Brands & Branding Culture

Why Microsoft’s Clippy Comeback Says More About Brand Trust Than Nostalgia

Microsoft’s new Copilot avatar Mico hides a familiar face, and in doing so, reveals why familiarity still builds trust in a world obsessed with innovation.

Oct 29, 2025

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I was watching Microsoft’s fall update last week, the Copilot announcement filled with AI demos and discussions about the future of productivity.

Then came the real surprise…

On the screen appeared Mico, Copilot’s new avatar. A soft, shapeshifting orb that reacts to your voice, it was introduced to make artificial intelligence feel a little more human and perhaps build some more trust. The audience seemed impressed enough. But what caught my attention was not Mico itself. It was what happened next.

If you tapped on the avatar a few times, Mico changed form to none other than Clippy. The little paperclip from Microsoft Office, blinking and grinning like it was 1998 again.

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