Budweiser turned a classic '90s Super Bowl ad into a Snapchat game

Play as one of two beer brands.
 By 
Patrick Kulp
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Anheuser-Busch is resurrecting the "Bud Bowl" with a 21st-century twist.

The beer conglomerate launched a game within Snapchat's Discover panel on Friday modeled after the famous stop-motion campaign it aired in nearly every Super Bowl of the '90s.

The simple interactive ad will appear as part of the brand's takeover of ESPN's Discover portal ad space all day Friday as well as sporadically within several other publishers on the platform (including Mashable). After that, it can be found alongside stories about the NFL in any of the app's media outlets until next Wednesday.

Like the original commercials, the game pits a team of helmeted Budweiser bottles against their light counterparts. Users pick from one of three plays at a time as they drive the ball down the virtual field with carefully timed taps.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

While recreating the stop-motion graphics of the source campaign would've probably been near impossible, the color scheme and interface still match the vibe of the decade.

The showdown isn't the only Super Bowl relic Anheuser-Busch is digging up for this year's big game. Bud Light's Super Bowl commercial will bring back retired canine mascot Spuds Mackenzie, who was last seen in 1989.

Snapchat has featured brand-sponsored games like this before, including an 8-bit tennis match with Serena Williams from Gatorade and an Under Armour ad in which users outran wolves as Cam Newton.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The app made a name for itself as a serious player in Super Bowl ads last year when it launched an animated Gatorade filter that racked up 165 million views and went on to win a Cannes Lion award.

This year, major brands like Pepsi, Honda, Amazon and Verizon have all bought ads in various places within the app for the game.

Topics Snapchat

Mashable Image
Patrick Kulp

Patrick Kulp is a Business Reporter at Mashable. Patrick covers digital advertising, online retail and the future of work. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science and economics, he previously worked at the Pacific Coast Business Times.

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