• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechBusinessperson of the Year

Amazon Drone Makes Super Bowl Cameo

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 6, 2017, 1:34 PM ET
Super Bowl LI - New England Patriots v Atlanta Falcons
HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 05: Lady Gaga performs during the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl 51 Halftime Show at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)Al Bello—Getty Images

As Lady Gaga belted patriotic tunes in a glittering crystalline bodysuit during the Super Bowl on Sunday night, drones from chipmaker Intel darted in synchronized flight above her as part of a light show. But Intel (INTC) wasn’t the only company to show off its flying bots that evening.

Amazon, the Seattle-based e-commerce juggernaut, featured one of its own delivery drones during a commercial for Amazon Echo, the company’s voice-controlled speaker. The “Prime Air” robot dipped into view beside an Echo, powered by Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa, during the final frames of the commercial.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The Amazon (AMZN) ad spot opens with a close-up of a bearded man, whose fingers are coated in the messy orange cheese dust characteristic of many junk foods. He munches and proceeds, unsuccessfully, to suck his digits clean.

The jersey-wearing man then distractedly reaches his slobbered-on paws into a bowl of nachos. His couch-mate, a woman in a button-up cardigan sweater, watches in disgust.

https://twitter.com/amazonecho/status/828430426054094848

“Alexa, reorder Doritos from Prime Air,” she commands with a sidelong glance. The scene cuts to a shot of the Echo device on a ledge beside a window.

For more on drones, watch:

“Ok, look for delivery soon,” Alexa’s signature voice replies as an Amazon delivery drone appears outside.

Tempering the excitement around Amazon’s futuristic portage plans, a caption appeared at the bottom of the screen. “Prime Air is not available in some states (or any really) yet,” it read.

That’s not for lack of effort though. At the end of last year, Amazon completed its first drone deliveries in a test in Cambridge, England. The company also last year won a patent for an “airborne fulfillment center” that could help it ship goods via drone in coming years.

Unfortunately for Amazon and its rivals, like Google’s (GOOG) “Project Wing” program, though, the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States has hampered the advent of drone delivery with restrictions on unmanned aircraft operations, citing safety reasons. Las year the administration started requiring companies to keep their aerial couriers within a certain line of sight, impeding their range and the technology’s outlook.

Perhaps the Super Bowl advertisement had a subtext beyond merely drumming up interest in Amazon’s Echo devices: subtly swaying public opinion on the drone issue in the company’s favor.

Till then, it’s probably best to lay off the cheesy snacks.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Tech

Bill Gates speaks onstage at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum 2025 at The Plaza Hotel on September 24, 2025 in New York City.
AIBill Gates
Bill Gates says AI could be used as a bioterrorism weapon akin to the COVID pandemic if it falls into the wrong hands
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 9, 2026
16 hours ago
shapiro
Big TechMedia
Netflix’s competition isn’t sleep anymore. Its battle against YouTube is like fighting an ‘infinite number of monkeys,’ top strategist says
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 9, 2026
16 hours ago
Bill Gates pictured in New York, May 2025.
SuccessBill Gates
Read Bill Gates’s 2026 annual letter in full
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 9, 2026
17 hours ago
A screen displays the Grok logo while a person holds another phone in front.
AIX
Lawmakers and victims criticize the choice to limit Grok’s AI image generation to paid users as ‘insulting’ and ‘not effective’
By Beatrice NolanJanuary 9, 2026
18 hours ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Andreessen Horowitz’s shiny, new $15 billion reveals where the firm sees the biggest opportunities
By Allie GarfinkleJanuary 9, 2026
19 hours ago
Chinese and U.S. flags wave outside a technology company in Beijing, on April 17, 2025. (Photo: Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
‘Salt Typhoon’ hackers accessed email of U.S. congressional committee staff
By Andrew NuscaJanuary 9, 2026
19 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
North America
Bill Gates warns the world is going 'backwards' and gives 5-year deadline before we enter a new Dark Age
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 9, 2026
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
By Emma BurleighJanuary 8, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Workplace Culture
Amazon demands proof of productivity from employees, asking for list of accomplishments
By Jake AngeloJanuary 8, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Crypto
Russia and Iran are increasingly turning to crypto—especially stablecoins—to avoid sanctions, report finds
By Carlos GarciaJanuary 8, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
White House says it's 'reviewing protocols' after Trump seemingly violated federal policy by disclosing jobs data early
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 9, 2026
11 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Google billionaire Larry Page copies the Jeff Bezos playbook, buying a $173 million Miami compound that will save him millions in taxes
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 8, 2026
1 day ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.