I am reasonably sure that John Lennon would be smiling as he watched the new television commercial now being aired promoting the “One Laptop Per Child” campaign

“Imagine, the possibilities,” he might have said as the television commercial for charity airs……28 years after his death.

Through the use of digital technology, the former Beatle urges people across the United States to support a campaign by "One Laptop per Child" to deliver tough, solar-powered XO laptop computers to the world’s poorest children. 

"Imagine every child no matter where in the world they were could access a universe of knowledge. They would have a chance to learn, to dream, to achieve anything they want," a voice and video image of Lennon has been created to say. 

"I tried to do it through my music, but now you can do it in a very different way. You can give a child a laptop and more than imagine, you can change the world," says the musician in a play on one his best known songs — 1971′s "Imagine." 

Donors can chose to either pay $199 (£135) to buy a laptop for a child in the Third World, or $399 (£270) to buy one for a child in the Third World and another for their own child.

Lennon was shot and killed as he and his wife, Yoko Ono, arrived at their Manhattan apartment building on December 8, 1980. 

Ono approved the "One Laptop per Child" commercial, which was launched on Thursday and will be shown on donated broadcast and cable time.

The "One Laptop per Child" Foundation, created in 2005 by Nicholas Negroponte, is a spinoff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and started producing the XO laptop late last year at a manufacturing cost per machine of less than $200. 

SEE IT NOW FOR YOURSELF

AROUND the BLOGOSPHERE:

Imagine: Lennon in TV ad 28 years after his death :: Technology … – NEW YORK, Dec 27 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) – Imagine, John Lennon makes a television commercial for charity — 28 years after his death. Through the use of digital technology, the former Beatle urges people across the United States to …

World News Australia – Lennon stars in TV ad – Digital technology has allowed former Beatle John Lennon to featured in a television commercial for charity, 28 years after his death.

The Raw Story | John Lennon digitally inserted into television … – The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Foundation, created in 2005, started producing the XO laptop at a production cost of less than $200 for the purpose of distributing those computers to the world’s poorest chlildren. …

Give Laptops A Chance : John Lennon Resurrected 28 Years After … – Imagine, John Lennon makes a television commercial for charity — 28 years after his death. With the approval of widow Yoko Ono, and through the use of digital technology, the former Beatle urges people across the United States to …