Somebody better call HR, there’s a squabble at the office. Or, the Office, if you will.
In what seems like an unprecedented move, Microsoft is pitting one of its products against another in front of the public. A new campaign for the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant’s Office 365 aims to show the value of that cloud-connected software over its perpetual version, Office 2019.
The “Twins Challenge,” as it’s called in a blog post by Microsoft 365 corporate VP Jared Spataro, features three videos in which real human twins go head to head in computer software tasks using the programs Excel, Word and PowerPoint. One twin uses 365 and the other uses 2019.
Spataro and the company don’t mince words: “Office 365 crushes Office 2019.”
A website dedicated to the software showdown features the videos along with resources for learning more about why Office 365 is supposedly superior, such as PowerPoint tips and Word tricks. The Office 365 Personal plan is labeled as the most popular option and costs $69.99 a year. Office 2019 on the other hand is listed for one-time purchase price of $249.99.
Spataro said in his post that while the two Office suites may have similar names, there’s a world of difference between the two. He said Office 365 harnesses “the power of artificial intelligence to create more impactful content with less effort.”
Microsoft announced in its second quarter earnings report last month that Office 365 has 33.3 million consumer subscribers.
Check out the challenge videos below, as each participant is given a task in a specific program and a progress dial shows the 365 user leaving his or her twin in the dust.
Excel: Jeremy vs. Nathan
Word: Scott vs. Sean
PowerPoint: Tanny vs. Cynni
