Will.i.am.not - An Intel-igent move or a failed PR stunt?

Thursday, 3 February 2011

[BEGIN TRANSCRIPT]

Intel board member 1: Guys, I've been thinking.

Intel board member 2: I should hope so! After all, we are one of the world's foremost technology companies responsible for leading global innovation in computing - the field which will do the most for improving the standard of living, aspirations and success of mankind as a whole for generations to come!

Intel board member 1: Exactly. And it's with that very goal in mind that I propose the motion that we appoint a pop star famous for putting together finger-snappingly catchy pop tunes whilst wearing oversized sunglasses no matter what the weather or time of day as our new Director of Creative Innovation! Will.i.am!!

Intel board member 3: Are you sure he's qualified?

Intel board member 1: Qualified to be Creative Director of a huge multinational? Are you kidding?? He's got two full stops in the middle of his name for Chrissakes! Plus he's good buddies with Cheryl Cole.

Intel board chairman: Well that's good enough for me. Motion passed!

The above is an exact* transcript of the board meeting in which it was decided to make Will.i.am, (Black Eyed Pea, lover of shades, friend of Our Chezza) Intel's new Creative Director.

There is a long and proud history of celebrities being appointed to the boards of large companies. Evander Holyfield to the board of Coca Cola Bottling Company, Michael Jordan for Oakleys, Sidney Poitier for Disney. Politicians often get a good run out too - Al Gore has been on Apple's board since 2003.

So why do brands go for these celebrity golden handshakes? Well, in most cases there is a fairly clear connection between the brand and the chosen celeb. In the case of a sports stars it's obvious (if often dubious) and politicians add fantastic connections and a broad knowledge of a range of fields. In the case of Sidney Poitier, he was a massively influential figure in film, so Disney snapped him up.

And what do these connections do for the brands? Well generally they create visibility, and usually result in a rise in share prices (Poitier added 4.2% to Disney's listing on the day he was announced.)

But on the down side, it doesn't say much for the existing board members and the job they're doing that they need a celebrity famous for something which is almost the exact opposite of sitting on the board of a company to come in and boost that firm's outlook.

So why did Intel appoint a pop star of (in my personal opinion) dubious creative talent? Well, in the video of his inaugural speech (below), he seems as baffled as the rest of us, but cunningly stresses the point that he has in fact used a computer, and he likes computers, and he…um…has used a computer. Like, loads of times.

And what has it done for Intel? Well, in the 24 hours following the announcement, their share price dropped by 3.8%. It has since clawed some of that back, but another and possibly more damaging effect has been almost every blogger in the world with any interest in technology sitting down at their computer, firing up their Intel chip, and writing a lengthy post about how utterly ridiculous that very company is.

Good job guys!

*'Exact' based on guessing, conjecture, and making it up