Microsoft Developers Rock!

Client: Microsoft/Edelman PR

This marketing video was created for the Windows Vista launch. Follow the rockin’ escapades of this fictitious band, Bug Bash, started by three Microsoft Developers. Will rock-n-roll lure them from coding glory?

Video Transcript:

Speaker: In the days leading up to the January 30th launch of Windows Vista, our documentary crew set out to talk to some real live Microsoft developers for a behind the scenes look at this major release.

Crew: Did you work on Vista?

Dev: Yes.

Voice: These three devs told us they worked on something called the Aero Glass Interface but declined to go into too much detail. If anything, they seemed reluctant to take curtain calls opting instead to get back to work. Moments later, this program manager explained that such humility was key to what he called, The Dev Brain. Even though their methods can be a little unorthodox. Little did I know, we were about to discover just how unorthodox.

Dev: Close the door, people are working.

Voice: I soon learned that this was only the beginning of the story.

Crew: We’re here live on the Microsoft campus talking to the Windows Vista development team who also have a rock band. Do your band have a name?

Dev: We’ve considered a bunch of names. The Long Taylors. Dangling Pointers.

Dev2: Scrub Team.

Dev3: The 520.

Crew: Ooh, I like The 520.

Dev1: Pixel Plumbers.

Dev2: The Flying Fruit.

Dev3: Restorizers.

Dev2: Action Items.

Crew: But, you haven’t picked one yet?

Dev1: It’s not really a big priority. We just play to have fun. When we actually have somewhere to play then we’ll pick a name.

Crew: Alright. Do you guys have any plans to make a record?

Dev1: We don’t have enough songs yet.

Dev2: Actually, we don’t have any songs, per se.

Dev3: Well, not in the classic sense.

Crew: What are your influences?

Dev1: C Plus Plus.

Dev2: STL.

Dev3: Paris Hilton.

Dev1: P Diddy.

Dev2: Doll House.

Dev3: PDP 10.

Dev1: The Internets.

Dev2: Paris Hilton.

Dev3: Win 32.

Dev1: Lonely Girl 15.

DevAll: Lonely Girl 15.

Crew: Is it difficult to balance the work of the band with the work you’ve had to do on the Windows Vista project?

Dev1: That’s why we practice here. We usually get in around 8 in the morning and stop work about 10 at night. That gives us, you know, quite a few hours to practice before we crash out in our offices for a couple hours.

Crew: Do you have any shows coming up?

Dev3: What’s up Point Seven? I’m Bug Bash, thanks for coming out.

Speaker: When last we met our three Windows Vista developers, their band Bug Bash had just played its first show. Now, in the days leading up to the January 30th Windows Vista launch, our heroes are faced with a dilemma. Will the promise of rock-n-roll stardom lure them away from their first love?

Agent: I’ve been in this business a lot of years. And, I’ve literally seem them come and go. And, I know that a band like Bug Bash just doesn’t come along every day. I’ve been a huge fan of software developers, devs as I call them, for years. Sometimes I say devs, sometimes I call them lopers, actually. So, when I heard their tape I, I knew that this was a huge day in the world of music I want to be in.

Dev1: The weird thing is, we’ve actually never even made a tape. We don’t know this guy. We’ve never of even heard of his label. We didn’t even agree to meet with him.

Dev2:We just created this whole band thing to to blow off steam.

Dev3: Now he’s talking about making this a career? Vista hasn’t even launched yet.

Agent: You guys are, are like Nirvana meets Pearl Jam of the digital generation. Like the Beatles, only, only weirdly bigger. You know what I mean? I’m gonna, I’m gonna put you guys everywhere. I’m going to put you in state fairs. I’m gonna put you in tech conferences. I’m gonna make sure that you’re in every single coin operated vending machine in the Tri-State area.

Dev1: Guys, guys, guys we’re missing a planning meeting. There’s free beer.

Agent: Devs.

Dev2: Where’s the spec posted.

Dev3: It’s on the shirt blank side.

Dev2: Ok. We have to make sure we send it over to the testers.

Dev3: Ok. Testers. Yeah, they definitely need that.