No one can accuse Microsoft Surface marketing of copying Apple iPad

That didn't take long. A day after debuting the first Windows 8 TV commercial, Microsoft puts out another -- this one for Surface. There's a theater of the bizarre quality about the ad spot, which features lots of folks dancing with tablets. I half expected to see digitally-inserted cameos with Fred Alistair and Ginger Rogers. No one could accuse Microsoft of copying Apple iPad marketing, that's for sure.

The commercial focuses on Surface's attachable keyboard and pop-out stand and the click sounds they make. There is lots of action centered around clicking. You won't learn anything about what Surface does from the one-minute jig or how much the tablet costs (oh, do we want to know). But people will remember the commercial, the slate and the colorful Modern UI. That's the whole point of advertising: get people to remember something.

In watching both spots, I am absolutely struck by how dynamically Windows' new user interface stands out. It is unmistakable, highly recognizable. The damn thing is practically a brand icon/logo, it's so recognizable. If the Modern UI is good for nothing else, marketing Windows will be it. From that perspective, the tile motif is brilliantly conceived.