Microsoft taps brain behind ‘Scroogled’ ads as chief strategy officer

Has Microsoft’s Scroogled ad campaign convinced you to switch to Bing yet? Probably not but that isn’t going to stop Microsoft from unleashing similar anti-Google ads in the future, especially now that it’s appointed one-time political consultant Mark Penn to be its chief strategy officer. Penn, who masterminded Microsoft’s not-exactly-successful Scroogled campaign, will be new CEO Satya Nadella’s point man for strategic decisions at Microsoft that will include “input in the area of competitive research and analysis.” In his letter announcing the new appointment, Nadella said that Penn will use his “unique skill set across a broader set of challenges facing the company, from new product ideas to helping shape the overall areas of strategic investment.” Before working on the not-quite-successful Scroogled campaign, Penn was best known for his work on the not-quite-successful political campaign to get Hillary Clinton elected president in 2008.