Intel India unveils 'Sponsors of Tomorrow' Global Campaign

MUMBAI, INDIA:Sandboxes, rock stars and clean rooms mean something entirely different at Intel Corp., and a new integrated branding campaign by the leading silicon innovator will tell the world how.

Representing Intel’s biggest marketing campaign in nearly three years and the first that spotlights the promotion of the Intel brand and not a processor product, “Sponsors of Tomorrow” launched on May 27 in India. The ambitious campaign conveys the message that gigantic advances of the digital age have been made possible by silicon – the key ingredient in microprocessors -– and the vast majority of this silicon has come from Intel.

For more than 40 years Intel has been delivering tomorrow’s ‘normal’ and our new marketing campaign is a way for the world to be made aware of this fact,” said Tim Bailey, marketing director, Intel Asia Pacific. “We’re hoping to convey that we’re not just a microprocessor company, but a move-society-forward-by-quantum-leaps company. What Intel develops today leads the path towards a better tomorrow.”

Apart from TV commercials and advertisements in newspapers across the country, special glow signs will be unmasked in retail stores across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad to bring in the new campaign. The multi-million-dollar marketing campaign is the largest for Intel since “Multiply,” the September 2006 campaign that supported the then-new Intel CoreTM 2 Duo.

“Sponsors of Tomorrow” is expected to have a lifespan of three to five years, and was created by Venables Bell & Partners in San Francisco. It is the first campaign for Intel by the agency since being awarded Intel’s master brand account in January. Media planning and buying in India has been done by Omnicom Media Division (OMD).

Our research tells us consumers find the computer market space complex and want a simpler way to buy. They want to buy from a company and a brand that they trust in. The Indian consumer has an enormous amount of confidence in Intel. The technology Intel develops goes beyond just the microprocessor when, in fact, the greatest strength of the Intel brand will always be what is still to come. Keeping that in mind we launched the “Sponsors of Tomorrow” campaign,” said Prakash Bagri, marketing director, Intel South Asia.

“In India, the campaign will focus on strengthening Intel’s connection with consumers. We have also rolled out a series of new badge designs and a simple processor rating system which will help consumers make the best decision when buying a new computing device,” he added.

According to Jasmin Sohrabji, managing director, OMD India: “With two fairly distinct target audiences to address –- one in the form of a tech-savvy consumer, the other of an emerging market –- we developed a media strategy that first built an optimum reach base through conventional media. We then took key targeted platforms like digital media, cricket, tech programs and print to create high-impact innovative executions of “Sponsors of Tomorrow”. This approach allowed us to not only effectively reach both our audiences, but we also did it in a tone and manner that was relevant and engaging.”

“Sponsors of Tomorrow” includes print, online, outdoor and other advertisement placements, plus additional marketing efforts like in-store and online retail campaigns, all focused on helping consumers choose the best Intel processor that meets their needs. Global media planning was handled by OMD.

An example of a print ad in India is driven by the line, “Your superstars are a little different from our superstars.” The two-picture visual is, at left, Indian film actors and, in the photo at right, two bespectacled computer engineers are sporting white lab coats in their techy environment. But these aren’t just any engineers. As the ad copy explains, they are the designers of technologies which transform lives.

Another video, titled “Oops,” is set at a technology convention, where Intel is about to reveal a new microprocessor to a packed auditorium. As the dramatic unveiling is about to happen onstage, Intel employees and reporters struggle to find the tiny chip on the floor, and have the impossible task of finding it. The tagline: “Our big ideas are a little different from your big ideas.”

The phased launch began on May 11 in the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. The campaign is also scheduled to be introduced in the following countries: Australia, Canada, France, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. Additional parts of Latin America and Africa are scheduled for June introductions, and Brazil and Japan are slated for August and September respectively.

Retail campaigns encompass a range of executions, from merchandising materials and in-store demos to online ads and training for retail salespeople. The essence of “Sponsors of Tomorrow” will also be incorporated into Intel’s online materials developed to assist consumers researching PC purchases. A heavy internal campaign is already underway at Intel campuses throughout the world.

For India, the message copy has been kept very clear and crisp to focus on why Intel inside in larger form factors as well as outdoors. As you go deeper inside the store, closer to the PCs, messaging becomes more direct.

New Processor Rating System
As another step towards simplifying purchase for consumers, Intel also announced a new Intel processor rating system using stars and based on features available in each processor. More stars indicate greater features and increased capabilities compared to other Intel processors.

For example, a single star for Intel Celeron based PCs denotes value and reliability. Two stars for Intel Pentium based PCs stand for dependability and is proven to handle most mainstream applications. Three stars mean smart, fast and energy-efficient technology for PCs that are powered by some of the mainstream Intel Core 2 Duo processors.

Four stars mean advanced processor intelligence, premium technologies and speed to do more for PCs based on the high-end Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Five stars denote the ultimate processor intelligence and breakthrough technologies to maximize computing speed and possibilities for PCs based on the top-range Intel processors such as the Intel Core i7 processors.

OEMs across the world have started following this system to give consumers a quick overview of the processor's most important user benefits.

New ‘Intel Inside’ logo design
The “Intel Inside” logos which are integral to any PC’s list of features have been given a makeover aimed at reinforcing Intel's image as a premium brand. The new stickers have been rolling out to OEMs and channel partners since the beginning of April and are seen on new computers in showrooms and retail outlets around the world.

The most imaginative new element is in the upper right corner, where the badge is "peeled" back to reveal a bit of glittering etched gold substrate that looks like it could have come right off a processor die.

The stickers are now horizontally-oriented (replacing the old vertical badge topped with the rounded Intel logo) with the Intel logo remaining on top. Underneath the product brand there's room for additional modifiers, like "Extreme" or "Quad." Overall the color scheme is much richer, with more gradients and shading.