Motorola buys Super Bowl ad spot

Looks like Motorola's fully back in the game: not only does it have the hottest Android device you can (currently) buy in the Droid, word today is that the company's dished out somewhere between $2.5 and $3 million for at least one Super Bowl commercial. It's been a while since Motorola last spent so lavishly on an ad campaign, so we're super curious to see what device the ad is for -- the safe bet is obviously the Droid, but CES could bring both the AT&T-destined Backflip and Sholes Tablet, so it's all up in the air. Our main hope? The return of HELLO MOTO.

[vVv Posted Dec 30th 2009 5:52PM]

not on the same channel of course...

[Average White Boy Posted Dec 31st 2009 12:45AM]

@vVv

Why would a company that's already lost so much money and is nearly bankrupt be spending so much money on a SuperBowl ad for a smartphone that's going to be Nexus One fodder? Motorola has no sense for running a business at all. They need to make money before they spend money.

[JeffM Posted Dec 31st 2009 1:57AM]

@Average White Boy: After using the N1 for a couple weeks I can honestly say I would buy the Droid over the N1. The N1 lacks personality the styling of the phone is very plain and boring- I prefer the boxy styling of the Droid. It doesn't help that the N1 doesn't include a hard keyboard which is important to me.

Obviously for people that are indifferent to keyboards and do not want a keyboard the N1 is a great choice- but I believe both phones can succeed.

[Daniel lee Posted Dec 31st 2009 2:41AM]

Yup

[streetstealth Posted Dec 30th 2009 5:58PM]

You know what I'm really hoping they bring back from the HELLOMOTO era? Sexy product photography.

Seriously, the Droid should be lounging about in cropped-in macro shots up on billboards like the RAZR was, but instead it's crammed into this ridiculous evil cyborg festooning that does nothing to make you actually want to *hold the device in your hands and touch it*.

Android 2 looks nice, and the Droid's screen makes it look even nicer. Show a big, rich, 480x854-resolution Google Maps UI, not a glowing red eye.

[Lando Calrissian Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:03PM]

@streetstealth
Seriously, the glowing red eye thingy looks terrible in the commercials. They should just be advertising as much as possible on the design and interface IMHO.

[kiyu727 Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:04PM]

@streetstealth
+1 !
Totally agreed! I cant stand that creepy eye.
There are people in Germany who actually ask for the red eye cuz the milestone(droid in europe) doesnt have it. Cant understand them.

[fifth Posted Jan 1st 2010 7:59AM]

Honest truth I love the evil eye thing. It's like owning Sauron: The Phone.

I think the branding could work if you gave it a really terrifying, Darth Vadery voice, and had it trying to terrify and threaten people, and then they pick it up and go oh cute, it has a keyboard! Look, it has Google maps! And the phone is just all ARRGH STOP POKING ME

[harry20larry Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:00PM]

No doubt going to be an iPhone slating commercial instead of something creative

[Proud Japanese Posted Dec 30th 2009 7:57PM]

@harry20larry
Because majority of Apple's commercials never slate their competitors. *rollseye*

[N900 Posted Dec 30th 2009 8:29PM]

@Proud Japanese I really what when ANY company makes commercials like that. Recently AmEx did one with the frowning and smiling faces.

"Can your's do that? Hmm? *Insert douche face here*"

*Sigh*...

[N900 Posted Dec 30th 2009 8:29PM]

*hate* fix'd

[bolezhinkov Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:00PM]

Nice. they better not waste this showing off some already available device . . .

[CJ100570 Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:01PM]

Wow, you guys are really fast, it only took you 3 days to report this after it became widely known. Kudos!

[kiyu727 Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:01PM]

I really miss the days when it was common to hear "Hello Moto" on TV ...³

The droid is the first smartphone which makes me happy since iphone, samsung jet, HTC Hero(curse you trackball, wheres qwerty >:( ? ) and Sony-Erricson s500i(not a smartphone)

[SilverSurfer Posted Dec 30th 2009 9:12PM]

@kiyu727

So.... all of these phones make you happy? Or none except the Droid?

[kiyu727 Posted Dec 30th 2009 9:18PM]

@SilverSurfer
none of them made me keep them longer than 29 days, only the droid has the potential for the 31th day :D

[TheCow5 Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:08PM]

Between $2.5 and $3 million dollars for a spot in the Super Bowl in my opinion is not a good bet. Your company is still not out of the fire. Your "Droid Does" commercials is having an effect, ppl are curious.

Here is my advice: make a phone that will work on Vorizen.Sprint network and T-Mobile/AT&T network.
You will then be the only one and you would win.

[MJGAMER 1991 XBL Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:11PM]

Shouldn't "(currently)" in the first sentence be a hyperlink to http://www.engadget.com/tag/nexusone?

[kiyu727 Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:13PM]

@MJGAMER 1991 XBL
You reviewed the nexus already ?

[narenk Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:41PM]

Let's hope Janet Jackson isn't in it.

[Steve Jobs CEO Posted Dec 30th 2009 6:53PM]

I don't pay the networks to air Apple ad's, they pay me.

[Maj Posted Dec 30th 2009 7:23PM]

As long as Verizon's ad team makes the ad.

[Dafrety Posted Dec 30th 2009 8:48PM]

@Maj
Exactly, Motorola's own ads in the US are terrible. The ads that Verizon does and the ones for the Motorola Milestone are significantly better.

[xFenixKnightx Posted Dec 30th 2009 7:37PM]

"not only does it have the hottest Android device you can (currently)"

IMO other than 3GS, DROID is the best phone out now. The cool ads STILL don't do it justice. When DROID gets 2.1 what other device will be the hotter fully packaged deal? It's snappy as hell, has a full qwerty, the 3.7 screen is gorgeous and its on Verizon. Nuff said. I don't see any other device with better features. Lets hope this SuperBowl ad (if it is indeed for the Droid) really makes an impact. They need to show exactly how customizable the phone really is.

DROID does!

Even my Iphone having friends love my Droid. =)

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 31st 2009 1:14AM]

@xFenixKnightx Just go read the Droid forums. Even iphone people are making the change and loving it. There is a problem though....Droid addiction....And Droid with 2.1 is very fast too.

[JP23 Posted Dec 30th 2009 8:08PM]

How many ex Motorolan's here remember "You Can't Always Get What You Want" Ads from the '98 or '99 SB?
Motorola always hired the flunky from Advertising school.

[AndroidRokz Posted Dec 30th 2009 8:11PM]

Moto's gonna get a bunch of money!!! Yeah!!!!!!

[vlad786 Posted Dec 30th 2009 9:25PM]

The ad shall be Hilarious like most of Super Bowl Ads!

[JAG Posted Jan 9th 2010 7:58AM]

I think this AD will be strong like other DROID ads

[Maroussia Posted Jan 27th 2010 4:36AM]

It will be great to watch Super Bowl Package, i have bought tickets from
http://ticketfront.com/event/Super_Bowl_Package-tickets looking forward to it.