAIL for Microsoft! :lol:

  3. mpias3785 - 9 years ago

    I like the Surface being used as an iPad stand. One picture can say so very much more than 1000 words! I’ll be grinning all day!

  4. Tracy Haynes - 9 years ago

    Brutal!!

  5. monty72 - 9 years ago

    This might be very funny but not really very surprising. You wouldn’t change your existing systems for a product placement.

  6. Norma Mazzoni - 9 years ago

    almost bought a Surface but then I saw that for the same price the Lenovo Y50 gaming laptop offered so much more – Just when I thought i would finally get a tablet…

  7. broylesj67 - 9 years ago

    Epic Fail!

  8. broylesj67 - 9 years ago

    I suspect the same thing is happening on NFL game day shows…

  9. Hedgehog (@SilverEzhik) - 9 years ago

    When has this type of promotion ever not backfired?

  10. Laughing_Boy48 - 9 years ago

    A Surface Pro does make a pretty decent iPad stand. That’s a pretty novel use. I feel bad for some of those non-tech-savvy reporters who were suddenly forced to use some device they weren’t quite comfortable with. Culture shock. “Here, use this whether you like it or not. You go on air live in five minutes.” That sucks.

  11. thejuanald - 9 years ago

    That’s pretty hilarious. I figure it’s probably just these people being used to an iPad, however, because the Surface Pro is a much, much more useful and versatile productivity tool than the iPad is.

  12. Edison Wrzosek - 9 years ago

    ROTFLMMFAO!!! This deserves the hashtag #EpicFail Microsoft!!! Just have to troll this one for a sec… That’s all the SP3 is good for anyway ;)

  13. Kelly Scott Gilford - 9 years ago

    Apple iPad still sucks.

  14. sardonick - 9 years ago

    I needed a good laugh, and this was a great one!

  15. pa7332 - 9 years ago

    Why assume it’s an ipad

  16. figshta - 9 years ago

    I would consider buying a case with a Surface like kickstand for my iPad Air 2; it looks good and functional, but using a Surface as a stand is out of my league…

  17. Stephen Redeker - 9 years ago

    Microsoft will get it right, and when they finally do (like Google did with android), Apple will take a step down. Or drop their price.

  18. Jon Dyson - 9 years ago

    Microsoft should get their money back for that product placement. haha I’m not a fan of the apple or microsoft empires, but that’s just poor business etiquette by CNN

  19. Orville Martin - 9 years ago

    I can’t believe the big fuss about this. People use iPads together with their MacBook Air all the time. Surface Pro 3 is more a MacBook Air replacement than iPad replacement.

  20. stl3359 - 9 years ago

    Oh well… Everyone knows Windows will always be the first choice for enterprise applications. For what it’s worth, Microsoft did issue full dividend payments in the same quarter of the $900 million write off.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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