The computer marketplace is very crowded and fiercely competitive. Dell has seen market share slide in terms of brand 'cool' (to Apple and Sony) and price (to Acer) and it was crucial to Dell to start building a brand personality. The NME magazine, first published in March 1952, remains one of the last bastions of cool. NME, through its magazine, website, NME Awards, NME Tours, Club NME's, NME TV and NME Radio is a truly global and multi-media brand perfectly placed to improve Dell's brand perception and align the brand more closely with music.

With this campaign Dell sought to improve its brand perception through; encouraging customer engagement with the brand; creating a point of difference in the marketplace and promoting their music credentials.

Based on a popular club concept, 'Sack the DJ' with Dell challenged the NME audience to compile their ultimate club playlist on their Dell laptops. These playlists were then uploaded to the bespoke micro site were the best 4 playlists could be voted for. The 4 playlists with the most votes over the campaign won a trip for themselves and a friend to see their Dell playlist DJ'd at Club NME around the world. The micro site on NME was supported by advertorials in the magazine, display ads online and sponsorship on NME radio.

Online test and control advertising effectiveness research was conducted by IPC Insight. The campaign was found to create engagement, producing the following results; 1 in 3 remembered seeing the advertorials, 96% read them, with 76% of these rating them as excellent/ good. The campaign created a closer association with music 80% of those exposed to both the magazine and online ads agree that Dell provides a good solution to their music needs. It also helped change brand perception with 64% of those exposed to both the print & online ads are likely to buy Dell in the future

NME's Sack the DJ partnership with Dell offered the perfect platform for Dell to communicate their image and brand credentials to the Generation Y audience (a generation of people born during the 80's and 90's). The online activity helped to add another dimension to the campaign with 1 in 3 website visitors recalling the online adverts, 98% reading them and 6 in 10 rated them as excellent / good. The campaign was successful in achieving the client objectives of engagement, closer association with music and a change in brand perception.