Intel has paired its iconic mnemonic tone with one of the best-known musical compositions in the world for its latest campaign that aims to show the chip manufacture does more than just power computers.
The company worked with creative agency of record McGarryBowen in crafting its latest video campaign, "Experience Amazing," for more than a year. The journey to create the spot included travels to Austria, working with NASA and hiring one-woman band Kawehi to mix Ludwig van Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" with Intel's jingle bong.
The company hopes its latest cross-platform campaign will demonstrate how the brand has evolved beyond the perception of just being a chip manufacturer to one that creates "amazing human experiences," said Teresa Herd, VP-global creative director at Intel.
"We have to tell people about all these amazing things Intel has been a part of," Ms. Herd told Ad Age. "When we were working with McGarry, I was like, 'Did you know that we were in the space shuttle? And the Hubble Space Telescope and Stephen Hawking's computer?' Intel's been part of these huge cultural experiences, and we as a company never talked about them or tried to get credit for them. But we have to let people know. Kids today don't care about what's inside -- they care about what they get to do with it. That's been the impetus for the whole campaign."
Part of the reason Intel's 60-second spot took more than a year to create is because whenever the company's logo appears, a viewer can click to access more information on how Intel played a role. Intel's website will serve as a hub for additional content on how the company powers technologies featured in the video. "This is so important to Intel and where we want to move as a company," Ms. Herd said. "There are stories behind so many different things in that 60-second spot."
Ms. Herd added that both Intel and McGarry went through more than 500 pieces of film and tech to put together its latest spot. The two chose Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" because it sounded similar to Intel's mnemonic tone, Ms. Herd said, adding that the creative team traveled to Vienna, Austria, to record the tune.
Inside and out
Intel's tagline has varied over the years, from "Intel Inside," to "Sponsors of Tomorrow," "Look Inside" and more recently, "Experience What's Inside." In 2014, the company tapped former Staples marketing exec Steve Fund as its CMO. A review was initiated shortly after and McGarryBowen, an agency he had worked with while at Staples, was selected as Intel's agency of record.
Ms. Herd, who is also a Staples alum, said Intel will define the brand's future in the coming months. The company has partnered with the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, or the people behind the Grammys, as well as Lady Gaga in an effort to showcase its technology in a different light. The company will also be promoting its Curie chip by mounting it on snowboards during ESPN's Winter X Games.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company's stock tumbled more than 10% Thursday after it said shipments for its PC chips were down 16% year-over-year for the fourth quarter. Intel's business has been under fire from investors as consumers are spending more on smartphones and less on computers. Intel spent $110 million in U.S. measured spending in 2014, according to Kantar Media.
