In other words, Verizon didn’t want the commercial to be watched by around 100 million people on TV, and the NFL had to play ball, which may actually end up benefiting Magenta more. That’s because the “Un-carrier” is definitely kicking off the big weekend with far more buzz than its arch-rival while still reportedly having two other 60-second spots approved and ready to air on Sunday against… whatever Big Red might be planning from its own marketing perspective.
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The “big game” is upon us, and in addition to once again duking it out in the 5G arena with their latest network advancements and breakthroughs, Verizon and T-Mobile (maybe even AT&T) will do everything in their power to shine from an advertising standpoint come Sunday.
Either way, Sievert definitely got our attention with this decidedly John Legere-style publicity stunt, especially given that the commercial itself is actually pretty entertaining, managing the rare feat of hyping up football fans while mocking T-Mo’s competition without ringing false or falling flat.
The “banned” ad comes up with a fun (and totally made up) explanation for Rob Gronkowski’s decision to “retire from retiring” after a year-long football hiatus and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he joined former New England Patriots teammate and longtime pal Tom Brady.
Brady, who won six Super Bowl rings in his 20 seasons as a Patriot, was apparently pondering retirement (not really) when good old “Gronk” coaxed him into going for “another one.” Basically, Magenta is indirectly crediting one of its rivals for making Gronkowski and Brady’s Tampa Bay reunion and the Buccaneers’ road to only their second ever Super Bowl game possible, which… might not be exactly what was intended here.
