Dell Dude Connects with Personal Computer Buyers
THE DELL DUDE CONNECTS WITH PC BUYERS
Every so often an advertising character jumps out of the television screen and into the hearts of consumers. A few years ago it was “Stuart”—the geeky, red-headed know-it-all who appeared in commercials for online stock trading company Ameritrade—who struck a chord with viewers. The latest ad spokesperson generating the buzz is “Steven,” the lovable blond surfer dude who gives expert advice to people shopping for a home computer. The “Dell Dude” is played by Ben Curtis, a 21-yearold student who studies acting at New York University and hails from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Curtis got the role after an audition, and his first appearances in a Dell commercial came in late 2000 in a spot in which he makes a video for his parents explaining why they should buy him a Dell personal computer. Although Dell switched ad agencies a few months after Curtis was hired, the company and its new agency, DDB Chicago, knew they had a star in the making and retained the Steven character as its “spokesdude.”
Over the past two years “Steven” has appeared in more than 10 commercials for Dell including a popular spot where he hawks Dells while driving his dad’s convertible with a hot brunette seated next to him. The commercials use a clever blend of humor and salesmanship by portraying Steven as a hip teenager who convinces his parents, his friends’ parents, and even random people he meets to buy computers from Dell. Shortly after taking over the account, DDB’s creative group added the quip: “Dude, you're gettin’ a Dell” to Steven’s pitch and the phrase has slowly been seeping into pop-culture vernacular. The ad campaign has helped Dell put a friendly face on its personal computers— a product category that is often intimidating to consumers. Dell’s senior manager of consumer advertising says that Steven “has changed our image into that of an approachable company, a company that makes technology easy and fun.” The ads have also helped sales, as
Every so often an advertising character jumps out of the television screen and into the hearts of consumers. A few years ago it was “Stuart”—the geeky, red-headed know-it-all who appeared in commercials for online stock trading company Ameritrade—who struck a chord with viewers. The latest ad spokesperson generating the buzz is “Steven,” the lovable blond surfer dude who gives expert advice to people shopping for a home computer. The “Dell Dude” is played by Ben Curtis, a 21-yearold student who studies acting at New York University and hails from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Curtis got the role after an audition, and his first appearances in a Dell commercial came in late 2000 in a spot in which he makes a video for his parents explaining why they should buy him a Dell personal computer. Although Dell switched ad agencies a few months after Curtis was hired, the company and its new agency, DDB Chicago, knew they had a star in the making and retained the Steven character as its “spokesdude.”
Over the past two years “Steven” has appeared in more than 10 commercials for Dell including a popular spot where he hawks Dells while driving his dad’s convertible with a hot brunette seated next to him. The commercials use a clever blend of humor and salesmanship by portraying Steven as a hip teenager who convinces his parents, his friends’ parents, and even random people he meets to buy computers from Dell. Shortly after taking over the account, DDB’s creative group added the quip: “Dude, you're gettin’ a Dell” to Steven’s pitch and the phrase has slowly been seeping into pop-culture vernacular. The ad campaign has helped Dell put a friendly face on its personal computers— a product category that is often intimidating to consumers. Dell’s senior manager of consumer advertising says that Steven “has changed our image into that of an approachable company, a company that makes technology easy and fun.” The ads have also helped sales, as