Can Alienware Keep Its Cool?

CEO Nelson Gonzalez explains how the high-end computer company will stay hip now that it's part of Dell.

In an exclusive interview, Dell Chairman and founder Michael Dell says he's
excited about the company's acquisition this week of gaming-PC specialist
Alienware, but that Dell still expects "the vast majority of our growth to be
organic." His remarks also continue in intriguing ways the company's longtime
dance with chipmaker AMD.

Building a Brand in China

Look! It's a Bird, It's a Plane! It's an LG Cell Phone?

BRANDSOFF.COM: LG Electronics announced Thursday its plans for a "2006 European Balloon Tour" for its major business partners in Europe as part of its marketing aimed at the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) market in Europe.

LG Electronics will invite its major European business partners from Britain, France, Germany, and Switzerland and entice them with an array of perks including a catered party and trips in their large mobile phone-shaped air balloon. The firm kicked off the event in Chateau d'Oex in Switzerland in January and plans to continue through major European countries until October.

LG Electronics expects this event will provide an opportunity to strengthen its partnership with its European buyers and boost its brand image. Ham Sang-heon, the managing director with LG's European Business Division, said the balloon event has been well received by our major European partners and consumers, adding, "We intend to strengthen our brand image through a variety marketing activities."

Fast Times - VW's nasty new spokesdemon

SLATE.COM: A young man hears a voice in his head, which spurs him to drive recklessly and to mistreat his girlfriend. I have news: That's not his "Fast" he's making friends with. It's his "testosterone."

The Spot: A young guy and his girlfriend are driving at high speed. Her hair is whipping around in her face. "Honey, can we roll the window up a little bit?" she asks. "No," says the guy. Cut to a frightening little onyx-black gargoyle, perched on the back seat. "My Fast likes the windows down," the creature says in a demonic growl. "Down! Down!" it yells, though its mouth does not move. The unfortunate woman continues to plead her case, talking through her swirling hair. "Sweetie," interrupts the boyfriend, "it's really hard for me to enjoy the sound of the engine with all that yakking." We see the small back-seat beastie again. "Sometimes," says the evil basso voice, "my Fast doesn't get along with my girlfriend." Tag line: "The 200-horsepower GTI. Make Friends With Your Fast." (Click here to see the clip.)

Let me say upfront that, while as individuals I'm certain they are lovely people, men under the age of 25 comprise my least favorite advertising demographic. Marketing directed at this cohort tends to exhibit: an adversarial stance toward women; a thoughtless disregard for societal harmony; supremely awful taste in food and clothing; and general boneheadedness. Bob Garfield, writing recently in Advertising Age, referred to the "beer-pong demographic." (I liked this phrase a lot—until I realized that just last week I was playing a racket sport with alcohol on the line. Seriously: As we speak, my vanquished squash partner owes me four dark-rum mojitos.)