Microsoft’s “This Is An Xbox” commercial blitz, which started in 2024, prompted a variety of reactions from customers. In response to a report, this was a part of outgoing Xbox president Sarah Bond’s “Xbox in every single place” technique, and a few Xbox staff felt slighted by the advert marketing campaign.
The core of the “This Is An Xbox” initiative was that the platform was greater than the bodily console, emphasizing the a number of methods customers can expertise Xbox video games. That features Xbox on PC, together with Xbox Cloud Gaming apps on sensible TVs and cell gadgets. However The Verge studies that the marketing campaign wasn’t acquired properly internally, having “offended” Xbox staff.
Whereas the report does not go into element on who within the firm was aggrieved or why, the promoting arguably deemphasized the Xbox {hardware}, and “This Is An Xbox” quickly became a meme online.
As The Verge factors out, the marketing campaign kicked off in 2024, shortly after the departure of Xbox government Kareem Choudhry and chief advertising and marketing officer Jerret West, leaving the advertising and marketing group to report on to Bond. The report additionally claims that some Xbox staff discovered Bond “robust” to work with.
When Phil Spencer’s retirement was introduced final Friday, it was a shock to many who Bond didn’t succeed him as Microsoft Gaming CEO–instead, she stepped down as president of Xbox, with Asha Sharma taking Spencer’s place. Microsoft’s announcement of the reshuffling didn’t embody remarks from Bond, although it included letters from Spencer, Sharma, newly promoted Xbox COO Matt Booty, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Writing on her LinkedIn profile, Bond wrote: “With that, I’ve determined that is the fitting time for me to take my subsequent step, each personally and professionally.” Bond had been with Microsoft since 2017.