Ad Watchdog Calls Out Microsoft for Confusing 'Copilot' Branding Across Its Products

Microsoft’s approach of advertising Copilot by relating it to everything at this point has started causing confusion. Employees have even joked about the company’s naming habits before. Now, a paywalled report by Business Insider suggests that Microsoft’s “Copilot everything” advertisement is drawing criticism from an advertising watchdog.

According to the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division (NAD), Microsoft’s use of “Copilot” across all its AI tools may mislead customers. The watchdog says the tools don’t actually work “seamlessly across all your data” as advertised.

Also read: Microsoft brings Copilot Notebooks to OneNote for enterprise users

For example, using Copilot in Business Chat doesn’t provide the same in-app functionality you get in Word or PowerPoint—unless you copy and paste responses manually. NAD also took issue with Microsoft’s productivity claims, saying the improvement figures reflect self-reported perceptions, not actual performance data.

In a statement, Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s AI at Work chief marketing officer, said:

We take seriously our responsibility to provide clear, transparent, and accurate information to our customers. Companies choose Microsoft 365 Copilot because it delivers measurable value, securely and at scale. From Barclays rolling out Copilot to 100,000 employees, to Dow identifying millions in potential savings—the data speaks for itself.

Also read: Don’t want Copilot AI in Notepad on Windows 11? Here’s how to disable it

Well, Microsoft isn’t backing down entirely. While it disagrees with some of NAD’s conclusions, the company says it’ll comply with the watchdog’s recommendations. That’s not all; a recent Microsoft presentation reportedly outlines plans to streamline how Copilot products are marketed. After all, even powerful AI needs a clearer pitch.