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Dell's viral video makes viewers sick to stomachs
Ready for a trip from Proprietaryville to Global Standardopolis? We didn't think so. But Dell wants to take you there anyway, with a video on YouTube posted by DellVlog, the official Dell videoblog (click to play):



Leave aside the faulty premise - that customers are "trapped" by single-vendor Unix solutions and are desperate to get led to the land of Linux. (The Browser knows plenty of happy Unix customers who like the systems they have because they're stable and familiar to their technical staff.) What's really sickened viewers is the blatant ripoff of JibJab, the popular online cartoon creators behind "This Land."

"Someone in Dell marketing is going to get fired, because if this was meant to be viral I want a vaccine," writes Valleywag. Guardian Unlimited calls it "a trip into cartoon hell." But Gizmodo makes the most trenchant comment, asking "who this ad is actually for" - consumers, or big businesses? If it's the latter, Dell's using the wrong vehicle to spread its message. DellVlog, try again after someone launches Fortune500Tube.
Posted by Owen Thomas 10:21 AM 10 Comments comment | Add a Comment

Definitely NOT appropriate. It is too bad if DELL really financed this cartoon skit because I really thought they had more class than this. I even admired them as a company since I knew how they started. Guess they just turned off executives with class & character to the other side - IBM. Oracle, EMC, Intel, AMD also works with them as well. At least IBM has showed more class for quite some time!
Posted By L. Brown Culver City, CA : 12:04 PM  

Actually, the point of viral marketing is for the employees of said large companies to each get in it in their heads that they need this, and then take their concerns to the decision makers.

Bottom up, folks, not top down.
Posted By EJ, Buffalo, NY : 12:43 PM  

The video was excellent, and was not a "rip off" of jibjab. To many viewers it looks more like the Canadians from South Park. The man who made it should be given a raise.
Posted By Hunter, Bakersfield, California : 2:08 PM  

Who cares about the marketing intent of the video...it made me laugh. If Dell gets some press and their name out to a hundred thousand viewers then that is probably enough of a return.

Watch out for the quad-core throwing stars from Paul :)
Posted By Brian, Hillsboro, Oregon : 2:31 PM  

looks funny to me. reminds me of apple throwing the hammer at the screen during super bowl years ago.
Posted By bill richmond kentucky : 3:51 PM  

This doesn't surprise me. Dell's marketing and PR departments are far from being marketing geniuses. Playing in the viral world takes some creativity and intelligence ... something Dell's marketing and PR executives clearly lack . Only when the PR and MKT cowboys are replaced by some more visionary executives will this company move forward...meanwhile....they shouldn't pollute the youtubes of this world.
Posted By Alex, New York, NY : 6:44 PM  

Which viewers are claiming their sick to their stomach? Competitors??? And who are the "we" that "didn't think so"? These opinions contradict the opinion of this viewer!!
Posted By Scott, Richmond VA : 2:30 AM  

That was awesome...Go Dell!
Posted By Eric Naperville, IL : 12:49 PM  

If this was actually produced by dell, then it shows how far down the mightly dell marketing department has fallen. This video is lame, corny and far from being humorous. The only memorable thing about it it that it is so bad. I have lost all respect for dell.
Posted By Don Frazier, Palatine, IL : 12:58 PM  

A humorous way to demnostrate the truths of this industry. A little vulgar, dirty, but they say it in a language we all understand.
Posted By Adem Ogunc Westchester NY : 5:48 PM  

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