Microsoft declined to discuss the decision to partner with Target and Amazon.com on the debut of the red Zune, with spokesperson Sara Bell telling Marketing Daily that "Microsoft typically does not disclose the details of its partnerships."
However, the timing of red Zune's launch does coincide nicely with Father's Day, around which both Target and Amazon.com will market. Microsoft is not planning anything specific around Father's Day, "except to note to a variety of media that Zune makes a delightful gift for dads," Ball says.
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"The 'iPod Amnesty Bin' was a lighthearted gesture among Zune employees and was intended to be simply a humorous motivator for only the people who are working on the project," Ball says. "It was not a company-wide program, and the bin is no longer in the lobby of the Zune building."