Serena Williams gets personal with HP
Forget the U.S. Open, Williams stars in new Hewlett-Packard ad campaign.
— -- Tennis superstar Serena Williams has more than the U.S. Open on her mind these days. The Grand Slam event started this week, at the same time as her new ad campaign with Hewlett-Packard.
Like other celebrities used in the year-old branding campaign, Williams' face is not shown.
Video blogs from her family and friends, ring tones and clips from a tennis match with Wee Man of MTV's Jackass show are available at hp.com/serena.
"The focus is on what they're doing with their computer, not who they are," says David Roman, vice president of worldwide marketing communications at HP's Personal Systems Group.
On Tuesday, between matches and before an interview on MTV's TRL program, Williams told USA TODAY reporter Jon Swartz about her experiences with the HP Way:
Q: How did you get involved with the HP campaign?
A: I loved the ad campaign. HP has aligned itself with icons and philanthropists like (fashion designer) Vera Wang and Jay-Z. People with longevity, not the latest-and-greatest celebrities.
I wanted to be part of that.
Q: Have you used HP products for a long time?
A: Oh yes. They (dominate) printers, so I've used them for a while.
I've also used the digital cameras. And, of course, their laptop. I take that with me everywhere and use it all the time.
Q: How do you use your laptop?
A: Because I travel so much, I use video chatting on my laptop. It has a built-in camera. That's how I keep in touch with family and friends.
I store a ton of pictures and files on my laptop, and I keep a list of ideas. I recently downloaded Adobe Photoshop for my design ideas. I only use a laptop, but I want to get a desktop PC to keep at home. I take the laptop with me everywhere else.
Q: Does your PC come in handy to prepare for opponents?
A: Sometimes I Google opponents to see what they look like and how they play.
Q: Do you play video games online on your HP PC?
