We've launched our new website, we would love to hear your thoughts & feedback.

Close X

Did Microsoft drop the ball by not having a Super Bowl commercial?

posted on Feb 4th 2013 at 12:07pm by Joe Fedewa

Even if you’re not a sports fan you’ve probably heard by now that the Super Bowl was last night. As the tradition goes, the commercials are just as important as the game itself. So who in the tech world spent the big bucks to advertise during the biggest night in television? Really only two tech companies had ads: Samsung and Blackberry. One is leading the world in smartphone sales, the other is trying to reclaim the 3rd spot in the smartphone wars.

Blackberry has a new OS and new phones to go with it. They have re-branded the company, and they are trying to be fresh and new. With all this they are making a big push for their new products. A Super Bowl commercial is an indication of how important this is to them. So where is Microsoft? With Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 they are essentially trying to recreate themselves too. Why are they not pulling out all the stops for the Super Bowl. Why wasn’t there a clever and funny Windows Phone 8 commercial instead of the same ‘ol boring stuff we see non stop during regular TV time? If Microsoft wants the world to give Windows Phone some attention maybe Microsoft should too.

What do you think? Did Microsoft drop the ball?

  • http://WinSource.com/ J. Drummond

    IIRC, every daughter company/subset has a fairly independent marketing team, including WP. They should all be fired. I don’t understand why they haven’t been able to understand that the job they have been doing for the last several months has been a poor one.

  • Jonleibo

    Absolutely dropped the ball. I was expecting a big presence- especially since no other major tech company(blackberry is pretty small compared to microsoft) has as crucial a product/branding endeavor currently underway. Microsoft desperately needs positive chatter, and there are few opportunities as great as the Super Bowl to create, maximize, and capitalize on that chatter.

  • Avatar Roku

    Motorola Xoom had a SuperBowl commercial and look how well that tablet did. LOL.
    The BlackBerry commercial was terrible and forgettable.

  • fuq

    Super bowl ad cost $3m. Who the fuck want to spend $30m from $100m profit of surface RT?

  • http://WinSource.com/ J. Drummond

    $3m from $100m. And the idea is that you increase the revenue by investing in the advertising. And advertising (good advertising) does and will work.

  • http://www.colossaldamage.com/ SuperMarino

    I can’t even remember the Blackberry commercial.. I keep trying to think of it, but realize that none of them were that one. Honestly though, the price for the commercials is so overpriced, and they are so forgettable these days. It’s not worth it at all, which is probably what the smarter guys at MS were thinking…

  • Edgar Cervantes

    I don’t think it was that big of a deal. Like you said, a lot of companies didn’t make them this year. I think the internet is taking over… this is where the real advertising is. The Super Bowl must have its strength, but is it really worth it for companies to pay millions of dollars to be featured? I am sure they would get much more advertising if they spend that money elsewhere.

  • JSYOUNG571

    How do you drop something that has been dropped.

  • http://twitter.com/jayzeroeee Joe Fedewa

    How do you leave a stupid comment when you’ve already left so many?

  • http://www.facebook.com/sean.andrew.priest Sean A Priest

    You might not remember it, but it ranks number 1 out of all the commercials on the NFL website ;)

  • JSYOUNG571

    Because you have some people that may be stupid enough to respond to it. Thank you for proving it

  • http://www.colossaldamage.com/ SuperMarino

    Wow, that is disappointing, I just went to the site to see. The Budweiser Clydesdale ad was way better, but that’s, like, just my opinion, man.

  • http://WinSource.com/ J. Drummond

    Ooooooo.
    Get out of here.