Applied Materials

Applied Materials
Information for Everyone

A small share of voice needs a big idea.

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Tokyo. Photo: RJ Muna

Even though Applied Materials had been laboring for over 30 years at building a marquee name in the semiconductor industry, less than half of the retail investment market had heard of them; and beyond awareness, only a small portion of the market appreciated the fact that Applied make the systems used to produce virtually every new microchip in the world.

During the worst downturn in the semiconductor industry's history, we were tasked with bringing that astonishing value into sharp relief.

But first we had to sell Applied's board of directors on an ambitious plan to invest in a global broadcast advertising program. To help us achieve that end, Hollywood legend Martin Sheen added the right note of gravitas to a film we made to pitch the campaign's big idea:

"Applied Materials is opening an era of 'Information for Everyone'."

Jim Morgan, Chairman Emeritus

Our biggest challenge was memorably expressing the truth about Applied's global leadership in semiconductor manufacturing technology without evoking Orwellian overtones or corporate chest-beating. We solved the problem by highlighting the unseen and unsung microchip in a series of distinctive ads that invited the viewer to make the connection.

Thanks to the 'nothing is impossible' attitude of our production team, we became the first agency to shoot a commercial on the Great Wall of China and inside Beijing's Forbidden City... the first to be granted permission to film at the world's busiest pedestrian intersection, the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo... and the first to feature a Porsche in a third-party ad.

Additional photography was shot in Cádiz, Mumbai, New York, California.

Our worldwide brand building campaign made Applied Materials famous for making the Information Age more accessible and affordable to everyone.

In spite of being heavily outspent in the media, recognition and interest in the ads outstripped those from tech bellwethers Intel, IBM and Cisco.
Nasdaq amplified the advertising effect by featuring Applied in their visionary leaders campaign.
Today, even during volatile times, when ownership of other tech stocks decreases significantly, AMAT holds its ground or moves forward.

Source: Hall & Partners / Investors Business Daily

"Mark Whitty possesses a rare combination of attributes for the advertising industry: he has high standards of excellence and he is a good budget manager. He provided standout, award-winning work for me at Applied Materials on a $50 million global advertising and branding campaign."