Coinbase returned to the Super Bowl four years after its viral QR code ad, airing a one-minute commercial built around animated lyrics from the Backstreet Boys’ 1997 hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”
The ad marked Coinbase’s first Super Bowl appearance since 2022 and aimed to spark broad conversation rather than deliver a direct product pitch, according to the company.
Coinbase marketing chief, Catherine Ferdon said:
“The spot was designed to bring people together for a shared experience that highlights how the crypto community has grown.”
Reaction online was sharply divided, with some viewers booing the ad amid a crypto market downturn, while others praised its simplicity and memorability.
“If you're talking about it, it worked,”
Coinbase posted on X in response to criticism that the commercial was “terrible.”
Coinbase chief executive Brian Armstrong defended the approach, saying that “most people half-watch commercials” and that only something distinctive can break through the noise.
The campaign contrasts with Coinbase’s 2022 Super Bowl ad, which crashed its website after drawing millions of sign-ups with a floating QR code and a $15 bitcoin incentive.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $68,905.55.