• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, October 19, 2012

The 30-second spot for Microsoft’s forthcoming Surface tablet is the most effective tablet-only ad to air this year, according to TV and video analytics service Ace Metrix. The Surface ad, which debuted during “Dancing with the Stars” this week and features its own dance sequence, had a score of 674, edging out a pair of ads for the Samsung Galaxy Note that launched in September.

"iPhoria is wearing off in the tablet market, and the introduction of the Surface has given Microsoft quite a few 'cool' points among consumers," said Peter Daboll, CEO of Ace Metrix.  "The new Surface ads have flipped the 'Mac vs. PC' campaign on its head introducing intense aspiration among consumers, as evidenced by very high 'change,' 'desire,' and 'attention' Ace scores.

Whether Microsoft can turn those “cool points” into actual sales will become clear when the Surface hits stores on Oct. 26. The company said this week that pricing its new tablet will start at $499 for the 32GB version, matching the iPad, and range up to $699 for the 64 GB model.