HP Unveils Back-to-School Viral Marketing Campaign

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(EON:Enhanced Online News)--

“When we first read the scripts, the campaign felt really true to something that kids would want to do to their parents”

Core News

• HP (NYSE:HPQ) is building on its PC market momentum this back-to-school season with a viral marketing campaign that speaks directly to teens and their parents, the first of its kind from a PC company.
• HP’s new "Society for Parental Mind Control" youth marketing campaign for this back-to-school season continues the evolution of HP’s PC marketing efforts with edgier ads and viral videos found at www.controltheirminds.com
• The humorous, Society for Parental Mind Control marketing elements and videos directed by popular music video directors, the Malloy brothers, play on every teen’s secret desire to control their parents and get exactly what they want, when they want it.
• The online campaign was designed to create demand through compelling back-to-school offerings such as the HP Pavilion dv6500t Special Edition Entertainment Notebook PC priced at $999. www.shopping.hp.com/series/category/notebooks/dv6500tse_series /3/computer_store (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

• HP’s Society for Parental Mind Control marketing campaign is an extension of “The Computer is Personal Again,” HP’s award-winning marketing campaign featuring NetGen icons such as Jay-Z and Shaun White.
• The Computer is Personal Again campaign focuses on the highly individual and personal relationship people have with their computers, unique to each user. Whether people are creating a spreadsheet or a work of art, HP’s goal is to make the personal computer a more powerful personal tool. www.hp.com/personalagain.com
• The total campaign spend for the Society for Parental Mind Control is several million dollars, including traditional, web and viral marketing elements across a wide range of network and cable television, major newspapers, grassroots efforts and a variety of websites such as Facebook, MTV, MySpace, MSN, Bebo, Gurl and Flip.
• The campaign was created by San Francisco advertising agency McCann Erickson.

Quote Attributable to David Roman, vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP

• “With the back-to-school buying season approaching, HP’s Society of Parental Mind Control marketing campaign provides a humourous way for teens to communicate to their parents what type of PC is right for them. The latest viral videos and interactive marketing elements are an extension of HP’s The Computer is Personal Again marketing campaign and further emphasize HP’s commitment to delivering a personal PC experience to everyone.”

Quote Attributable to Brendan Malloy, Co-founder, Black Dog Films

• "When we first read the scripts, the campaign felt really true to something that kids would want to do to their parents,” said Brendan Malloy of Black Dog Films, who created the viral videos for the campaign. “Although ‘Mind Control’ feels like a very technical maneuver reserved only for the techie kids, we cast teenagers that were very typical to get across that all kids are into mind control."

Links
www.controltheirminds.com
www.hp.com

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Brendan Malloy

About HP

HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers – from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $97.1 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2007. More information about HP is available at www.hp.com.

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