2022 META – Old Friends. New fun.

No one’s ever gotten the band back together quite like this. Quest is ready. #QuestTogether

The Meta 2022 Super Bowl ad, titled “Old Friends. New Fun.”, aired during Super Bowl LVI. The 60-second spot, created with the agency Anomaly LA, aimed to introduce the public to Meta Quest 2 virtual reality devices and the metaverse concept shortly after Facebook rebranded to Meta.

The commercial tells the story of according to SuperBowl-Ads.com, Howl’n Harry, a shaggy animatronic dog who was the lead singer of “The Cometeers”, the house band at a now-defunct restaurant/arcade called Questy’s. The band members were separated and sold off when Questy’s closed. Harry faces a series of setbacks, ending up as a sign holder in a science center.

A visitor at the science center places a Meta Quest 2 headset on Harry, allowing him to enter the metaverse, according to The Verge. There, he reunites with his bandmates and they perform again in a digital recreation of Questy’s, using Horizon Worlds VR experience.

The ad focuses on the power of social connection, suggesting that individuals can use Meta Quest devices and the metaverse to rekindle friendships and experiences from the past, even when real-world circumstances make it difficult.

The commercial features the 1985 Simple Minds song “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”.

The ad received mixed reactions. While some found it heartwarming, others criticized it for being “creepy” and unsettling due to the use of animatronics.

Some viewers also felt it suggested that the metaverse was a place to escape a disappointing reality, according to SuperBowl-Ads.com.

The ad aired in the first quarter of the game, according to SuperBowl-Ads.com.