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July 26, 2007

Intel Security Music Video

...directed by Christopher Guest: hardware vs software security.

I don't know what to say. I can't believe the actors kept a straight face.

Posted on July 26, 2007 at 11:18 AM30 CommentsView Blog Reactions

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Comments

Okay, improvements ...

#1. Replace the hair band with a girl rock band.

#2. Lose the ballad.

#3. The "I" "T" part reminded me too much of "YMCA" by The Village People.

#4. Smoke?

#5. Finally, make sure there is no film in the camera when filming.

Posted by: Brandioch Conner at July 26, 2007 11:46 AM


I think Intel may have just jumped the shark.

Posted by: ray at July 26, 2007 11:46 AM


My brain hurts.

Posted by: R. Scott Buchanan at July 26, 2007 11:49 AM


It helps if you remember that Christopher Guest is co-creator of Spinal Tap.

Posted by: Flynn at July 26, 2007 12:13 PM


It helps if you remember that Christopher Guest is co-creator of Spinal Tap.

But is this an ad for TPC?

Posted by: Flynn at July 26, 2007 12:13 PM


"Lose the ballad."

No no no. That's part of the joke. "Soft" vs "hard" security: get it?

Posted by: Bruce Schneier at July 26, 2007 12:29 PM


technically inaccurate, but good theatre.

there was a line in the lyrics, something like "been here since the beginning and I know hardware based security is new" which is simply b.s.

Over thirty years ago (1975) DEC introduced the PDP-11/70 with hardware support for separation of instruction and data memory addressing and read-only or read-write memory protection on a per-page basis. The first DEC LSI-11 microcomputer didn't have such features, but by 1979 the Falcon (F-11, LSI-11/23) microprocessor did.

I'm sure DEC was not the only manufacturer implementing those features, it's just the one of which I have first-hand memories from those days.

Hardware based security was there then, even though software implementations lagged in using it, and even if Intel is still ignorant of it now.

Posted by: guvn'r at July 26, 2007 12:37 PM


I thought it was hilarious. Christopher Guest is a genius!

Posted by: Kalle at July 26, 2007 12:38 PM


In 3 minutes time, the guy in the blue shirt goes unchallenged...
- sitting at 4 different people's desk, accessing their computers
- pushing a mail cart full of company binders toward the elevators
- shoulder surfing a woman's files
- introducing an open flame into a cube farm

Is Intel the company I want advising me on security? :-)

Posted by: Cochese Tonto at July 26, 2007 01:23 PM


"I can't believe the actors kept a straight face."

I have a distinct feeling that they likely didn't even understand what this was all about.

Posted by: HotCrossedBuns at July 26, 2007 02:01 PM


Unbelievable.

That was actually worse than Seagate's "Get Perpendicular" campaign...and that one was a cartoon with disco!

Posted by: Brent at July 26, 2007 02:42 PM


Oops, I meant Hitachi, not Seagate. Really, I did.

Posted by: Brent at July 26, 2007 02:43 PM


@guvn'r: "technically inaccurate, but good theatre."

True. Unfortunately, facts aren't as pursuasive as delivery.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 26, 2007 02:50 PM


What is the english word for "Kitsch"?

Posted by: Stefan Wagner at July 26, 2007 02:51 PM


Stefan:

"Kitsch." It's like "schadenfreude" - we don't have our own word for it, so we stole yours.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 26, 2007 02:59 PM


Unbelievably boring. I killed it before it was done, and I'm pretty much their target audience -- 38 year old security technologist who enjoyed Spinal Tap and Office Space.

Posted by: Apostrophe at July 26, 2007 03:24 PM


On the topic:
Symantec :http://odeo.com/audio/258307/view

Checkpoint: http://anthems.zdnet.co.uk/anthems/checkpoint.mp3

You cannot be more cheesy than that.

Posted by: Philippe at July 26, 2007 03:27 PM


It was smart of the staff to play along after turning on FogShield to contain the intruders in the office.

Posted by: mud and flame at July 26, 2007 06:22 PM


"Kitsch." It's like "schadenfreude"
I know dict.leo.org.
The question should be kind of a joke.

Posted by: Stefan Wagner at July 26, 2007 10:15 PM


"38 year old security technologist who enjoyed Spinal Tap and Office Space."

Hey, I'm not quite 38 yet but I couldn't help but to love Office Space!

Posted by: Hullu at July 27, 2007 05:07 AM


Well, for starters, I wouldn't want to give my precious data to a company that allows rock bands in the office. Call me old-fashioned, but it spoils the reputation.

Software and hardware together for a new age... that's a really forward-lloking video spot - for 1948.

And, last but not least, do they really want to advertise for reliable hardware with smoke? :)

Posted by: bluebyte at July 27, 2007 07:36 AM


@Hullu
I don't even remember 38, and I liked both Spinal Tap and Office Space.

Posted by: Jeff at July 27, 2007 10:08 AM


I think some people aren't quite getting the joke.

The video makes fun of itself. The lyrics are *supposed* to be awkward. The dance moves are *supposed* to be cliche.

Christopher Guest, of course, has directed many subtle mockumentaries. But don't discount Dan Finnerty, the ballad singer - together with The Dan Band (http://www.thedanband.com), he has toured the nation with his earnest, heartfelt, profanity-ridden "I Am Woman" show...

Posted by: Jay Levitt at July 27, 2007 06:52 PM


Guvn'r: I think the line says it "isn't new". He shakes his head when he says it.

Posted by: Jay Levitt at July 27, 2007 07:00 PM


Are we absolutely sure this isn't some sort of a strange parody or social satire?

This can't seriously be an advertisement.

Posted by: dmc at July 27, 2007 08:04 PM


Uh, yeah, TPC sucks. It's the end of the PC. Hard to be very excited about it, and that song didn't really help.

Posted by: Brent at July 28, 2007 12:18 AM


A little piece of me just died. It's not Intel that's jumped the shark, it's Christopher Guest.

Also, this was a really clever concept...in comparison to what Microsoft would have come up with.

Posted by: another_jake at July 28, 2007 12:36 AM


Not getting the joke is right. Duh, it;s mocking itself, and doing a right fine job of it too. I couldn't even believe Inel did this number at first. Welcome to the age of post irony, boyos. You've got the attention of me and mine at the office. Come round for a pint after the wars any old time! Hiring Guest was the old master stroke. And Brent, sure enough you're an asshole.

Posted by: Paco at July 28, 2007 10:28 AM


That was the single greatest piece of branded entertainment ever targeted at the IT Community. It's smart. It's hilarious. It's about time. Bravo, Intel!

Posted by: Ken Salsbury at July 28, 2007 09:09 PM


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