BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft Kicks Off Seinfeld Campaign By NICK WINGFIELD September 5, 2008 3:17 p.m. SEATTLE – Microsoft Corp. kicked off a major new advertising campaign to rejuvenate its Windows brand, which has been battered in recent years in commercials by rival Apple Inc. and tepid reviews of the latest version of its operating system for personal computers, Windows Vista. Microsoft executives emphasized that the advertising campaign, featuring company Chairman Bill Gates and comedian Jerry Seinfeld in an initial spot1, are part of a much broader marketing push, with an estimated budget of $300 million. The Redmond, Wash., company will also staff sections of existing retail stores dedicated to Windows with Microsoft employees to improve the customer experience of buying new PCs. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122063986242604559.html