Lennon stars in TV laptop advert

Lennon's words in the ad are a play on the lyrics to his song Imagine

Former Beatle John Lennon is featuring in a charity's TV advertisement in the US, 28 years after his death.

The singer has been brought back to life using digital technology for the One Laptop Per Child initiative.

The charity aims to deliver tough, solar-powered computers to the world's poorest children.

"Imagine every child, no matter where in the world they were, could access a universe of knowledge," Lennon is seen saying in the commercial.

"They would have a chance to learn, to dream, to achieve anything they want. I tried to do it through my music, but now you can do it in a very different way."

Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980 as he and wife Yoko Ono arrived at their apartment building next to Central Park, New York.

Ono has given her approval for the commercial, which will air on spots donated by broadcasters, and has also been placed on YouTube.

The One Laptop Per Child Foundation, created in 2005, started producing XO laptops late last year at a cost per machine of less than $200 (