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Microsoft takes Scroogled campaign to the next level with anti Google merchandise

Microsoft takes Scroogled campaign to the next level with anti-Google merchandise

By Anupam Saxena | Updated: 21 November 2013 20:05 IST

Microsoft continues its attack against Google by taking its Scroogled campaign beyond the online realm, offering merchandise such as mugs, caps, T-shirts and hoodies, with an anti-Google message, on its online store.

The products feature the Scroogled logo in Google colours or a Chrome logo with hate messages for Google. A mug, for instance, bears the message, 'Keep calm while we steal your data.'

A T-shirt that features over 20 synonyms including 'Gulled, Humbugged, Buffaloed, Wire-tapped, Extorted, Sold out, Chicaned, Fleeced, Scammed, Conned, Surveilled, Double-dealt, Ensnared, Suckered, Sandbagged, Gossiped, Scandalmongered, Flimflammed, Skullduggered, Bamboozled, Hornswoggled, Beguiled, Cheated, Fooled, Double-crossed, Defrauded, Hoodwinked, Swindled, and Duped,' is also available on the Microsoft store.

Another T-shirt features the Google spider with a 'Step into our web' message. Some T-shirts look like a different take on Google's own merchandise.

While Microsoft has attacked Google a number of times, this attempt appears to be a very direct one. Sure, they'd appeal to Microsoft fans and Google haters alike, but not everyone would find it in good taste.

A few months back, Microsoft created a new page on its Scroogled.com website explaining how Google was spamming users by inserting ads in their inboxes instead of protecting them from spam. Microsoft had put a video and slideshow detailing how Google serves spam that looks like regular emails based on the user's other emails. Microsoft had alleged that Google violated users' privacy by reading every single word of every single email sent to and from their Gmail accounts.

Microsoft started the Scroogled campaign in April through which it attacked Google with a series of ad campaigns. The ads, which have appeared online, on television and in print, depict Google as a duplicitous company more interested in increasing profits and power than protecting people's privacy and providing unbiased search results.

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Further reading: Google, Microsoft, Scroogled