What will Apple do with Intel’s advertising dollars?

Intel has a rather brilliant marketing strategy that has worked very well for the company over the years. This strategy mainly involves giving money to their customers for advertising so long as they put an Intel sticker or logo on their products. So, imagine you are Dell and you want to sell your products to as many people as possible. You have allocated a certain amount of money for advertising. Product displays, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, whatever you feels is the best medium for getting the word out about your product. So, as you contemplate where to spend your money Intel comes up to you and offers you a great deal. They propose a trade, you stick lots of “Intel Inside” stickers on all of your products and they will give you money so you can make lots of ads with the Intel logo beside your Dell logo. Sounds great isn’t it?

Well, it is a wonderful deal if you are Dell or HP or Sony or just about everyone else who sells computers and uses their chips.

Everyone, that is, except for Apple.

Ok, show of hands, who really thinks that Steve Jobs will allow anyone to put stickers on his computers?

. . .

Yeah, me neither.

So, this begs the question “what will Apple do with Intel’s money?” I can’t imagine that they would turn down several million in free advertising money. And if they aren’t going to put stickers on their products what are they going to do?

My guess? TV ads. I think that Apple will start advertising with creative commercials again, using Intel’s money. Wouldn’t that be great? Now, I don’t expect TV spots on the order of their 1984 ad, but I do feel that some great ads might be in the works.

And wouldn’t this be the perfect time to revitalize their advertising campaign? Everyone all ready knows about the iPod, so isn’t it about time for people to know about the Macintosh as well? If they do release an upgraded Mac Mini/DVR then that will be the official announcement that Apple is entering the Digital Living Room. The gauntlet will have been thrown down, the hounds released and Jobs will no longer be able to hide the fact that Apple is gunning for a much larger market than many people think they are.

What kind of ads might Apple create? Inspiring ones like the 1984 ad? Or perhaps ones similar to their PowerMac G5 ads. Anyone remember those? And which computers will they market first? The new, more powerful, longer lasting iBooks? The new DVR Mac Mini? Or maybe they will start with the G5 series.

Either way you look at it Apple is poised for some great opportunities. Millions are coming their way soon I hope they have a plan on how to spend it.