Verizon Skips Super Bowl Buy, Opting to Slam Rivals' Campaigns on Social Instead

Verizon is the latest brand to prove that you don’t need to spend $5 million to get attention during the Super Bowl.

The telecommunications giant, which recently split with lead creative agency Wieden + Kennedy, came into the game ready to fight and responded to its rivals’ ads in order.

First, there was a hard dig against T-Mobile’s #UnlimitedMoves dance spot starring Justin Bieber.

Here are some moves @tmobile doesn’t want you to see. #UnlimitedMoves #SB51 pic.twitter.com/aiZGXwcjCp

— Verizon (@verizon) February 6, 2017

The Verizon team also had a ready response for Sprint’s dad-in-trouble ad by Droga5.

Trying to do anything on @Sprint may push you over the edge. #SprintFails #SB51 pic.twitter.com/tFxiLeLj08

— Verizon (@verizon) February 6, 2017

Unsurprisingly, both Sprint and T-Mobile were on the defensive, with Sprint swiping Verizon’s original hashtag.

Haters gonna hate. ?☕️#SuperBowl https://t.co/bdT6ReUNdr

— Sprint (@sprint) February 6, 2017

@verizon if you weren’t so expensive, that mannequin would still be alive…and don’t think we didn’t see that video #VerizonFails pic.twitter.com/ow4ETirAKU

— Sprint (@sprint) February 6, 2017

If Verizon had anticipated an aggressive messaging effort by its two biggest competitors, it was right. This explicitly anti-Verizon ad by Publicis Seattle aired during the fourth quarter.

Verizon was not amused, and this exchange between the corporate account and T-Mobile CEO John Legere felt a bit more … personal.

.@verizon guys… it can’t go any further. calm down. pic.twitter.com/jINXguIUAD

— John Legere (@JohnLegere) February 6, 2017

Unfortunately no one will hear your safe word if you’re on @Tmobile. ?

— Verizon (@verizon) February 6, 2017

It wasn’t just a one-way fight, either.

They broke our Jealousy-O-Meter! Those aren’t cheap, Vzw… https://t.co/Yh7MjGtcf4

— T-Mobile? (@TMobile) February 6, 2017

Ouch. Will Verizon’s attack strategy ultimately prove more effective than T-Mobile’s massive Super Bowl ad buy? Only time will tell. But the brand definitely scored some high engagement numbers.

At least one big brand thought better. While the three runners-up fought amongst themselves, AT&T stayed silently above the fray.