MAM
Microsoft’s new campaign looks to ‘Start Something Amazing’
MUMBAI: Software giant ,Microsoft, has announced the five winners of its Start Something Amazing Awards.
This consumer oriented programme, honours the unique and inspiring ways that people use Microsoft Windows-related technology in simple yet powerful ways to pursue their everyday passions.
The five winners each showcased uses of Windows technology to enjoy their interests — from producing a sketch-comedy TV show and connecting with the deaf community to drag racing, tackling the issue of food insecurity and running a music studio.
Microsoft chairman and chief software architect, Bill Gates, met the winners at Microsoft’s headquarters in the US a few days ago. He presented their awards and named 15-year-old, Jeannine Johnson, as the grand prize winner to be featured in a Microsoft ad.
Gates said, “We celebrate the achievements of five highly creative individuals who used the Microsoft Windows platform to pursue their passions. Their stories, along with those of thousands of others who entered the Start Something Amazing Awards, are inspirational examples of the transformative power of technology.”
The Start Something Amazing Awards were created to support the global awareness campaign called Start Something. This is one of the largest and longest marketing campaigns in the Windows brand history, which, celebrates the countless possibilities for Windows to bring what people are passionate about to life using the hundreds of thousands of software applications and devices that work with Microsoft Windows XP.
Johnson, the grand prize winner, will be featured in a Microsoft advertisement scheduled to run in Entertainment Weekly, ESPN Magazine, National Geographic and Rolling Stone in the coming months. In addition to the earlier mentioned trip to Seattle to meet Bill Gates, each winner received $5,000 in the latest Windows technology, including a Windows XP Media Center Edition-based PC, Tablet PC and iriver H10 portable music device, as well as the following
once-in-a-lifetime prizes designed to further celebrate their passions.
ESPN US is offering Johnson a trip to go behind the scenes at ESPN’s headquarters in Connecticut including a tour and an opportunity to meet the SportsCenter personalities, as well as an appearance on ESPN2’s Cold Pizza to talk about her ultimate sports experience. She and a guest will also have lunch or dinner with an athlete at New York City’s ESPN Zone.
Brands
Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
