gapingvoid: "cartoons drawn on the back of business cards"

the plot thickens...

From Microsoft Watch:

Oh my, it turns out that Microsoft really is scary after all.

Maybe just a little.

Microsoft has a new mascot, called Blue Monster--and it's not from the mass-marketing gurus that came up with the "Wow is Now" campaign for Windows Vista. Blogger Hugh MacLeod drew the creature, which he offered to buddy Microsoft employee Steve Clayton. MacLeod also is a cartoonist and marketing strategist; he doesn't work for Microsoft.

This is a striking example of how employees are turning into marketers. Clayton is stepping into the spotlight and announcing, "Regardless of what you're hearing through official channels, this is our company's story, and this sketch of a roaring monster that a friend of mine did embodies it." It's been happening for the last couple of years in Microsoft blogs, but (and as a writer it pains me to say this) you can't beat a really compelling image when it comes to getting your point across. MacLeod has given this grassroots movement within Microsoft a mascot.