Interpublic of : See How Microsoft is Marketing Windows 11

The operating system is 'all about the experience, it's all about feeling it- and that is what we really wanted to come across in the ad, the feeling of immersion and fluidity,' says Kathleen Hall, Microsoft's corporate VP for brand, advertising and research.

'The way we all live now in our PCs, you get deep, you get immersed sometimes,' she adds. 'The more we can do to kind of get out of the way to facilitate your own flow is really what the philosophy of the operating system is all about. We try to depict that in that ad and that is why we went to this fantasy journey.'

The campaign includes media buys on YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Instagram and TikTok, as well as outdoor ads in major cities including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

The hype for Windows releases might never again reach the level achieved 26 years ago when Windows 95 came out. It was backed by a massive campaign that made use of the Rolling Stones' 'Start me up,' as well as 'Friends' stars Jennifer Anniston and Mathew Perry.

But the operating system upgrades remain a significant priority for Microsoft, which according to CNBC still generates 14% of its revenue from Windows. The last version, Windows 10, came out in 2015.

'Windows is no longer the beating heart of Microsoft; the company has diversified its offerings, with cloud services such as Azure or Microsoft 365 playing a more central role in the company's revenue generation and growth,' J. P. Gownder, a principal analyst at Forrester, stated in an email interview.

'That said, Windows remains relevant, both to Microsoft and to users: We learned during the pandemic that, for all the time we spend on our phones, PCs play a huge role in connecting workers (and consumers) digitally. Windows PCs will be central to the success of the biggest change in a generation to how we work-hybrid work that spans home offices and company offices,' Gownder said.

Curiosity about the latest version is exemplified by the nearly 7 million views drawn by a video Microsoft posted on YouTube in late June that plugs Windows 11 features.