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iPad invasion of the Super Bowl

I thought I would be the only attendee bringing an iPad to a Super Bowl party, but that wasn't the case.
Written by James Kendrick, Contributor

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Only Madonna got partygoers to put down the iPads

Yesterday was the Super Bowl, otherwise known as the Big Game, and millions of folks in the U. S. headed to parties dedicated to watching the game and the ads. I did the same and took along my iPad to augment the viewing experience. While I figured I was the only guest at the party geeky enough to bring the tablet, there were actually three iPads in attendance including mine. It seems that it is becoming more commonplace for iPad owners to carry them to places they would previously never have dared to bring them.

This year Chevy ran a lot of ads during the Super Bowl, and for the first time released a free app for Android and the iPad to keep game watchers tuned into the action. The app is an interactive sideline into game actions in real-time, and was constantly updated with Twitter activity about the Chevy ads. The company gave 20 new cars away to app users to draw them in, and while no one at the party I attended won a car the overall reaction to the app experience was positive.

Each Chevy ad was available to view in the free Chevy Game Time app once it aired during the game broadcast. Once aired, the app constantly asked users trivia questions about the ads to give away prizes. The overall experience was pretty good, and a unique way to tap into the frenzy of the big game. I expect we'll see lots of companies start doing this in the future, as it is a good way to draw them into the advertising.

I was glad I brought my iPad along to the party, in part for the Chevy app participation but mainly to follow the Twitterverse and the constant chattering about the game, ads, and the halftime performance. It added a fun dimension to an already fun event, a feeling echoed by the other iPad toters. It is a trend I expect we'll see grow in the future based on my own experience. It was cool to have a crowd of people gathered around the iPad to join in the fun.

Before you ask, the iPads were the only tablets in attendance. Nary an Android tablet in the house.

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