Last month, Miller Lite announced that it was heading to the metaverse for the Super Bowl. There, at a virtual bar in Decentraland, viewers would be able to watch the brand’s exclusive game-day ad in an experience created out of DDB Chicago and DDB San Francisco.
Ad Age got a peek at the spot, which the brand dubs “The First Big Game Ad in the Metaverse”—using the “Big Game” phrase that brands without official NFL sponsorships use to describe the game.
An avatar spokesman walks a flannel-wearing lead character and viewers through the spot, which pokes fun at many of the staples of Super Bowl advertising, from a “relatable farmer” to a big-name, “culturally-relevant” pop star, as well as Clydesdales representing the ultimate in Americana (and drinking cans of Miller Lite beer), puppies, avocados “from another country,” aliens, a robot and more.
“What do horses have to do with beer?” the character asks the spokesman, in a not-so-subtle-shot at Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Budweiser, which has a Clydesdales ad in the real game.
It’s just the latest dig against its competitor from Miller Lite-owner Molson Coors. The company recently mocked its competitor’s zero-carb Bud Light Next with a spot from Mischief starring a respected mathematician determining that Miller’s version has fewer calories. Also, it appeared to be behind a prank that turned the BudLightNext.com website into a random series of URLs and ridiculous images. The site was pulled down soon after an Ad Age report.
AB InBev, which has exclusive beer ad rights to the Super Bowl, is making its own metaverse play with one of its in-game spots. The ad for Bud Light Next includes one woman being shown in an avatar-like form playing guitar in a virtual reality landscape. The ad also shows an NFT image to support the brand’s Jan. 27 announcement of the “Bud Light N3XT Collection.”
According to a DDB spokesperson, Decentraland said the Miller Lite Metaverse Bar has been its most successful brand partnership since launching in 2017 and resulted in its server crashing at times. Limited-edition wearables that were sold as part of the experience also sold out immediately, adding to the delays.
The Miller Lite spot was directed by M ss ng P eces’ Jason Zada, who is known for his storytelling across non-traditional platforms, such as the Emmy-winning “Take This Lollipop” horror experience. The ad has been on loop in the Miller Lite Metaverse Bar since 12 a.m. Sunday. The bar also has a golden tap where visitors can try to win $500 of real-life beer. Other features include a mechanical bull, a jukebox “and even a bathroom for your virtual business,” DDB Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Ari Weiss said.
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