Super Bowl Ads Thread

Since there isn't one yet, I figured I'd create one. A good place to discuss the ads aired during the Super Bowl. I teach media literacy and technical writing, so I'm rather invested in these.

The Super Bowl is going to be viewed by 110 million Americans, roughly. And the ads will be seen by over half a billion people around the world. These are hugely important in terms of marketing and engagement.

Sorry if this feels rushed. Typing on phone and trying to watch the game.

First ad was the Coinbase one. (Edit. They spent 14 million on a 54 second commercial.) Genius but super risky. It was the QR code screen saver ad. I'll be interested to see the traffic it generated. I did appreciate that the box actually hit the corner. What are your thoughts?

Edit 1. So, CB is doing a giveaway. $15 in Bitcoin for new users. And three million in crypto giveaways. But, as many have pointed out, their site crashed. Which is so very Coinbase. Can't win for losing.

Edit 2. Coinbase ad was really smart for its intended audience. Anybody tech savvy enough would have been curious enough to scan the code. Huge props to that marketing company for that idea.

Side note - I'll also go back and research these marketing companies and the traffic their ads have generated and do a more in-depth, researched write up, if anybody is interested.

Ad 2 (ish) - The Salesforce ad with Matthew McConaughey flying a hot air balloon. This one is a stretch, but don't forget that Chainlink and Salesforce and linked. Not a great commercial, but not a bad one. Salesforce is huge. But this will have little retail impact.

Ad 3. FTX commercial with Larry David was money. Great placement right before halftime and a good celeb to endorse. Time traveling Larry David had his commercial debut and he goes back in time to scoff at various inventions (wheel, forks, toilet, etc.). Ends with the FTX pitch of being safe and easy to get into crypto. He is not a fan. The message here is clear. Crypto is the next big thing and FTX is an easy, accessible way to get in on this fundamental technology.

Halftime show is one of my favorites. Nothing to do with crypto except viewership.

Ad 4. Great placement. Probably paid for it. Right after halftime show and continued the music. Lebron meets his younger self in the crypto dot com ad. A bit brief, but huge. Lebron is the most well known American athletes. This is targeting an entirely new demographic. Big win and great ad for cdc. Rather brief, but to the point. The good news here is that Lebron is the new face of crypto dot com.

I know this has nothing to do with crypto. But I'm very excited about Rings of Power.

Ad 5. eToro ad in the late third quarter. I don't know much about the company, but it seems like a stock/crypto trading app. Honestly, the commercial didn't grab me. But this will be good for crypto in general just because of the initial text messages in the commercial. This really is the crypto Super Bowl. So many commercials have referenced crypto or trading. And all will help the masses get into crypto.