A new campaign from Microsoft repeats what many reviewers have noted about Windows Phone: It's comparable or better than its iPhone and Android-based competitors.
The effort, which rolled out on Thursday morning via Windows Phone's Facebook Page, shows Microsoft evangelist Ben "The PC Guy" Rudolph who bets consumers $100 that Windows Phone is faster than their phone.
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The challenge, which is sure to provoke online debate, involves activities like posting pictures to Facebook and finding music. The push, which also includes the Twitter-friendly hashtag #SmokedByWindowsPhone, comes as Windows Phone's market share hovers around 2%, according to Canalys. That's particularly frustrating to Microsoft because, unlike past attempts at mobile operating systems, Windows Phone 7, released last fall, has actually gotten glowing reviews.
Mashable editor-in-chief Lance Ulanoff also raved about Windows 7 last November, calling it a "good -- possibly great -- mobile platform." However, the platform has a lot to overcome, including Microsoft's reputation for so-so, me-too products (like its Zune MP3 player) and, perhaps more cripplingly, the lack of dedicated apps for the OS.
[More from Mashable: 10 Staggering Facts Behind Apple’s Foxconn Factory]Thus the new campaign, which should be familiar to those of us old enough to remember the Pepsi Challenge ads, which are clearly evoked. Microsoft, however, has tried the comparison technique before without a great deal of success. Most notably, in 2009 with a series of ads called "Laptop Hunters" that demonstrated Windows-based laptops' value over comparable models from Apple. That campaign didn't dent Mac sales in the least.
Similarly, Motorola's attempt to take on Apple's iPad with a 2011 Super Bowl ad was unsuccessful. It remains to be seen whether Samsung will get traction by comparing its Galaxy S II with Apple's iPhone 4S in its 2012 Super Bowl ad.
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