I'm sure when you sit down with the marketing and public relations folks at your company, ideas get tossed around that never see the light of day, right?  Sometimes the ideas are great… just not feasible.  Maybe they're too expensive.  Or maybe you can't decide on the how or the who or the what of the deal.  And then sometimes the ideas are just bad.

MacDailyNews is covering a story that involves Microsoft, AMD, Acer, a Ferrari logo, and a really bad PR call.

According to the report, Microsoft recently partnered with AMD to send a select group of prominent technology bloggers brand new Acer laptop computers sporting, among other things, Ferrari logos.  Oh yeah… and Windows Vista.  I'm guessing the idea was to put Vista in front of the people with the loudest voices to get them using the product in hopes that they'd write something positive about it.  In grand blogger style, they wrote something alright.  They called Microsoft on the tactic and made the move a matter of public record.

Two problems with Microsoft's decision:

1. As most folks have already say, it looks like bribery.  A lot of people might not want to talk smack about the company that just sent them a spanking new laptop.  Bribery, although sometimes a successful tactic, is never a good idea.  When the public finds out about it, they usually look upon it with disapproving glares.  Shame on you, Microsoft.
2. The second problem is that it makes absolutely no sense.  Hey Microsoft… have you ever read a blog?  The people who write blogs write about everything.  Did you really think bloggers, of all people, would keep quiet about your bribe gift?  Come on.  That's just not common sense by any stretch of the imagination.

That being said, I'm currently accepting bribes of all kinds.  I must not have made Microsoft's list this go around.  Maybe next time.  My mailbox is always open for bribery, though.  I can't guarantee I'll write what you want me to write, but I'll take your bribe.  If your product is garbage I'll say that it's garbage.  But just because I won't write what you want doesn't mean that you can't send me stuff.

Come on.  Bribe me.