seahawkssurface1Microsoft has had some issues with TV commentators not knowing what the official tablet of the NFL is. Now the company is out to set the record straight with a new ad featuring the defending world champions.

In a new 2-minute video commercial, Microsoft shows how its Surface tablet helps the Seattle Seahawks preapre for games, stay healthy, keep in touch with family, and ultimately get a W.

The ad features a bevy of Hawks — Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, Percy Harvin, Malcolm Smith, Earl Thomas, K.J. Wright — using the device to review plays in practice, keep track of their workout regime, listen to music before a game, and Skype with family members while riding on the team bus.

There’s also a scene that shows the team using the Surface during a rain-drenched game against the Broncos in Seattle. Unfortunately for Surface owners hoping to use their device outside this winter, the waterproof case was built specifically for the NFL and is not available to purchase.

seahawkssurface2As part of a $400 million contract it inked with the NFL in May 2013 and the league’s push to improve its technology, Microsoft is equipping teams this season with customized Surface tablets — 13 for players on the sidelines and another 12 for offensive and defensive coordinators in the coaching boxes.

Historically, team personnel would print out black-and-white images of past plays and put them together in a binder for coaches and players — a process that takes up to 30 seconds for every possession. The Surface tablets help streamline this process.

“Not only will images via Surface be delivered in near real-time, but the Sideline Viewing System App provides more detailed, high-resolution images including with the capabilities to zoom-in and make digital annotations,” Microsoft notes in this blog post.

On top of the sideline use, today’s ad indicates that teams are using the tablet off the field, too. The NFL also utilized the Surface during this year’s NFL Combine, while medical trainers from select teams also used the Surface to monitor concussion information during games last season.

And although the Surface logo is clearly visible around NFL stadiums and has been hailed as the “official tablet of the NFL,” TV announcers repeatedly have referenced the device as an iPad. Perhaps this ad will help clean up the brand messaging — check it out below:

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