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# The Evolution of Microsoft's Windows Server 2008 Marketing: A Social Media Experiment
- URL: https://jesscoburn.com/blog/im-the-face-of-windows-server-2008-and-you-can-be-too/
- Published: 2007-07-27T12:51:52.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-14T21:07:55.000Z
- Description: Microsoft's innovative "Face of Windows Server 2008" campaign demonstrated early social media marketing tactics that would become standard practice in enterprise technology promotion.
- Author: Jess Coburn
- Tags: Blog, The Cool Stuff

## The Campaign Discovery

At the Microsoft World Wide Partner Conference in Denver, I encountered an unusual marketing initiative. Microsoft was promoting "The Face of Windows Server 2008" — a morphing composite image created from user-submitted photos. The campaign invited IT professionals to contribute their photos to create a constantly evolving visual representation of the Windows Server community.

The initial composite face was distinctly unusual, appearing almost alien-like due to the morphing algorithm's attempt to blend diverse facial features into a single image.

![The original composite face of Windows Server 2008 showing an alien-like morphed appearance](https://jesscoburn.com/content/images/2026/03/image-thumb.png') 

## Campaign Mechanics and Participation

The campaign operated through Microsoft's dedicated portal where users could:

- Upload personal photos
- View their integration into the composite face
- Track real-time participation statistics
- Watch morphing animations of their contribution

### Participation Metrics

When I participated in July 2007, the campaign had generated:

- 333 faces from the United States
- 18 faces uploaded in the previous 24 hours
- 27.9% Systems Engineers among participants
- 9.6% Analysts among participants

## The Technology Behind the Experience

The platform utilized facial recognition and morphing technology to identify key facial landmarks, then blended each new submission into the existing composite. The process created an animated sequence showing individual transformation into the collective face — an early example of personalized digital marketing content.

Interestingly, the system incorrectly categorized my role as "bookkeeper" rather than technology executive, highlighting the limitations of early automated profiling systems.

![Face profile showing incorrect job classification as bookkeeper](https://jesscoburn.com/content/images/2026/03/jess-win2008-face-bookkeeper-thumb1.png') 

## Strategic Implications for Enterprise Marketing

This campaign represented several marketing innovations that would become standard:

- **User-Generated Content:** Leveraging customer participation to create marketing assets
- **Social Proof:** Demonstrating community adoption through visual representation
- **Personalization:** Creating unique experiences for each participant
- **Viral Mechanics:** Encouraging sharing through novel, personalized content

## Why This Still Matters

While the technology may seem primitive by today's standards, Microsoft's Windows Server 2008 campaign pioneered several concepts that remain relevant:

- Community-driven marketing in B2B technology
- Interactive digital experiences for enterprise audiences
- Data collection through engaging user participation
- Visual storytelling in technical product promotion

The campaign demonstrated that even highly technical enterprise products could benefit from creative, socially-driven marketing approaches. Modern technology leaders should recognize how user engagement and community building can enhance product adoption and brand loyalty — principles that remain essential in today's digital marketing landscape.