14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has completely revamped the search feature of Windows 8.1 to allow users to search for both local files and web links straight from the Modern UI, so the company is now ready to take the whole concept one step further.
The Bing Smart Search will soon be updated with what Microsoft is calling Hero Ads, a new platform that displays advertisements to users searching the Internet with Windows 8.1.
The Softies have showcased the new service at an event in the Microsoft campus, with the Bing Ads team using a Range Rover advert to demonstrate the concept.
Basically, Windows 8.1 users won’t be provided with a classic ad experience, but with a new system that represents a bold step in the development of Microsoft’s Modern product line.
Users will instead get a full-screen interactive advertisement that also comes with a number of tools and gives them several options to look for more information and access details for the advertised product.
The Range Rover ad, for example, also showcases options to request a quote, schedule a test drive, locate a retailer, and find out pricing details for various car versions.
As you can see, Microsoft easily turns a classic advertisement into something that’s more like an application aimed at users of the Modern UI and specifically optimized for the touch, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that the new ad concept isn’t aimed at desktop PCs.
All options can be easily accessed with a mouse and keyboard, as long as you use the search feature available via the Start screen.
“We will continue to solicit feedback from both users and marketers during this pilot and will use those learnings to create an experience that works best for advertisers and Windows 8.1 users,” a Microsoft employee said during the presentation of the new concept.