Coinbase Super Bowl Ad Signals Crypto Cultural Breakthrough
- Coinbase aired a Super Bowl karaoke ad that invited mass viewer participation.
- The campaign framed cryptocurrency as entertainment tied to shared cultural moments.
- Executives stated that over 52 million Americans have used cryptocurrency already.
Coinbase returned to Super Bowl advertising on Feb. 8 with a 60-second commercial designed to pull viewers into a shared karaoke-style crypto moment. The spot aired during the championship game and featured low-definition visuals alongside Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).” The campaign marked Coinbase’s first Super Bowl appearance since its 2022 QR code ad, which drove massive traffic and disrupted its website.
The commercial encouraged viewers to sing along while watching the code move across retro-style screens. Coinbase executives described the approach as another high-risk attempt to engage audiences through participation rather than explanation. The ad aired during one of the most-watched television events in the United States, ensuring broad national exposure.
Four years earlier, Coinbase’s Super Bowl debut triggered more than 20 million landing-page visits in one minute, according to the Financial Times. That surge temporarily overwhelmed the company’s site and sparked widespread discussion across social media and mainstream outlets. This year’s effort again focused on pulling viewers into a collective experience rather than delivering technical messaging.
A High-Risk Creative Return to the Super Bowl
Coinbase vice president of creative Joe Staples described the campaign as an intentional risk before the ad debuted. “We’re taking a swing,” Staples told USA TODAY Sports. “Do things with your whole heart. Go as far as you can and if you do that, you can sleep well.”
The ad relied on karaoke, a familiar group activity, to create a shared moment among viewers. The company aimed to connect millions of screens through synchronized participation rather than polished production. The creative leaned on nostalgia and simplicity instead of detailed explanations of crypto products.
This year’s spot again invited viewers to track a code on screen. The Financial Times reported that the 2022 QR campaign unified viewers as they followed the code’s movement together. Coinbase used that same communal concept to anchor the 2026 execution.
“We Didn’t Buy an Ad, We Bought a Vibe”
Coinbase chief marketing officer Catherine Ferdon framed the campaign as a cultural play rather than a standard media buy. “We didn’t buy an ad – we bought a vibe,” Ferdon said.
She added that the goal centered on shared experience rather than direct promotion.
Ferdon said 52 million Americans have used crypto, with participation spanning generations and political affiliations. She stated that Coinbase focuses on making crypto approachable, accessible, and secure for broad audiences—the campaign message aligned with that positioning by removing technical language from the Super Bowl moment.
The ad framed crypto as part of mainstream entertainment rather than a specialized financial product. That framing matched Coinbase’s strategy to reach audiences beyond traditional crypto users. Can a singalong moment turn millions of viewers into participants in a growing crypto community?
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Nationwide Extensions Beyond the TV Spot
Coinbase expanded the campaign beyond television through large-scale public activations.
The company planned a takeover in New York’s Times Square starting Sunday, Feb. 8.
It also launched an activation on Sphere’s Exosphere in Las Vegas, the world’s largest LED screen.
Another screen takeover is scheduled at San Francisco’s Chase Center during a Golden State Warriors game on Monday, Feb. 9. These placements extended the campaign into physical spaces where large audiences gather. The approach mirrored the ad’s focus on shared, real-world moments.
The campaign was created with creative agency Isle of Any. The agency previously partnered with Coinbase on animated ads that aired during the 2025 NBA playoffs. That collaboration continued with the Super Bowl execution.
“Super Bowl is often a time when advertising comes at you,” said Toby Treyer-Evans, co-founder of Isle of Any. “We wanted to do something big and generous that blurs the line between audience and the brand,” he said. Treyer-Evans described the goal as turning every screen into karaoke for millions of viewers.
