During the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Intel launched the first televised drone activation in history. Intel partnered with the NFL, Pepsi, and Lady Gaga to create a synchronized light show using over 300 drones that kicked off her performance.

From the roof of NRG Stadium, Lady Gaga began her performance. As she sang, the drones lit up the sky in unison behind her. Gradually, they took the shape of the American flag, a symbol of unity on a day when America comes together. To pull off the complex performance, Intel used Shooting Star drones, which are custom-made for light shows, and programmed animations that synchronized the drones in flight, all controlled by a single Intel-powered computer.

An estimated 150 million people watched the Super Bowl Halftime Show live, and the performance has gained almost 30 million views on YouTube. Within the Super Bowl broadcast, the drone light show generated the highest aided-awareness ad recall at 53%. The show garnered 4.9 billion potential impressions through articles and broadcast clip mentions, including over 950 feature articles and over 1,200 media hits.

Intel’s strategy was to create awareness and garner brand credit for the first drone integration in a Super Bowl Halftime Show, delivering on the brand promise that Intel makes amazing experiences possible. Our target audience was Super Bowl viewers and the broader U.S. market.

In 2017, Intel went to the biggest televised event in America, the Super Bowl, with one goal: use Intel technology to create an experience unlike anything the world has seen before and change people’s perceptions of what that technology can do.