Ahead of the Super Bowl, T-Mobile US sent out a delightfully ambiguous press release titled “T-Mobile Announces They’re Gonna Announce Something.” What could it be? Clarity on their long-touted television offering; the availability of 5G-compatible handsets; why CEO John Legere went dark on Twitter after execs got called out for staying at the Trump International in Washington D.C. while trying to curry favor for a merger with Sprint?
As the big game unfolded, the question was answered through a series of advertisements: tacos and a $10 Lyft credit. Rising to meet the enthusiasm level of the half-time show, T-Mobile US will give customers free tacos from Taco Bell on Tuesdays and a credit for the popular ride share platform.
But wait, there’s more–two of the ads were also pretty sexist. In one, set to the Fine Young Cannibals’ “She Drives Me Crazy,” Kristi and a text partner debate dinner plans. Gender stereotypes were reinforced through messages including “You’re going to want sushi, aren’t you?,” “tacos sound good to me,” “You should have a girls’ night!,” and “Why is up to me when it’s really up to you.”
Some hot takes from Twitter:
- “Ah yes, the classic joke about how women can’t decide what they want to eat personified through txt.”
- “I feel like that casually sexist ‘ugh, girlfriends, so annoying, always want sushi not TACOS!’ ad should have been left in 2006.”
- And “Girlfriends, nag nag nag!!! am I right? Not letting us go to TACO BELL on date night.”
Also on Twitter, Legere awarded T-Mo the trophy emoji for best Super Bowl commercial. The comments were gold:
- “Still waiting on the ‘big announcement.'”
- “Really all this hype for one taco and a Lyft ride.”
- “Way too much hype for nothing.”
- “This was way over hyped and the ads were lame.”
