Sprint, which acquired Nextel in 2004, bought two 30-second spots in Super Bowl XL to promote two new, advanced phone services well before Apple's iPhone arrived to make it all seem routine: music downloads and live TV.
In “Locker Room,” two men compare phone features until it's time for one to demonstrate a "crime deterrent" feature.
Both spots were created by Sprint’s agency TBWA/Chiat/Day and directed by Bryan Buckley, who has directed over 50 Super Bowl ads since 2000, including FedEx's "Desert Island" and "Top Ten," Monster.com's "When I Grow Up," TurboTax's "Love Hurts," SodaStream's "Saving the World," CareerBuilder.com's "Monkeys" and Burger King's "America's Favorite." Production company: Hungry Man.
Agency creative director: Gerry Graf. Executive producer: Marianne Stephen Orent. Copywriter: Harold Einstein, Gerry Graf. Art directors: Harold Einstein, Gerry Graf.
Editorial: Mackenzie-Cutier.
BRAND: Sprint Nextel
YEAR: 2006
AGENCY: TBWA/Chiat/Day
SUPERBOWL: XL