Charles Barkley Wins Big on the Road in CDW Campaign

Campaign Highlights Winning Combination of CDW IT Solutions and Partner Products

VERNON HILLS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CDW, a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government, education and healthcare, today launched another extension of its “People Who Get IT” campaign featuring NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley. Rebounding from his lose-to-win performance in CDW’s previous “Client Golf” campaign, the new campaign – “Winning on the Road” – features Barkley, the ultimate road warrior, hitting the road to win business, armed with the latest technology products and mobility solutions in the ultimate mobile office, powered by CDW. The campaign launches on March 16, with spots appearing on national television and radio, in print, along with a full online digital effort.

“This creative theme allows us to demonstrate our deep IT capabilities and leading technology partnerships, while continuing to engage customers in a humorous, meaningful way.”

“Everything about the IT landscape is evolving and our Winning on the Road campaign is meant to underscore how we help customers win and navigate complexity no matter where they are,” said Neal Campbell, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at CDW. “This creative theme allows us to demonstrate our deep IT capabilities and leading technology partnerships, while continuing to engage customers in a humorous, meaningful way.”

Barkley returns as an IT employee at the fictitious company Gordon & Taylor. After being introduced as the company’s “IT Ringer” hired to help win a corporate basketball league championship, and then deployed as the “Client Golfer” to win business by losing to clients on the golf course, Barkley again proves how he can help Gordon & Taylor win. Knowing that if you want to take your business to the next level, you have to win at home and on the road, he and the Gordon & Taylor team begin their journey in the ultimate mobile office powered by CDW.

The “winning at home and on the road” campaign theme allows CDW to showcase the latest products and solutions for enterprise mobility, data center optimization and network optimization, among others. The ultimate mobile technology office in the ad spots features partner solutions such as data center solutions from Cisco, NetApp and VMware and printing solutions from HP, along with the CDW capabilities that power these solutions.

Ogilvy & Mather, Chicago, worked with CDW to develop the integrated campaign, which features broadcast, print and online advertising; a “Winning on the Road” microsite where users can follow Gordon & Taylor’s journey and see how CDW powers high-profile sports facilities; social media and internal engagement programs; sales enablement; and, public relations support. The ads, directed by award-winning and Hall of Fame television commercial director Joe Pytka, begin airing March 16 and will run on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV during college basketball.

To access behind the scenes footage and other exclusive campaign materials, visit CDW on Twitter or CDW on Facebook.

About CDW

CDW is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government, education and healthcare. Ranked No. 31 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies and No. 270 on the FORTUNE 500, CDW was founded in 1984 and employs more than 6,800 coworkers. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the company generated net sales of $10.1 billion. For more information, visit www.CDW.com.