H-P sponsors MTV show as part of brand repositioning

Hewlett-Packard (H-P) is to sponsor MTV’s “social networking” programme Meet or Delete, which is to be rolled out globally across all platforms from this month.

The show aims to put people in contact with each other - for dating, flat-sharing or finding a new band member - by getting contestants to choose whether to “meet or delete” a contact by investigating their hard drive. Contestants will be asked to view stored files, look at websites visited and virals played, in order to assess whether or not they want to meet the person.

The sponsorship tie-up is part of H-P’s global brand repositioning campaign that aims to put the “personal” back into computer, with the strapline: “The computer is personal again”.

According to Jane Zeal, marketing director for H-P Personal Systems Group UK and Ireland, the 18- to 24-month-long campaign is a “complete rebranding of H-P, moving away from the feeds and speeds” strategies of the past. It is the biggest campaign ever undertaken by the company and will feature voice-overs from as yet unnamed celebrities.

Meet or Delete is supported by a website designed with H-P branding and using the hands imagery that will feature across all elements of the “personal” campaign. It will be streamed online and feature exclusive webisodes and online footage. Zeal adds: “H-P advertising has been somewhat conservative in the past. For this campaign we will be using digital media, virals, interactive billboards and the Web. We are concentrating on certain products that resonate with consumers, simplifying our approach and making it more emotive.”

The multimillion-pound campaign has been developed by US agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners and adapted in the UK by McCann Erickson. In the UK, media planning and buying is handled by ZenithOptimedia.