Miller Lite brings bar promotion to the metaverse

Miller Lite will let customers belly up to the bar without having to leave home.

The Miller Lite beer brand of the Miller Brewing Company is opening the “Meta Lite Bar,” what it calls the first-ever brand-hosted virtual bar in the metaverse, in advance of the Super Bowl (Sunday, Feb. 13). On Monday, Feb. 7, the Meta Lite Bar opens on the Decentraland metaverse platform. In the metaverse, consumers use augmented and virtual reality technology to digitally engage with each other and their surroundings, with crossovers into the physical world.

[Read more: Editor’s commentary: What could the ‘Metaverse’ mean for retail?]

Football's biggest day is virtually here. Each year, millions of Americans huddle to watch the "Big Game" and enjoy some great-tasting Miller Lite. But why stick within the confines of the stadium (or your living room) when there's a whole metaverse out there to explore? This year, Miller Lite is bringing game day and Miller Time where they've never gone before. Welcome to the Meta Lite Bar, and the only place you'll catch Miller Lite's "Big Game" ad.

Consumers age 21 and older will be able to virtually enter the Meta Lite Bar, which will offer an immersive, communal experience with interactive features and virtual pilsners. Interactive features will include darts, billiards, a photo booth for “meta-selfies,” a virtual jukebox, and digital instruments that customers can play on a virtual stage.

There will also be a “Virtual Cheers for Real Beers” promotional giveaway. Customers who pour a beer from the golden bar tap can follow the prompt to instantly learn if they won. From Feb. 7 to Feb. 13, Miller says an average of 10 virtual patrons daily will win $500 in cash (not cryptocurrency).

Miller Lite will also hold an exclusive metaverse screening of its Super Bowl ad in the Meta Lite Bar, premiering in full-length on Sun., Feb. 13.  To celebrate the premiere, the Meta Lite Bar will have limited quantities of exclusive wearable Miller Lite NFT merchandise for registered Decentraland users with a crypto wallet, starting Feb. 13.

It will be interesting to see whether more brands attempt to create promotional restaurant/bar environments in the metaverse. Chipotle Mexican Grill became the first restaurant brand to open a virtual location on the popular Roblox immersive video game platform as part of its Halloween 2021 promotion.

The quick-service retailer offered a limited-time virtual storefront and maze experience that included free burrito codes for use on digital orders, Chipotle-inspired costumes for virtual avatars, and a “Chipotle Boorito Maze” with exclusive virtual items that could be unlocked. 

"While many brands are showing up in the metaverse right now, Miller Lite is doing things differently by keeping one foot in the virtual world and another in the real world," said Sofia Colucci, global VP of Miller brands. "We're using our Meta Lite Bar to encourage real-life hangouts over real-life beer by giving guests a chance to score their stock of game-day Miller Lite on us. Now, you and your avatar can enjoy Miller Time with friends."

Miller Lite Meta Lite Bar was co-created by DDB Chicago and DDB San Francisco.