Dell Paints Super Bowl (RED)

The new Dell commercial had some stiff competition this year. While last year's Super Bowl was a commercial blah fest, this year's game was a trendy, funny advertising feast. Even without the stiff competition, I give the Dell commercial a B-.

For Dell, the TV commercial is absolutely trendy. It's a good sign about where Dell advertising could be going, which benefits Microsoft, too. After all, the (RED) PCs run Windows Vista Ultimate (RED) Edition.

There's a real aspirational quality—that you could be treated specially, looked on like a rock star, for buying a laptop. The connotations are great and the ad connects on an emotional level.

But, personally, I have a real problem with the idea that buying a laptop is a goodwill gesture. C'mon, who is the buyer really helping when buying a personal computer? From that perspective, the rock star-like response to buying the Dell (RED) notebook is too much.

That said, I do like the commercial as a concept, and it's one of the best for a Windows PC to come 'round in a long time.

Side note: On Saturday, I stopped by the Best Buy in the Mission Valley area of San Diego. I looked for those (PRODUCT) RED displays and computers promised by Dell and Microsoft. I saw a red Gateway notebook, but no (RED) anything.

Going back to the big game commercials, the Pepsi Max spot was the hit of the Super Bowl party I attended. Everyone raved about it. Me too.

Related Posts:

• What's Google Doing on Vista (RED)?, Microsoft Watch, Jan. 29, 2008
• Dell, Microsoft See (PRODUCT) RED, Microsoft Watch, Jan. 23, 2008