DELL TRIES TO MAKE US 'THINK DIFFERENT'

Just like Apple?

In a new TV spot, Dell wants us to swallow that it has recaptured its entrepreneurial spirit. The commercial shows an empty garage, an empty room, and then another and another and another, each where various successful companies had their starts. All empty, except for one with a cat. The spot ends in the room where Michael Dell sold his first computers.

Don’t all companies start from some humble beginning?

Will anyone actually believe this pitch with Dell’s $57B in sales? And even so, who will care?

The Insanity of Advertising has a chapter devoted to Dell when it actually was an entrepreneurial company, delivering outrageous customer service and satisfaction that the competition couldn’t match; and doing effective advertising that exploited these very real benefits. (www.theinsanityofadvertisng.com)

This commercial tries to change Dell’s stripes, but it’s kind of like pissing in the ocean and hoping to change the color of the water.  It makes the company feel warm, but doesn’t deliver anything for the customer. Corporate wee wee!

Well, at least they won’t have to pay any talent residuals, except maybe to the cat.