This was one of the Super Bowl XLVIII ads to be heavily teased on TV. Yes, by 2014, marketers were not just posting online teasers for Super Bowl ads but buying commercial time on TV to promote Super Bowl commercials.
The in-game ads by Omnicom's BBDO, then relatively new on the account, overdelivered in the end, suggesting that Bud Light can lead to limo rides with models, elevator rides with Don Cheadle and his llama, or playing Arnold Schwarzenegger in "tiny tennis." (See also Part 2).
The star was Ian Rappaport, an outdoor ad-sales guy who originally thought he was doing a focus group for some extra cash. "So I do these focus groups whether it be testing out an iPad video game or a smokeless tobacco," Rappaport told Ad Age hours before the game. "This was set up like there was a focus group. They were paying me $100 for 20 minutes of my time to ask me some market research questions. They said, 'If we like you I'm gonna bring you back for the super group. We'll pay you $1,000 to go out for the night.' .... Little did I know what it would lead to."
Ad Age: What was the part you most find yourself wishing to go back to and do more of?
Mr. Rappaport: There's probably two parts. Acing Arnold -- I aced him in ping pong. I served the ball, he completely missed it. I freaked out.
And when the wall falls down I'm really thinking I'm in the crowd at a OneRepublic concert, but Arnold is bringing me to the stage. At that point I finally realize this is all for me. I'm on stage and I'm screaming and I'm freaking out. That moment was the best part of it all.
Bud Light used the game to introduce the "Up for Whatever" theme and new tagline, "The Perfect Beer for Whatever Happens," replacing the four-year-old "Here We Go."
Director: "Jackass" director Jeff Tremaine. Production company: HeLo. Director of photography Bojan Bazelli. Managing director: Brendan Kiernan. Executive producers: Robert Lewis, Justin Moore-Lewy. Supervising producer: Chris Rouchard. Line producer: Paula Cohen.
BBDO global chief creative officer: David Lubars. Chief creative officer: Greg Hahn. Executive creative directors: Mike Smith, Ralph Watson. Associate creative director/copywriter: Rick Williams. Associate creative director/art director: Marcel Yunes. Director of integrated production: Dave Rolfe. Executive producers: Dan Blaney, Diane McCann. Producer: Mona Lisa Farrokhnia. Senior integrated business manager: Debbie Amsden. Managing director: Jeff Adkins.
Editorial: MacKenzie Cutler. Editor: Mike Rizzo.
BRAND: Bud Light
YEAR: 2014
AGENCY: BBDO
SUPERBOWL: XLVIII
QUARTER AIRED: Q1