Microsoft Surface Ad Dances Up The Charts

We all love getting our hands on a new gadget. The legions of tech-fans who queue up for days waiting for the latest iPhone or Samsung Tablet are testament to that excited feeling you get when you buy the latest device. Well, one device seems to be so exciting that it can inspire an entire town to dance with glee.

Microsoft entered the Battle of the Tablets a few months ago, pitching their Surface device against the mighty iPad, as well as the Google Nexus and Samsung's Galaxy Tab. While this hard-fought slog has spilled over into a an all-out tech war, seeing the competing brands taking each other to court and ridiculing each other in online ads, Microsoft have hit on something a little more upbeat.

Directed by Jon Chu, who called the shots on dance spectaculars Step Up 2 and Step Up 3D, Microsoft's latest ad is packed with dance, music, smiles and Surface tablets. 

It all starts as one unsuspecting Surface owner sits down at a picnic table and assembles his device. That's right, the gadget looks like any ordinary tablet until you attach the keyboard, which makes it look like an ordinary laptop.

The satisfying click of the keyboard fitting into place becomes the catalyst for a massive outpouring of joy, in the form of mass choreography. The Surface is very much part of the action, the device's stand becomes a drum kit, schoolgirls do street dance routines with the gadget in hand and breakdancers stuff the tablet down their trousers as they spin on their heads.

It's all a lot of fun, with bright colours, cool moves and beautiful settings, but it's not got a whole lot to do with the product. Much like the launch video, Microsoft seem to be marketing the Surface as an exhilarating experience rather than a useful device. 

This hasn't stopped the ad becoming one of the biggest ads of this week, earning nearly 1.6 million views in just 3 days. With over 116,000 shares, the combination of dance and tech seems to have worked, making for a fun video that doesn't fall into the tech trap of droning on about processor power and megapixels.

Perhaps this could start a new trend in online ads, mixing dance with hi-tech toys, we can't wait to see the next iPhone promoted with tap dancing.