What happened
In an atypical move for companies in its industry, a cybersecurity leader used the No. 1 advertising platform in the world to publicize its work. The company was CrowdStrike (CRWD -0.24%) and the platform was, of course, the Super Bowl. Investors rewarded that bold move the following day as CrowdStrike's share price rose nearly 3% against the S&P 500 index's gain of slightly over 1%.
So what
In a rather clever 30-second spot set during the Trojan War, soldiers guarding the gates of Troy are contemplating a gift that has been presented to them -- a large wooden horse. All seem eager to accept the present, and are poised to allow it within the fortified walls of their city-state. But a more cautious soldier suggests, "Let's see what Charlotte thinks."
Charlotte is a young, serious professional who -- more than a little incongruously -- is dressed in modern clothes and toting a CrowdStrike-branded laptop. Using what's presumably the cybersecurity company's software to scan the horse, she discovers the threat that lurks inside. She signals this to the Trojan soldiers, then kicks out a wheel chuck holding the horse in place. It rolls down the hill and over a cliff to crash to the beach below. The threat is eliminated.
Particularly compared to some high-budget, celebrity-packed spots that aired during the game, CrowdStrike's ad was smart, funny, and got its point across in a memorable way that left a strong impression.
Now what
It surely wasn't cheap, either to produce or to air -- spots during the contest are famously the most expensive of all TV advertising. But CrowdStrike had nearly $2.5 billion in cash as of the end of its most recently reported quarter. Considering that, it feels like money well spent that's going to raise the cybersecurity powerhouse's profile well higher.
