No, we’re not talking about the professional boxing champ from the Philippines. However, it’s not uncommon to catch a glimpse of celebrities like Marvel superheroes Chris Evans and Chris Pratt or comics Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart at big sporting events like the Super Bowl. And while the dancing sharks during Katy Perry’s halftime performance may have stolen the show, the life-sized Pac-Man game by Bud Light’s “Up For Whatever” campaign caught our attention.
Gamers on YouTube have in the past successfully recreated videogames in real life, e.g., Node’s Call of Duty Gun Game and Remi Gailliard’s Mario Kart, but Bud Light’s production will definitely be one for the books. The beer company used Pac-Man’s recognizable maze and pellets to give one unsuspecting guy, and Super Bowl commercial viewers, an experience that won’t soon be forgotten. Besides, who doesn’t like the idea of being immersed inside of a real-life videogame experience?
People Magazine shared what Nick Kelly, spokesperson for Bud Light, said about the Pac-Man commercial spot:
That game really just brings that sentimental moment from when you used to play it. It transcends the demographics. I played it when I was a kid, and it’s also appealing to people in their 40s, 50s, 60s. You may never have even played it, but everyone knows what it is.
Kelly was right because gamers and non-gamers alike can appreciate the use of this classic ‘80s arcade title from Namco. After all, Pac-Man has been rightfully described as one of the most influential videogames of all time. Even if viewers haven’t played the game for themselves before, it’s easily an enjoyable exhibition of reflexes and foresight or lack thereof.
If you haven’t had a chance to see this spectacle yet, check out Bud Light’s Pac-Man commercial below: