Global Ads Spotlight: How Verizon and Beyonce's Super Bowl ad broke the internet and the network
From "Beyoncé of the United States" to saxophone albums and space performances, Verizon's star-studded campaign made history—and numbers. Read and watch in our Global Ads Spotlight column.
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Super Bowl 2024 wasn’t just about touchdowns and commercials; it was about making history.
Verizon managed to turn its usual pitch for reliable mobile coverage into a spectacle that even Queen Bey herself couldn’t resist crashing.
With a genius partnership between Verizon, Beyoncé, and Ogilvy, the ad turned the brand’s “Can’t B Broken” campaign into a viral event that proved that when you can’t break the network, you break the internet instead.
The idea? Simple. Verizon’s network is strong enough to handle anyone.
Enter Beyoncé, armed with a list of progressively ridiculous ways to break the unbreakable — from launching a lemonade stand to dropping a surprise jazz album.
The ad's narrative ramps up to pure chaos, with Bey even trying to run for “Beyoncé of the United States” and perform a concert in space. Naturally, her stunts only build on the ad’s theme, creating a larger-than-life spectacle that felt truly... Beyoncé.
The numbers? Absolutely staggering. The campaign pulled in 29 billion impressions and dominated conversations, accounting for one-third of all Super Bowl 2024 ad chatter.
Verizon saw a 35% increase in sign-ups, proving once again that combining star power with a clever message can yield significant returns.
But this wasn’t just a win in numbers; it earned accolades, too.
The campaign bagged a Gold Lion, a Bronze Lion, and four shortlists, cementing its place as one of the top contenders in the global advertising space for 2024.
And then, of course, there’s the real kicker — the tie-in with Beyoncé’s Renaissance: Act II, which she teasingly dropped after the commercial aired.
Within days, the new single “Texas Hold ‘Em” racked up 30 million streams, and Queen Bey made history as the first Black woman to top the country charts.
Why it worked?
It was not just a commercial; it was a cultural event that fused product marketing with celebrity mystique. By showcasing the sheer creativity and chaos of what happens when the world’s most famous pop star takes on your brand’s identity, Verizon found a way to turn their typical service pitch into a global celebration.
So, what’s the takeaway here? Don’t just show your product — show how it fits into the world of your audience, especially if that audience is willing to follow Beyoncé into space.
The bar for Super Bowl ads? It’s officially been raised — and it has Beyoncé's name on it.
