Texas Instruments Inside?

Back in 1982, Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN ) had one of the hottest brands in techdom. Its digital watches and calculators were everywhere, as were its ads with TV icon Bill Cosby promoting its home computers. But when its PC business folded in 1984, so did TI's last attempts at mass marketing.

Now that's changing. In November, TI launched a major marketing blitz aimed at reintroducing itself to consumers while spurring sales of flat-screen TVs that use its digital light-processing chips. In TV spots that will air during peak viewing times, including the Super Bowl on Feb. 6, TI is promoting the picture quality of sets that use DLP, a proprietary technology that involves bouncing light off more than a million tiny mirrors. If the ads are a success, consumers could see TI start to position itself as a hip, innovative company behind a range of consumer products. "We're in an era where communications and consumer electronics are the most important [markets]," says Richard K. Templeton, who became CEO in May.