Intel sinks 'hundreds of millions' of dollars into Ultrabook ad campaign
In an effort to get the Ultrabook thin-and-light PC platform off the ground, Intel has kickstarted an ambitious campaign that will cover TV, print and online ads in what the company calls “A New Era in Computing.”
The first TV spot of what will presumably be a veritable onslaught of commercials was unveiled on Intel's Twitter page on Wednesday as part of the expansive campaign that some are calling the company's largest since its 2003 Centrino push, reports The Wall Street Journal.
"Desperado" plays on the "old-fashioned" world of mobile PC computing, with the ad exuding the polish of a high-cost production.
In the commercial, a pair of rustlers sitting in a wild west saloon bemoan their "laptops," which look like antiques from the early 1990's. After a waitress quips that "y'all need to put that thing out of its misery," a young man evoking Michael J. Fox's character in "Back to the Future Part III" walks in and opens his MacBook Air lookalike Ultrabook which immediately starts up. The grizzled old-timers are offended by the newcomer's brazen actions and engage in a high-noon-duel-inspired standoff.
Short of revealing the payoff, the cowboys turn out to be cowpokes and the ad ends with "Ultrabook, inspired by Intel." The new tag is a play on the company's ubiquitous "powered by Intel" catchphrase used in all of its ads up to this point.
Intel won't divulge how much money it has set aside for the ad blitz besides saying the figure is in the "hundreds of millions."
San Francisco advertising firm Venables Bell & Partners is in charge of the campaign, and commercials were shot on film and on location to convey a more film-like quality.
The second and third TV spots are said to follow the "old-fashioned" theme and are set in Ming dynasty China and a medieval castle. During mid-April, Intel will be dedicating a portion of its website to an interactive online ad that utilizes unused footage from the TV commercials to form a type of "choose your own adventure" experience.
As part of the campaign, the chip maker is attempting to overcome the possible misconception that an Ultrabook is merely a more powerful version of the low-cost netbook, a platform also backed by Intel when it was first introduced. The new Ultrabook platform is taking direct aim at the demographic currently served by Apple's MacBook Air, which uses the company's Core i5 and i7 processors.
With the new product category, Intel is trying to walk a line between full-fledged laptops and mobile devices like tablets which some see as harbingers of death for the PC.
“There’s a lot of people talking about the ‘post-PC era,’ or the end of the PC,” says Kevin Sellers, Intel’s vice president of sales and marketing and director of advertising and digital marketing. “We don’t view it that way.”
In a report earlier this week, two Intel representatives outlined how the Ultrabook platform outperforms both the MacBook Air and the iPad by being the best of both worlds. Devices are set to be offered from a variety of manufacturers like Lenovo and Asus, with arrival dates coming before the end of 2012.
The campaign is primed to kick off in the U.S. with the April 6 airing of "Desperado."
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
Ultrabook-inspired by the Mac Book Air. Funded by Intel.
I'd say that based on the rumor mill, they have lots to worry about to preserve the WIndows 8 platform coming out. If the rumors are correct, Apple will Thunderbolt which the Ultrabooks don't seem to have. Apple will have higher resolution displays, which the Ultrabooks don't have, everything else is pretty much the same (some with optical drives, etc.) I think Intel shouldn't have to get involved since they supply processors to both Apple and these other mfg., maybe Intel should also try to help Apple sell product. I am wondering why Intel has to take such a lead role. I mean, doesn't Intel want to push Thunderbolt technology as well, since it is their design? Yeah, The Ultrabooks might outperform the CURRENT MacBookAir, but the MacBookAir is going to get an upgrade, or did Intel tell you that? Deceptive practices at its best. Intel sometimes can be just as bad as anyone else in this industry.
Intel sells to both sides therefore Intel wins no matter if you are apple fanboy or not. It used to be intel designed chips solely for the air but now all use the same chips. PC still uses more than apple does. 1 vendor vs 100's. Dont be dumb
Ultrabook, inspired by Intel.
And what inspired Intel?
In case any Australians here missed the fine print.
Ultrabooks seem more "inspired" by Apple.
Screen Images Simulated
In case any Australians here missed the fine print.
Ultrabooks seem more "inspired" by Apple.
which are inspired by Sony
Even with the actual MBA product and blueprint in their hand, they STILL can't do it. Yet, Intel and the whole industry are going to put lipstick on this pig and push it out the door as "great" and "class leading" and "better" WTF
And now, Apple will launch the next version and keep pouring all the learnings from iOS into it, including huge ramps in battery, potential Retina display, Airplay. FaceTime HD, OSX Lion, big increases and speed in SSD. The size of the new iPad battery is almost 2x the size of the iPad 2 in essentially the same form factor - this is all coming to MBA. The gap will grow dramatically in the next couple of releases
I own INTC stock, but I'm embarrassed for the company for following in Apple's footsteps so blatantly. It is embarrassing to see Intel and the PC industry do this and have the balls to use the tagline "Inspired by Intel". What a joke
And, it is a dangerous game for Intel to go to war with arguably its most important customer. Very dangerous
Intel sells to both sides therefore Intel wins no matter if you are apple fanboy or not. It used to be intel designed chips solely for the air but now all use the same chips. PC still uses more than apple does. 1 vendor vs 100's. Dont be dumb
Only if Intel's advertising actually increases the number of systems sold. If they simply switch customers from buying MacBook Airs to buying Ultrabooks, there's no benefit (unless Intel is charging the other companies significantly more than Apple). So Intel would be spending hundreds of millions of dollars and not gain anything.
Intel could win or lose depending on the scenario, though.
If Apple is planning to leave Intel for AMD or ARM (neither one very likely in my view), then any customers that intel switches from Apple to clones would be a gain.
OTOH, if Apple was not planning to leave Intel, but this advertising causes them to, then Intel loses. Again, I don't see Apple changing their plans on the basis of Intel's advertising.
Inspired by Intel?? Surely you Jest. Try
Ultrabook-inspired by the Mac Book Air. Funded by Intel.
+1.
Inspired by Intel?? Surely you Jest. Try
Ultrabook-inspired by the Mac Book Air. Funded by Intel.
In reality, Intel and Apple collaborated very closely on the original MBA design. Apple may have lead the aesthetics of the MBA, but it was actually Intel that designed the component architecture. Source: I work in this industry.
In an effort to get the Ultrabook thin-and-light PC platform off the ground, Intel has kickstarted an ambitious campaign that will cover TV, print and online ads in what the company calls “A New Era in Computing.”
A new era? More like continuation of the previous uninspired era. Higlights include: 1) imitating Apple hardware, 2) hyping a wanna-be product, 3) relying on bloatware commonly known as the majorcrap OS, and 4) the usual "Apple made it first but we improved on it by changing a few things to prevent copyright infringement" hype. Saying it's better doesn't make it so...
And now, Apple will launch the next version and keep pouring all the learnings from iOS into it, including huge ramps in battery, potential Retina display, Airplay. FaceTime HD, OSX Lion, big increases and speed in SSD. The size of the new iPad battery is almost 2x the size of the iPad 2 in essentially the same form factor - this is all coming to MBA.
really looking forward to this.