Bing Unveils Magical Holiday Calendar Featuring Surprises and Free Offers

REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bing today is launching the first-ever Bing Magical Holiday Calendar, offering eligible visitors a month of free offers, sweepstakes and inspiration to make this holiday uniquely special. Bing will be offering exciting prizes this season — including a trip around the world, free concerts for a year, free cars, ultimate fashion experiences and more from partners including Complex Media, Derek Lam, Fiat, Hulu Plus, Live Nation Entertainment, Lonely Planet and Spotify.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

Bing knows the holidays are about so much more than giving and receiving, with more than 90 percent of people* saying their favorite thing about the holidays is enjoying experiences with others. To help you decide what your special holidays will look like, Bing will offer creative ideas, projects and sharable fun to help you celebrate. Bing is bringing the gift of unique experiences and exclusive giveaways to you every day throughout December — check Bing.com/holiday daily for details and official rules.

To celebrate, TV personality Kelly Osbourne is sharing her holiday traditions and tips for making new traditions all your own. Osbourne — actress, musician and current co-host of "Fashion Police" on E! — is the daughter of one of Hollywood's most famous families, with an array of unique holiday traditions to share for inspiration.

• Holiday cards from friends and family can double as personalized, festive decor. The Osbourne family loves going through their stack of cards together and choosing their favorites to display throughout the house.
• Picture this: Ozzy Osbourne as Santa Claus. Kelly says that when she and her brother Jack were kids, their dad would stomp around on the roof, pretending he had just landed with his sleigh.
• Forget "White Christmas," this year's holiday is going green. Kelly and her roommate are making a Christmas tree from various materials recycled from around the house — eco-friendly and festive!
• Kelly always gives gifts with a personal touch. In the past, a touching video with a special song moved her mom, Sharon, to tears. Other gifts to expect from Kelly include personalized letters or drawings that express meaningful thoughts and feelings to loved ones. But if you were planning to shop for Kelly this holiday, don't! She prefers to be on the giving end instead.
• The ugly Christmas sweater phenomenon has officially been approved by the "Fashion Police" co-host herself! Kelly believes in dressing appropriately for the occasion, so if your family is an ugly Christmas sweater kind of family, embrace it for this one day of the year. You'll be able to savor the silly photos and happy memories for years to come.
• One tradition that stands the test of time is going home for the holidays — Kelly's favorite place to spend the most wonderful time of the year.

"In the spirit of celebrating traditions new and old, we're trying something new and — together with Ms. Osbourne and our partners — Bing will unveil daily surprises in our Bing Magical Holiday Calendar this December," said Lisa Gurry, director, Bing. "Part of the fun is the unexpected surprise awaiting you each day, and trust me you'll want to check it out every day to see what we have in store!"

About Bing

At Bing, we believe that as the Internet evolves, so should search. Bing takes the world's information and services on the Web and makes them more useful by delivering an innovative and intuitive search experience, visually organizing results and bringing in social signals from your friends. The end result? A search engine that takes you from searching and finding, to searching and doing. Try it for yourself at Bing.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

* According to a November 2011 Bing/Impulse Research Survey of adults ages 18–24.

SOURCE Microsoft