Windows Phone 8 Commercials May Feature Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani

The Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) may soon adopt a Hail Mary marketing strategy for its new Windows Phone 8, with A-list celebrities Jay-Z and Gwen Stefani starring in commercials for the gadget.

Besides the big American names such as Jay-Z and Stefani, the marketing campaign will feature British celebrities such as James Corden in the attempt to sell the Windows Phone 8 as a unique work of art, the Sun reported. Brit Holly Willoughby will also be one of the campaigners, The Next Web said.

The reported commercials appear to fit in with Microsoft’s new “Reinvented Around You” advertising campaign, which illustrates just how the Windows Phone 8 is tailored to its customers’ individual lives.

The Reinvented Around You ads push the idea that the Windows Phone 8 is not for just anyone, but rather tailored specifically for each individual user. Of course, the implication of these ads is that the Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone is mass-produced, noncustomizable, and squarely uniform.

Presumably, Jay-Z, Stefani, and others will complement this series of ads, showing just how personal the Windows Phone 8 is and how much it impacts each of their daily lives.

One such commercial already on the air features Microsoft CEO Steven A. Ballmer describing how customizable and useful he finds his Windows Phone 8.

While the Ballmer commercial definitely highlights the smartphone’s strong points, you have to admit that Jay-Z is a much hipper spokesman than Ballmer.

It seems Microsoft’s latest ad campaign will be focusing just as much on the Windows Phone 8’s coolness as its technical specifications. And in a world where Apple sells millions of units based on commercials featuring hip indie rock music, that may not be a bad move at all for the tech giant.