H-P in product placement move to ditch fusty image

Hewlett-Packard (H-P) is showcasing its products in Jessica Simpson’s latest music video as part of its campaign to shed its conservative image and tap into the youth market.

Hewlett-Packard (H-P) is showcasing its products in Jessica Simpson’s latest music video as part of its campaign to shed its conservative image and tap into the youth market.

H-P computers and gadgets appear at least three times during a four-minute video for her new single “A Public Affair”. Last weekend, the technology company also rolled out a TV campaign featuring voiceovers from hip-hop star Jay-Z and snow- boarding champion Sean White.

In the Simpson pop video, the singer is joined by US comedian Andy Dick, who stars as a nerdy bowling-alley attendant seen rummaging around in his pocket. He pulls out an H-P Ipaq handheld device and when he turns it around to take a picture of the girls in the video, viewers catch a glimpse of H-P’s new hand logo on the reverse.

The product placement forms part of the brand’s global strategy “The computer is personal again”.

Jane Zeal, marketing director for H-P Personal Systems Group UK and Ireland, says the campaign will run for up to two years and is a “complete rebranding of H-P, moving away from the feeds and speeds” strategies of the past.

Zeal says that H-P’s use of Jay-Z will resonate with the target market. As part of its assault on the youth audience, H-P is also sponsoring MTV’s “social networking” programme Meet or Delete, which was recently rolled out globally (MW June 8).

The H-P hands imagery features across all elements of the campaign, which covers print, TV and online. The work has been developed by US agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, and has been adapted for the UK market by McCann Erickson.

UK media planning and buying is handled by ZenithOptimedia.