The 10 best Super Bowl tech ads so far
It doesn't matter if you don't care for American football - the half-time break has launched some of tech's most important products
The Apple Mac. The first Android tablet. Megan Fox in a bath.
Almost as important (but in no way as important) as the sport played in the Superbowl is what happens when the sport isn’t being played: the half-time break.
It’s home to entertainment. It’s a time when twelve metric tons of hotdogs are consumed. It’s a perfect opportunity to show a technology ad to hundreds of millions of people – and here are 10 of the best to date.
1. Apple: Macintosh “1984” (1984 Super bowl)
If there’s one tech ad that has held iconic status for the last 20 years, it’ll be this ad. A jab at the book 1984 as well as big brother blue (IBM), this ad brought the Macintosh into the minds of the masses. Even today, it’s considered one of the best ads ever to hit the Superbowl.
2. Google: Parisian Love (2010 Super Bowl)
This ad is simplicity at its finest. No fancy graphics, no dancing girls, just Google search itself.
3. Yahoo: Talking Dolphin (2002 Super Bowl)
Yahoo used to go toe-to-toe with Google when it came to search. It’s a somewhat different situation now, but back in the heyday, the portal was popular enough to warrant a Superbowl ad.
4. Xerox: Monks (1977 Super Bowl)
Yes, copier machines are tech, and back in the 70s, they were as cutting-edge as it got for mere mortals. These days we’re more likely to email documents rather than duplicate them, saving brother Dominic the leg work to the copier machine.
5. Motorola: Empower the people (2011 Super Bowl)
Apple’s 1984 ad might have been iconic, but Motorola does a good job on turning the tables here. The Xoom didn’t have a fraction of the iPad’s success, but it’s fun to see Apple in the big brother position.
6. Samsung: Thing Called Love (2012 Super Bowl)
Making fun of iSheep seems to be the a common theme for Apple competitors, and this ad for Samsung does it pretty well. Though we applaud Apple fans’ dedication to the brand, it’s perfect fodder for a little ribbing.
7. Samsung: The Next Big Thing (2013 Super Bowl)
Set Rogen, Lebron James and Paul Rudd. With these many celebrities in there, what’s not to like. It was funny, tongue in cheek and did bumped up the brand. Not to mention the many, not so subtle name drops of most of the Samsung devices.
8. Intel: Lunch Room (2010 Super Bowl)
How can you make an app about processors interesting? Make it funny. And that’s exactly what Intel did. You might not be able to remember all the tech specs that are spewed out, but you’ll remember their processors and that cute little robot employee.
9. Apple Hal (1999 Super Bowl)
If there’s one thing Apple was really good at in their older ads, it’s taking potshots at their competitors. At the height of the millenium bug scare, they milked it fully with this Kubrick-inspired ad.
10. Motorola: Megan Fox (2010 Superbowl)
Do we really need to say anything about this ad? It’s Megan Fox in a baththub.
Nigel Yap
