Intel stalks Tom Brady, Wix goes with action heroes, carriers Sprint and T-Mobile make their cases in their Super Bowl 51 commercials
As one of those Super Bowl watchers who prefers the football over the commercials, I try my best to get the ads out of the way before the big game, which this year will be played in Houston on Sunday, Feb. 6.
Here’s a running list of Super Bowl 51 commercials from technology companies — I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether brands are getting their $5 million worth. So far, it looks like tech companies will take a back seat to beer, candy and other brands, in terms of the number of advertisers, on Super Bowl Sunday.
MORE: Techiest commercials from Super Bowl 50, in 2016
Intel: We got Tom Brady!
While New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady generally got the best of Colts/Broncos QB Peyton Manning on the field, Manning ruled during commercial breaks. Brady, now that Manning is retired from football, has seemingly been trying to extend the rivalry by upping his commercial game.
Among the first Super Bowl 51 ads to be previewed is one for Intel’s 360 camera technology: “Intel presents: Tom Brady waking up, brushing his teeth and eating a pancake….off the floor. Proving that, with Intel 360° Technology, you can make anything look epic. Literally anything.”
Of course, if this technology really could make anything look epic, Intel would have used it to prettify some of Manning’s throws during his final season (yes, I’m still bitter about the Broncos knocking off the Pats).
T-Mobile: Biebs, Gronk, T.O. & Friends
T-Mobile is pretty convinced we’ll buy stuff if celebrities tell us to and the carrier seems to have an “Unlimited” budget to do so.
Sprint: Faking your own death
Desperate times require desperate advertising, and that’s where Sprint heads in this commercial, featuring the former Verizon “Can you hear me now?” guy, to take a direct shot at rival Verizon.
Wix: Lights, Cameras, Action Stars!
The Tel Aviv-based website development platform, now a regular on the Super Bowl ad circuit, turns to action stars Gal Gadot (the new Wonder Woman) and Jason Statham (Fast and Furious, etc.) to bust up a restaurant while the head chef blissfully works on his Wix website. Wix makes it easy to stay stunning in a disruptive world, according to the pitch. Oh, and this is just the first Wix ad for the 2017 game…more are to come.
Squarespace: John Malkovich, WTF
The website development platform, and Wix competitor, enlists John Malkovich to be…John Malkovich, who is irate that someone has snatched the domain bearing his name. The motto: Get your domain before it’s gone.
Go Daddy: Who cleans up after Internet? The Internet domain registrar poses questions such as Who cleans up after Internet and Who is Internet? Here’s the teaser for its full-blown Super Bowl ads.
