The intended message for Microsoft’s “a tribute to 25 Years of Office users” was to exemplify how modern day life has evolved quickly growing into the 21st century and how Microsoft’s software has changed people’s productivity in their workplace or background. The denotation-connotation relationship is shown through Sandro’s photography by expressing how well the Office software has developed over time to help within the duration of one’s person’s life whether it was building data for spreadsheet or simply building a presentation for a class. The expressions shown from the subjects reinforce the idea of confidence, strength and resilience that Microsoft products offer to its market base.
Sandro’s uses a wide range of light from front-lit, side-lit, backlit and even directional-diffused light. They seem to work within the campaign’s agenda in my opinion. The texture is emphasized due to the light hitting the subject from an angle. I’d say that most of the photos are using are using selective focus and a mid-range of depth of field between background and subject. For the most part, the overall images use an eye-level viewpoint, making the relationship between subject and audience more easily relatable.
When applied to the metaphor of mirrors and windows, I definitely think the campaign is more of a mirror then a window. The use of rule-of-thirds when looking at these photo’s make you feel as if you could be one of these subjects, getting shot on your big game date, while your company breaks new industry standards or when you develop the next greatest videogame blockbuster. Within that moment, the lighting used in each photo stands as triumphant aspect of each photo, as if each subject has just won a new achievement. The achievement doesn’t seem to be a surprise to any one of these subjects, but the certainty in their expressions allows the audience to understand that hard-work was put in to place and no luck was involved, only the expertise offered by Microsoft through it’s Office software to be a helping-hand for each of our subject’s successes.
As you state, the campaign intends for the viewer to want to be the people in the ads. Of the three you choose, two are good at sports and one is a well-loved mother. All three are types of success. but not success at work. So what is the message? Use Microsoft and it will get you out of the office to the things you really love. As you state this campaign functions as a mirror in the Szarkowski sense though of the consumer’s desires.