Also, the ads were common in the UK where I was growing up, and the Superbowl was not as I recall broadcast on normal TV (we didn't have sky or cable, though that existed, so possibly that?), to the extent that I had to google the event to find out which sport the superbowl even was — I'd incorrectly guessed the other famous US sport of baseball, which is also not a big thing in the UK.
I don't think I've ever even noticed American Football being on UK TV at any point.
It was a Bud Light ad campaign that originally ran for three years everywhere that Anheuser Busch ran ads. Wikipedia claims it started on Monday Night Football, not the Super Bowl: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whassup%3F. But in any case, that is hardly the only time it ever ran.
Asking why it became popular may as well be asked of any pop cultural phenomenon that ever becomes popular. 20 people will give 40 opinions. Nobody really knows.
Also, the ads were common in the UK where I was growing up, and the Superbowl was not as I recall broadcast on normal TV (we didn't have sky or cable, though that existed, so possibly that?), to the extent that I had to google the event to find out which sport the superbowl even was — I'd incorrectly guessed the other famous US sport of baseball, which is also not a big thing in the UK.
I don't think I've ever even noticed American Football being on UK TV at any point.