That's what Hewlett-Packard says and why its teamed up with MTV again for a new reality show that's a bit like 'The Real World' (so pretty real - you know'ish), well its in a loft in Brooklyn where it has gathered 16 creative types to produce digital art and where the likes of 'Chasing Amy' director Kevin Smith will be dropping in - maybe he will be talking about his new film?
Beginning next week, the show is called the 'Engine Room' and its sponsored by HP who will as part of its efforts to be real is providing the creatives types in the show with PCs, workstations, monitors and other products.
The show is designed to run online as much as anything else as episodes of the 'Engine Room' are only five to seven minutes long, running daily, over seven weeks with a $400,000 prize up for grabs and the chance to program the giant MTV screen in Times Square for a night.
It's about the third project in a row that HP has sponsored including dating show 'Meet or Delete'. In all these shows HP gets its products in there being used by college kids and the young people it wants to target.
David Roman, vice president for worldwide marketing communications, told the New York Times: "We don't want it to be advertising; we want it to be real. We're learning as we go not to do so much talking about what we do but rather let people do things with the product. That’s where the wow factor comes from."
It isn't exactly small fry HP is spending millions on the project, which the PC's agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco are also involved with. Roman estimated that HP would spend tens of millions of dollars on the show, which began with efforts months ago to recruit contestants online. In the end they got almost 2,000 people from 122 countries submitted more than 20,000 original artworks.
During the show the contestants are going to be visited by guests like the musician Moby; the Ting Tings and 'Clerks' director Kevin Smith who has been busy recently doing his thing, which seems like a good point do drop in the trailer for his new film ' Zack and Miri Make a Porno'.
It's sort of a user generated content film…okay will that's not quite true but it tells the story of Elizabeth Banks (The 40 Year Old Virgin) and Seth Rogen (Knocked Up and Superbad) who being a bit hard up for cash make their own porno. It's looking very good.
*yawnz* reality show hits web 2.0 hits arty farty idol
HP does do interesting stuff occasionally. David Roman originally sanctioned Fingerskilz (Search Fingerskilz on Google and see what you get)
Gordon Macmillan
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