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Smoked by Windows Phone ads move to TV, Microsoft targets Samsung's Galaxy S3

Smoked by Windows Phone ads move to TV, Microsoft targets Samsung's Galaxy S3

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Smoked by Windows Phone
Smoked by Windows Phone

Smoked by Windows Phone originally appeared at CES 2012 before heading to YouTube in a series of challenges on streets and in Microsoft retail stores. Designed as a way to compare Windows Phone features against the competition, smoked by Windows Phone, or the Windows Phone challenge as Microsoft now refers to it, will start airing on national TV this week. A short 30-second spot of a Lumia 920 vs. Samsung's Galaxy S3 will air on ESPN and CBS throughout the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournament.

The ad directly targets Samsung's Galaxy S3, comparing the camera differences in low-light conditions. "Say hello to the Nokia Lumia and say goodbye to bad smartphone photos," claims the voiceover in the ad. Samsung also manufactures Windows Phones, so it's odd to see Microsoft targeting a competitor in TV ads that's also a partner for its own phones. Either way, Microsoft is clearly a fan of the campaign if it's taking it to national TV screens. Stephen Elop, Nokia's CEO, is too and the company has previously adopted it for "the Lumia Challenge" on the streets of London. Nokia hasn't taken its own campaign to TV screens just yet though, leaving its close ally to do the heavy lifting.