The following post is from Mark Penn, Executive Vice President, Advertising and Strategy
As Microsoft undergoes transformation in our organization, our products, and our relationship with consumers, it's important to state that our values of using technology to change lives and empower people around the globe remain unchanged -- and are even reaffirmed.
That's why this year we decided to tell the story of how peoples’ lives are changed through our technology with a Super Bowl ad. This one-minute ad celebrates what technology can do, and is narrated by Steve Gleason, former NFL player and post-Katrina hero of the New Orleans Saints, now living with ALS. Steve narrates the spot in the same way he communicates daily -- using his Surface Pro to speak, via eye tracking technology.
Other stories featured in the spot include: how doctors use Kinect technology in the operating room, how Skype brings children around the world together to learn, how physically challenged people can continue to pursue their passions in life with the help of technology, and the particularly moving story of a mother gaining the ability to hear for the first time. These are real people telling their own stories in their own words and we hope you feel as inspired by them as we do. Details of these stories are here.
The ad is a celebration of the great work done by our amazing engineering teams and the difference it makes in peoples’ lives.
In addition to the ad, you can take a look at the other inspiring stories of individuals who have been empowered by Microsoft technology.
- 5-year-old makes strides with the help of Microsoft technology
- Technology helps Sarah Churman hear for the first time
- Harold Lasko, 96, lost his eyesight but is able to draw again thanks to Microsoft Paint
- Kids learn from each other with Mystery Skype
- Surgeons save precious time with GestSure imaging using Kinect for Windows
- Former pro-football player uses eye-tracking tech on Surface to communicate