HP signs up Plan B for cinema ad

Hewlett-Packard has enlisted the help of pop star Plan B for a cinema campaign as part of a wider initiative to change the perception that the company just sells PCs and business products.

The cinema campaign features a surround sound version of Plan B’s hit “She said” to demonstrate the power of the “Beats” audio technology that comes installed in HP Premium PCs, laptops and tablets.

H-P says the ad is the first cinema spot to lead the audience by the audio experience rather than visual.

The film will also feature online on H-P and Plan B’s official Facebook pages and YouTube. The online version will use “binaural technology” that will allow consumers to listen to the film on headphones to get the same surround sound effect as the cinema.

Plan B was chosen for the campaign for winning three Ivor Novello Awards for Most Performed Work, Best Album and Songwriter of the Year.

H-P appointed Martin Homlish as its chief marketing officer in April to create a “unified marketing approach” across the company and tap into the growing appetite for cloud services and mobile computing.

The two-minute film, which will air for three weeks from 10 June, was created by full-service agency Drum.