If you somehow missed what was arguably the best commercial of the Superbowl, feel free to take a break and click below to check out the ‘Game of Thrones’ / Bud Light cross-over ad that aired during the game. It starts off with what audiences have come to expect from Bud Light’s recent campaign, a medieval setting, lots of Dilly Dilly, and all that nonsense, as well as the Bud “Knight” preparing for a duel while removing beers from his person before the big joust. However, things take a dark turn when, during the joust, the Bud Knight is knocked off his horse by his mysterious opponent, falling down and lying flat on his back, clearly winded. As his giant opponent approaches, the camera reveals it is non other than the Mountain from ‘Game of Thrones,’ and as he reaches down and grabs both sides of the Knight’s head and starts to squeeze, the camera cut away, but fans of the show know the Bud Knight is about to suffer the same fate as Oberyn Martell in Season 4 of the series, a fate which is confirmed when the crowd starts to gasp and scream in terror. Just then, the skies darken as a dragon swoops in and starts to spray fire over all the tournament, causing everyone left alive to flee in panic as the ‘Game of Thrones’ theme music swells, and the camera pans over the charred remains of the tournament, halting over the body of the Bud Knight as the hashtag “FOR THE THRONE” settles on the screen.
It was a very exciting ad, and let the producers of ‘Game of Thrones’ advertise the final season without actually giving away anything, which recent reports have shown they are reluctant to do, as they do not want spoilers to get out before the final 6 episodes are released. Plus, it lets Bud Light and ‘Game of Thrones’ have some cross-promotional fun, especially since the whole medieval theme and “Bud Knight” idea were clearly Budweiser capitalizing on the popularity of shows like ‘Game of Thrones’ in pop-culture in recent years. Who knows? Maybe this partnership will even yield a new run of ‘Game of Thrones’ themed beers before the final season! Regardless, the commercial also let some of the crew of ‘Game of Thrones’ reunite once more now that the series is over, with over 25 crew members coming together for the spot, including ‘The Mountain’ himself Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson and director David Nutter (who did indeed direct the commercial).
What did you think of the commercial? Did it get you excited for the final season? Or did you think it was nothing more than a shameless corporate plug for Bud Light? Feel free to share your opinions below!
