I saw a blog post by Robert Hensing talking about Microsoft's new GPS product and its very uncreative name. This is related to a conversation some co-workers and I were having today. We were trying to think of when Microsoft marketing had a really big success on the product front. Vista and Zune, which Robert talks about, aren't exactly catchy names. If you look at the original packaging for Zune, it was a real eye sore which didn't convey what a Zune was (brown and orange box colors didn't help). The robot for Windows Server 2008 is okay, but it doesn't make me want to go get a copy or even really hit a web page about it.

I know Apple has received a lot of press because their products have had great advertising campaigns. Think about the iPod campaign where you could see the folks dancing and they were listening to iPods and how they changed back and forth with the media types. But they chose upbeat music, folks who were able to convey having a good time, etc. That carried over to say, "Get an iPod and join in on the fun." Mazda has ZoomZoom. You get the idea.

Then I thought about the new SQL Server 2008 logo. It's nice, but it's not a homerun by any stretch. I think MVP Darren Gosbell has a better take with his kookaburra version of the logo.