HP spent $40 million on their new ” Let’s Do Amazing ” ad campaign. For those big bucks they managed to get Rhys Darby of Flight of the Conchords and Dr. Dre. And an odd sense of humor.

We’d already gotten word of HP’s new $40 million “Let’s Do Amazing” ad campaign earlier today , but the company has just now rolled out its first series of ads to give us some indication of how all that money is being spent. Somewhat curiously, for an ad campaign partly intended to reintroduce the HP brand to consumers, the ads stray pretty far beyond HP’s consumer products (including a trip to a UPS sorting facility and the Venetian’s IT department), but we do at least get to see Dr. Dre extol the benefits of HP Beats audio — not to mention a little beatboxing from Rhys Darby of “Flight of the Conchords,” who serves as the host of the ads. Head on past the break to check out the Dre ad and HP’s introduction video, and hit up the link below for the rest of the series. Continue reading HP rolls out ‘Let’s Do Amazing’ ad campaign HP rolls out ‘Let’s Do Amazing’ ad campaign originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:31:00 EST.

Hand models have it pretty good, don’t they? Show up, hold something for a few hours, collect checks, repeat. It’s such a sweet gig, there’s gotta be something wrong with them, right? Wait… they’re all attractive, too

Apple aired its first iPad ad during the Oscars last night, but it felt like something was missing, didn’t it? It was a voiceover. So I went ahead and added one for them. You’re welcome, Apple!

In today’s Remainders: headaches. Microsoft’s browser ballot is a headache for the little guys; CereProc talks about the painstaking process of rebuilding Ebert’s voice; WiMax taxis in Taiwan get me a little steamed; a magical migraine-diminishing wand, and more. Talk To Me Since we first read about the Scottish company CereProc and their effort to give Roger Ebert his voice back , we’ve been eager to get the scoop on the tech behind the scenes. Ebert’s computerized voice was debuted on Oprah earlier this week , and while it was far from a perfect recreation, no one could deny that at some points the voice was distinctly his own. Now, CNET has an in-depth talk with CereProc which sheds some light on the process behind their incredible product. It has some interesting bits, like how they usually require 15 hours of recordings to recreate a voice, though they rebuilt Ebert’s from only four hours of clips

You know that Mac vs PC music in EVERY ad? Do you think it sounds like baby music? Because everyone at Gizmodo just got into a huge debate over it and are not talking to each other now. Tiebreaker please? I’m not saying it’s bad or uncool, other than we all have it stuck in our heads from the repetition. Just that it sounds like, well, the kind of music you play for a baby so they fall asleep

Those ” Windows 7 was my idea” ads only make sense if you assume the people with the ideas weren’t idiots. This take on the ads is more honest about what Microsoft would’ve gotten if they’d really crowdsourced their OS. [ CollegeHumor ]

We’ve seen lemons power a digital clock , and we’ve seen an Orange tent energize a gaggle of Apples. But have you ever wondered how many oranges it would take to charge just a single Apple? Name games aside, we have to hand it to Imperial Leisure, the company that executed a new iPhone-centered advertisement aimed at raising awareness for Jaffa oranges. We won’t spoil the whole thing for you, but we will say that you’ll be far hungrier after watching than you are right now. Video’s past the break, per usual.

The best parodies start with a laugh before leaving us with the hollowness of their truth. Sorry, Google Buzz . Sorry, under-lived life. Sorry, sweet butterfly.

If you happen to be in Times Square any time soon, you may notice this billboard for Best Buy’s electronics recycling program. Make sure you take a close look! It’s composed entirely of outmoded gear. While part of me would hope some VHS players and bulky monitors would be allowed to fade away with dignity, at least these are ultimately being used in a clever way that promotes a good cause. Besides, it looks cool! And it’s bonus fun hunting for bygone favorites. [ Scouting NY ]