Y&R launched a new campaign promoting Dell Technologies, featuring a series of spots starring Jeffrey Wright, who viewers will likely known from his role as Bernard Lowe on HBO’s Westworld series. (But did you see Basquiat??)
Given that show’s sci-fi premise, Wright seems a logical choice to present the importance of Dell’s own technological contributions. In the 60-second “Magic,” Wright interrupts a play (kind of rude, really) to wax philosophical about magic, which, he says, “can transform a frog into a prince” and “sadness into happily ever after.”
He then contrasts magic with Dell Technologies, which can do something magic can’t: transform your business. “Magic can’t make digital transformation happen, but we can,” he says at the spot’s conclusion. “Let’s make it real.”
A series of 30-second spots takes a closer look at how Dell Technologies has helped transform GE, Columbia Sportswear and Chitale Dairy.
The technology making the seemingly-impossible into reality angle is certainly nothing new. BBDO explores a similar theme in its “Unimpossible Missions” campaign for GE, BBH New York presented Nest as representing the “Magic of Home”, GS&P’s “There’s Never Been a Better Time” for Cisco is centered around the optimism in technology overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles and, as Adweek points out, Apple touts the iPhone 7 as “Practically Magic.”
That’s not to say that the campaign feels derivative of any of those efforts, just that the theme has become so common as to lessen its impact and make it harder to utilize as a brand differentiator.
Credits:
Dell Technologies
Chief Marketing Officer – Jeremy Burton
SVP Global Brand and Creative – Liz Matthews
Director Brand Strategy and Advertising – Rachael Henke
Brand Strategy and Advertising – Valerie Daubert
Y&R
Global Executive Creative Director – Christian Carl
Global Creative Director – Thomas Shim
Copywriter, Creative Director – Justin Ebert
Executive Producer – Bobby Jacques
Content Producer – Nicole Lederman
Sr Business Manager- Maggie Diaz
President, Global Technology & Business Practice – Joe Rivas
Account Director- Heather Hosey
Group Account Director – Rachel Krouse
Account Executive- George Rainaldi
Strategic Planning Director – Jenna Rounds
Production Company: Smuggler
Director: Tom Hooper
Co Founder: Brian Carmody
Executive Producer: Shannon Jones
DP: Justin Brown
Line Producer: Alex Lisee
Edit House: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor (It’s Not Magic): Adam Pertofsky
Editor (GE, Columbia, Chitale): Ted Guard
Executive Producer: Eve Kornblum
Producer: Jenny Greenfield
VFX: Framestore NY
Dez Macleod-Veilleux – Executive Producer
Maura Hurley – Senior Producer
David Mellor – Creative Director
Gigi Ng – Senior Flame Artist / VFX Supervisor
Georgios Cherouvim – Senior CG Lead
Dan Soloman – Senior Designer
Karch Coom – Senior Compositor
Callum McKeveny – Concept Designer / Senior Matte Painter
Color: Company 3
Colorist: Tim Masick
Sound: Sound Lounge
Mixer/Sound Designer – Tom Jucarone
Projection Mapping: Go 2 Productions
Music: duotone audio group
Executive Producer: Ross Hopman
Creative Director: Jack Livesey
Producer: Gio Lobato