New Blue Badge at Microsoft Australia or Not?

In a bid to attract young people to careers in the world of IT, Microsoft Australia has hired former Miss Australia and ex-topless model, Erin McNaught, to front a new advertising campaign. The move comes after a 38% drop in university enrolments in IT courses in Australia during the past two years.

Although McNaught has admitted that she doesn't know that much about computers, she apparently is a keen gamer, hosting the Cyber Shack TV show in Australia.
McNaught attracted controversy last year when topless pictures of her appeared in men’s magazine Zoo Weekly soon after she was named Miss Australia (the pictures had been taken in 2004).

Microsoft kick started its new advertising campaign at the student day of the Australian Information Industry Association's annual technical education conference, where McNaught was a keynote speaker. Apparently students will change their mind about not pursuing a career in IT because they see a pretty model.

While this cynical 1970's approach to marketing is tragic enough, what is really bizarre is that Microsoft has a chosen a university dropout as its poster girl. McNaught dropped out of the Queensland University of Technology, where she was studying science, to pursue a career in modeling. 


Microsoft HR has said that they did NOT hire Erin McNaught

1970s? This approach to marketting hasn't really gone out of fashion. And I for one welcome out hot-babe overlords.

Plus, at least they chose a drop-out, and not someone who never even got to University.

What wrong with hiring her?

She's not a role model cos she dropped out of school?

Big wow, she choose a more lucrative career and I bet you wouldnt mind being a pound behind her

I think's its a good idea, I know i'd sign up for the course

Don't fear the nipples!

Since when is someone "fronting an advertising campaign" considered "hired"?
As far as I know, Microsoft (and other corporations) usually outsource their advertisers, not do everything in-house. And even the ad agency likely didn't "hire" her, but rather "signed her up" for an ad campaign.

But of course, why not go all-out for sensationalistic yellow journalism by ignoring that aspect, instead finding a link between "blue badge" and a blue bikini. Bravo, eagle. I hereby award you the Hearst prize for journalism.

littleguru wrote:

She has NOT been hired! She was at a Microsoft event as Channel 10 (not our channel 10 here) reporter:

that blog you linked to was I believe the one that first published this story, they deleted their first post but the story went around the world.

Maybe she should be hired by our channel 10......

You mean Laura and Tina aren't enough in the totty stakes? I'm more than happy thanks.

(As that piece of Brit-slang will probably sail high over the heads of everyone else. "totty" is one of those oh-so-british terms most closely translated as "fine figure of a <insert gender of preference here>" it could be mildly offensive, but you'd have to be highly sensitve...

Also, this over-long paranthesis should explain the joke in wallace and gromit about Lady Tottington insisting on being called Totty.)

That's getting just gratuitous (and that picture didn't even work)

I'll redirect some Viagra spam your way..........here's some more gratuitous photos    G'Day, G'Day....

Maybe it is just because I live in San Francisco and there are plenty of unique people running around anyways, but I know (on a personal basis) of at least four women who work (have worked) in IT that either still currently model or have in the past. One of which was/is actually an adult film star who used to work for LexisNexis. I know she didn't exactly code there, but she did build her first website in PHP and I know she wrote a few apps in Java that she showed me.

I understand that Microsoft did not actually hire Erin McNaught, but I really do not see what the issue is. I don't think it "lowers" the career field to toss something like this in the mix. I encounter less women in software development than I did in the Marine Corp. I can certainly attest to the fact that females are more than competant at doing those jobs when compared to their male counterparts. So, why not break down the barrier image of what development is all about?

Plenty of women geek out, the field in general should be more inviting IMHO.

The silence from the women on this subject speaks volumes. I would have thought by now that Microsoft amongst others would have learnt their lessons about using "model girls" to sell technology and tech concepts. 

I guess if they are going to do such things (in the light of sexual equality) we should have the guy in his tight little swim shorts selling the software too if they want to sell to a women's market then   What do you think boyz? Anyone want to put themselves forward for the Male body of tech...

An_Angel wrote:

the Male body of tech...

You're right, its only fair and in that vein I think it only right that I put Blowdart forward for the job ...

An_Angel wrote:

The silence from the women on this subject speaks volumes.

Miss Oz would have an agent and publicist who may have planted the seed of this rummer.

An_Angel wrote:

 What do you think boyz?

eagle wrote:



An_Angel wrote:  What do you think boyz?

Ross has just confirmed something that we have suspected for some time now....

What, that Blowdart has a sideline working as a male model?


Herbie