Beyoncé partnered with Verizon to prove her ability to “break the internet” amid one of the culture’s biggest sports matchups during Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11.
The moment, paired with Usher’s R&B-driven Super Bowl Halftime Show, has been the talk of the town since the league’s big day.
While football, celebrities, and more took the spotlight in Las Vegas for the big game, another driving factor for viewership was the commercials. Brands like E.l.f. Beauty, Temu, Dunkin’, and a host of others, including Verizon, pulled out the big stops as consumers eagerly watched throughout the matchup.
The chatter that followed the Verizon ad was a play on Beyoncé’s star power and ability to send people across the social media sphere into a frenzy, and from the looks of it, it did what needed to be done.
During the commercial, the Houston, TX, native decided she wanted to “break Verizon,” so she explored ways to overload its wireless network with buzz only Beyoncé can create. Her attempts to bring in the masses included doing her version of Barbie, “Bar-Bey;” going to space; and even running as “Beyoncé of the United States,” before ultimately ending the spot with the comment, “Okay, they’re ready, drop the music.”
The move quickly caused her fans IRL to run back and forth between streaming platforms and apps to access the new music Beyoncé so casually mentioned during the Super Bowl ad.
Eventually, fans did get a surprise drop from the “Break My Soul” crooner, including a March 29 date for Act II, the follow-up album to “Renaissance” and second in a planned trilogy. And from the looks of it, she is taking things back to her Southern roots with two new songs, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” falling within the country genre.
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In addition to wowing the world with her creative endeavors, Beyoncé has also proven herself to be quite the businesswoman, and the collaboration with Verizon is a prime example that the superstar has no problem with entertaining the planet, while also collecting her coins.
According to a post by Boardroom on Instagram, over the years the amount of advertising dollars spent by companies for a 30-second slot during America’s biggest game has grown tremendously.
In 1967, the cost of the aforementioned spot would run a brand $42,000, per the post. Today, that price tag is $7 million for 30 seconds, and with the Verizon ad having a total run time of just about one minute, the communication technology company may have dished out approximately $14 million for the commercial.
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What’s more, while it has yet to be confirmed, Beyoncé is rumored to have received a reported $30 million payout from the brand as a result of the collaboration.
Additionally, along with the forthcoming musical release, Beyoncé’s latest entrepreneurial endeavor will hit the market on Feb. 20 through Cécred, her foray into the haircare industry.
