By By Kim Bhasin
Dell Technologies Inc. has signed actress Yara Shahidi to a multiyear deal to appear in advertisements and advise on marketing as the hardware maker looks to attract younger consumers.
Shahidi will appear in ads and become a creative adviser to promote Dell’s XPS laptops as part of the arrangement, which is set to be announced Wednesday. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
The 21-year-old actress, best known for her role on ABC’s “Black-ish,” has worked as a brand ambassador with labels such as Dior, Chanel and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics while remaining busy on screen. In 2020, the star started a production company and signed a deal with ABC Studios.
Dell is contending with a global component shortage and high demand for personal computers as more people work from home. Winning over younger generations will be crucial for the company and its competitors, given 74 percent of the U.S. workforce will be made up of millennial and Gen Z workers by 2030, according to a report earlier this year from Forrester Research.
Dell has been relatively quiet in recent years regarding celebrity endorsements. In 2017, it brought on actor Adrian Grenier as its social-good advocate, promoting tech waste recycling.
Shahidi’s focus for Dell will be on inclusivity. The first part of the collaboration begins Wednesday, with Shahidi starring with model Quannah Chasinghorse and twin sister rap duo Aint Afraid.
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