Intel Goes Inside 'Intel Inside'
Anton Shilov
Given that Intel has just changed how they operate inside, it seemingly makes sense to refresh to brand to speak to how they operate to the outside:
Ever since Intel launched its ‘Intel Inside’ campaign in 1991, its brand identity has become inseparable not only from PCs that contained its processors but also from PCs and ICT at large. Much has changed in the last 30 years, however, and PCs and ICT themselves have become inseparable parts of today’s world. So at its Vision 2025 event in Las Vegas, Intel introduced its new brand identity that connects Intel Inside to the roles that machines running Intel CPUs, as well as their owners, play in the world around us.
“That’s the power of Intel Inside” is the centerpiece of Intel’s new brand identity. It brings back a familiar 'Intel Inside' theme from the 1990s while highlighting the role that the company, its partners, and its customers play in the modern world. By reintroducing the phrase with a new purpose, Intel emphasizes its vital role in the industry.
Wait. What? "That's the power of Intel Inside"?!
I get wanting to invoke the heyday of Intel, of course. But this is just... the old slogan with a few words added. This would be like Nike – also in a bit of turmoil these days – launching a new campaign along the lines of: "We aim to just do it." If you have to no only re-use your old slogan, but to spell it out so explicitly, you have a real problem.
The original ‘Intel Inside’ campaign was launched in 1991 and marked a shift in tech marketing. While Apple, Microsoft, and various PC makers spoke directly to end-users, their suppliers mostly targeted system designers and remained in the shadows. So, with its Intel Inside campaign, Intel spoke directly to consumers, making the processor a key selling point of a PC. With advertising beyond business media, a widely recognized sticker, and a catchy five-note jingle, the campaign helped build Intel into a household name.
This co-branding strategy encouraged PC makers to display the Intel Inside logo on their products, which made these systems more ‘familiar’ to average users and thus gave consumers confidence. As the PC market exploded in the 1990s, the Intel Inside campaign played a major role in differentiating Intel from competitors like AMD, Cyrix, IBM, and many others, highlighting Intel’s then-dominance inside PCs, which continues today, even though some believe that AMD now has better brand recognition than Intel.
Yes, the old slogan was brilliant. No question. It took a chip that no consumer was ever likely to see and made it a focal point of the machine. As a PC user in the 90s, I was all-in on deciding what computer I would buy based on the Intel chip inside. And again, I think it makes sense for Intel to try to recapture that magic. It's aspirational for the employees inside Intel if nothing else. But I'm sorry, you need to come up with something better than the old slogan with more expository.
Did the board write this?
M.G. Siegler
M.G. Siegler