Update 2/9: In a second teaser from Verizon, Tony Hale stands with the glitter horse from Beyoncé’s Renaissance Vol. 1 album cover that was released in 2022.
Update 2/7: Verizon released today a Super Bowl teaser featuring Tony Hale squeezing lemons suggesting a potential appearance from Beyoncé. In the teaser, Hale says “She wants me to squeeze all these lemons by myself?” Beyoncé’s 2016’s visual album was titled “Lemonade.” The brand has been tight-lipped about its Super Bowl plans outside of its activations in Las Vegas until today.
Tuesday night, the brand also released a teaser featuring J Balvin, and the brand sent a statement on his appearance: “Building on a relationship that began in September, Verizon is thrilled to kick off a new year-long partnership with global superstar J Balvin, beginning with our Super Bowl spot set to air on Univision’s broadcast of the game. Make sure you tune in—and have your phones ready.”
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After sitting out the Super Bowl last year, Verizon is making a comeback with a strategy that encompasses an in-game ad, a weeklong collaboration with the Las Vegas Sphere, and exclusive VIP experiences with partners such as Netflix Max, Apple Music and Uninterrupted, the athlete brand co-founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter.
“The ads will showcase the reliability and performance of our network, and will be on CBS and Univision,” said Kristin McHugh, chief brand officer at Verizon. “We are very proud to be in the first Spanish-language broadcast this Super Bowl.”
McHugh did not disclose the length of the ad, when it will air or confirm whether Ogilvy, which is the brand’s new creative agency of record, is behind the spot.
Verizon aims to differentiate itself from competitors like T-Mobile during the Super Bowl by emphasizing its roots in technology and the connectivity and access it provides to fans, according to McHugh.
To that, the wireless giant’s prepaid service Total by Verizon will run a 30-second Super Bowl spot during Univision’s telecast, placed during the first commercial break of the second quarter, with creative work from Ogilvy.
Verizon last aired an ad during the Big Game in 2022, when Jim Carrey reprised his Cable Guy role. The spot ranked 16th on the USA Today Ad Meter. Last year, Verizon aired an ad immediately after the Super Bowl.
Exclusive events for Verizon customers
In the lead-up to Super Bowl 58, Verizon plans to engage its customers through Verizon Live, a four-day activation at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club. The activation will feature myriad events in collaboration with partners like Netflix, Max and Apple Music, with talent including the cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Hannah Einbinder from the Max series Hacks.
“Sunday, we have the watch party with the team at Paramount who’s been maniacally focused on the CBS efforts, with our ability to bring together a family-friendly type of activation during the game,” said Nick Kelly, vp of partnerships at Verizon. “This becomes a way for us to highlight a way that Verizon can bring an experience to a Super Bowl in a way that only Verizon can.”
The brand activation will also include out-of-home spaces, including prominent locations such as the Vegas airport and the Strip.
For the latest Super Bowl 58 advertising news—who’s in, who’s out, teasers, full ads and more—check out Adweek’s Super Bowl 2024 Ad Tracker and the rest of our stories here. And join us on the evening of Feb. 11 for the best in-game coverage of the commercials.
