On the off chance you’re looking for a sign to “Tell Me Why” to switch to T-Mobile, look no further. The Backstreet Boys are back doing just that in the brand’s fun, flashy, pink-plastered Super Bowl 60 ad.
The iconic boy band is shown taking T-Mobile’s Times Square store by storm with a reimagined version of their 1999 classic hit “I Want It That Way” in the 60-second spot. Appearing suddenly behind a T-Mobile-branded store display, the band surprises real customers, transforming the store into a full-on concert venue.
“Tell me why it’s America’s best network, tell me why Netflix is included, and lots of perks,” the gents belt. Then antics abound, with Brian Littrell getting literally blown offstage by the wind generated by a fan, AJ McLean making a blue-tongued-promise of a monthly free 7-11 Slurpee with T-Mobile (a real perk), and comedian Druski sobbing with joy at the suggestion that no one expects quite enough from their mobile carrier. Actor-influencer Pierson Fodé also makes a cameo.
And there’s an unexpected twist at the end: rocker-rapper Machine Gun Kelly, or MGK, makes a surprise appearance on the same in-store stage…to a somewhat flatter reception.
“This spot is about asking Americans to pause and think about what their wireless provider actually does for them,” said Lucy McLellan, T-Mobile’s chief brand and communications officer, in a statement shared with ADWEEK.
She added: “We believe people deserve more than just a connection—they deserve more benefits, more transparency, and a better overall experience —and that’s what sets T-Mobile apart.” The Backstreet Boys, she added, helped bring that message to life in a fun way.
The campaign was shot by Hot Tub Time Machine filmmaker Steve Pink and brought to life by Panay Films, the entertainment-studio-plus-creative-agency led by Wedding Crashers producer Andrew Panay.
Panay saw the Backstreet Boys perform at The Sphere in Las Vegas last summer, where he said he had something of a “spiritual” experience. “I’m like, these guys are off the charts vibrating,” he told ADWEEK. Soon after, Panay called T-Mobile’s Mike Katz, president of marketing, innovation, and experience, and planted the idea of licensing the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want it That Way” for the brand’s Big Game campaign.
“I licensed the song, I put money down, and then more brands came after it,” Panay said. “There wasn’t a bidding war, but there could have been, but I stopped it.”
But he wasn’t satisfied with the song alone—he knew he wanted the band in the ad, too. “I knew that only they could [do it]. I didn’t want to license it and have other people do it,” Panay said. And T-Mobile’s marketing team, led by Katz and McLellan, put their trust in Panay to make it happen.
