Verizon iPhone 4 ad gets Super Bowl airtime

Verizon gave an Apple product a rare direct Super Bowl placement tonight by airing its "I can hear you now" ad in the middle of the game. The commercial follows its first airing late last week and will have cost Verizon about $3 million for the 30 seconds. It represents one of the first times the iPhone has had an ad during the NFL final.

The ad wasn't the only one to show an Apple product during the game, as The Daily's ad centered heavily on the iPad. It remains unique for Apple in being a rare instance of one of its products being the main focus of a Super Bowl ad since the company's 1984 and 1985 commercials.

Google may have also seen its first loss of favor from Verizon. Although a Motorola Xoom ad ran during the game, the ad was handled by Motorola and not, as with Motorola's phones, by the carrier. Until the iPhone unveiling last month, Verizon had put virtually all its attention on Android.

The provider is likely keen to seize on early momentum but has had a reputation for making its preferences known through publicity. It knowingly timed the original Motorola Droid's launch to overshadow that of a then-new BlackBerry Storm2 and gave the Droid an elaborate marketing campaign while paying virtually no notice to its one-time favorite from RIM. Why it would switch so quickly to Apple isn't known, but an unsuccessful overdependence on Android is the most likely explanation.

By Electronista Staff