The most famous commercial to air during the Super Bowl during its 48-year history touted a personal computer, so its only fitting that tech companies see footballs biggest stage as an opportunity to make a big marketing splash. And while the ad blitz may have been nothing like the days of the Web 1.0 bubblewe miss you, too, Pets.com sock puppetplenty of tech companies sought to buy their fair share of the spotlight during Sundays big game. <\/p>\n
But which tech companies got the most bang for their buck and which ones would have been better off setting fire to the pile of money it takes to buy an ad spot during the Super Bowl? Heres one mans rundown of which tech players delivered and which ones fumbled their big opportunity. <\/p>\n
Americas most pugnacious carrier continued its one-company war against the tyranny of two-year commitments, enlisting college football standoutand NFL washoutTim Tebow to point out the folly of contracts. <\/p>\n
Turns out Tebow is much better pitching wireless carriers than he ever was throwing passes to pro receivers. <\/p>\n
T-Mobile made multiple Super Bowl appearances Sunday, again with Tebow and then with a fourth-quarter spot reminding everyone that its willing to pay your early termination fees if you care to leave your current carrier. <\/p>\n
Grade: AT-Mobile stayed on message, and even got this cynical football fan to laugh with Tebow for once, and not at himor at least, not his throwing motion. <\/p>\n
In a one-minute spot that never mentions any of its products by name, Microsoft drives home the point that the things it makes can improve our lives and expand our horizons. <\/p>\n
Grade: A-minusMicrosofts efforts to humanize itself in the past have been more miss than hitwho can forget the awkwardness of Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld bonding over churros?but this minute-long ad actually generated a little lump in the throat in a venue that usually favors snark over sentiment. <\/p>\n
Its not an ad so much as it is a public service announcement, but Bank of America bought time during the Super Bowl broadcast to let people know that they could download U2s Invisible for free on Apples iTunes Store for the next 24 hoursand that the bank would donate $1 for every download to the [Red] charity. <\/p>\n
Grade: A-minusIts hard to get too snooty when somebody wants to give you something for free and is willing to donate money to charity on top of that. <\/p>\n
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Which tech companies scored on Super Bowl Sunday?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The most famous commercial to air during the Super Bowl during its 48-year history touted a personal computer, so its only fitting that tech companies see footballs biggest stage as an opportunity to make a big marketing splash. And while the ad blitz may have been nothing like the days of the Web 1.0 bubblewe miss you, too, Pets.com sock puppetplenty of tech companies sought to buy their fair share of the spotlight during Sundays big game. But which tech companies got the most bang for their buck and which ones would have been better off setting fire to the pile of money it takes to buy an ad spot during the Super Bowl? Continue reading