Sadly, that "dell dude", more like "dull idiot", is from my area. I give him props for making money and getting publicity, but there is a point when self respect should have some part in your career choice.
Popularity? They have got to kidding, as everyone I know (tech or not) believe that Dell has the lamest commercials on Earth. Then again, any market exposure is good according to business theory (that's how many
PR reps think anyway!), as most viewers will likely remember the
annoying Dell commercials instead of the just ridiculous Gateway talking cow ads.