For some brands, no matter what effort they go to to post something creative online they’re going to be ridiculed by snarky know-it-all bloggers. In the tech industry, it’s even harder to impress. But bravo to Microsoft for whipping up one of the most cringeworthy video spoofs, in praise of Windows Vista, and attracting one helluva response.

As planned, the video,
"Rocking Our Sales," by "Bruce ServicePack and the Vista Street Band," was attacked by the arbiters of cool Engadget and CrunchGear and other Microsoft bashers out there.

But looks as if Microsoft has had the last laugh. This was precisely the attention they were looking for from the chattering masses. Plus, it’s scored over 200,000 views on YouTube in its first week. (Nice touch: use your rival to promote your lame, but annoyingly hummable tune about your operating system).

CNet’s Charles Cooper has a mia culpa here. "Guys, the joke’s on us. Big time," he writes.

Big time, indeed.