Super Bowl Web3 Recap

Happy Valentine’s…night?  Hope everyone’s had a nice one, and got lots of beautiful flowers or at least had people be nice to you.  It’s been a busy couple of weeks for me with lots of grad school work, but it’s time to check back into Space Talk for a special Super Bowl edition.

Let’s talk about the crypto/Web3 ads!

1. Bud Light NEXT | Zero In The Way of Possibility.  Ok, I’ll admit I was looking at Twitter when this came on and only saw it out of the corner of my eye.  But, a friend of mine tweeted something about it being the first NFT commercial of the Super Bowl, so I took a closer look.  Upon further inspection, I’d say yes, without overtly stating it, this was a Bud Light commercial hinting at the future of NFTs/The Metaverse.  I think this commercial did a good job of illustrating what’s so appealing to many of us about our Web3 world.  When real life’s got you down, you can escape into the Web3 world, where you can exist in parallel realities of your own choosing and making.  And, the new zero-carb beer is called NEXT, so that seems to be a nod to the emerging Web3 world as well.  I imagine your average person might not see the connection Bud Light is making in this spot, or if they do, they might not see the appeal.  But I think those of us who live in or regularly visit Web3 understood it perfectly (once we actually paid attention to it).
2. Coinbase | QR Code.  I loved this commercial so much.  As soon as I saw a QR code pop up on the screen, I scanned it.  The code takes you to Coinbase’s website which then offers you $15 in free Bitcoin for signing up for the app, or an opt-in-to-win-$3-million-dollars alternative for people already using Coinbase.  I opted in, with full expectation of becoming a millionaire.  This was such a smart ad in its simplicity.  A bouncing QR code, particularly in a Super Bowl commercial, begs to be scanned like an itch that has to be scratched.  That move alone was brilliant on Coinbase’s part.  Add in the music that gradually builds into a full-on futuristic synth showdown, and it’s downright enticing.  End it on an old VHS-style end card as a reference to old tech that lived in a time when culture fantasized about what we’re starting to see become reality today in Web3, and you have to appreciate the subtle, minimalist style of this spot.  Further, how many people did this onboard into the Web3 and crypto world?  Many, unquestionably.  It reminded me of the clever ad from Reddit last year. 
3. Meta Quest 2 | Old Friends. New Fun.  Regardless of your stance on Facebook, Meta, Zuckerberg, and the host of concerns that come with those topics, I thought this was another ad that did a great job highlighting the joy that many of us have found in Web3.  It’s saying you can connect with old friends in the metaverse.  In a very similar way to the Bud Light Next spot, it did a great job telling the story of how you can find a new world in the metaverse if real life has you in a rut.  I think this ad spoke to those of us who’ve connected with Web3 and gotten hooked on the frenetic pace of the space and the constant excitement, particularly if you use VR or have delved into worlds like Decentraland.  Ending on a shot of a Foo Fighters ticket stub for a VR event feels like a smart tie-in.  Again, I wonder how much it spoke to people who remain firmly rooted in Web2, but it probably had the desired effect of piquing interest.
4. Salesforce | The New Frontier.  I have to mention this ad because it’s openly dismissive of the metaverse, and that kind of mention alone is noteworthy.  It means people and companies are paying attention.  For Salesforce as a company it's a strong point of view that makes them stand out. 
5. FTX | Don't Miss Out.  This was hands-down my favorite commercial of the whole Super Bowl, crypto-related or not.  They couldn’t have done a better job of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist as it relates to Web3 than by having scenarios where Larry David repeatedly nay-says innovations that become revolutionary and ubiquitous.  Larry David’s dismissals while laughing with everyone at new ideas he deems stupid feels like interactions with so many people I know in real life about Web3.  I personally love the kind of ads that end on a “Don’t Be This Guy” line when they’ve been well set-up, which this one was.  Using a culturally relevant and well-loved character like Larry David goes a long way to sell the audience on FTX and not missing out on crypto in the final scene where Larry dismisses FTX.  So smart.
6. Crypto.com | The Moment of Truth.  Another fantastic crypto ad.  It not only lives up to the Matt Damon Fortune Favors The Brave spot, it beats it.  By a mile.  First, it’s a super-clever tie-in starting with the Dr. Dre beat The Next Episode in the background.  Second, it’s fun to see a younger Lebron talking to his future self, being amazed at the technology we’ve developed in just two decades.  Finally, current-day Lebron says to his younger self “I can’t tell you everything, but if you wanna make history, you gotta call your own shots.”  That line, with The Next Episode playing in the the background, the context of how far technology has come in 20 years functioning as a hint at what’s coming in the next 20 years, and the fact that crypto is definitely an arena where you “call your own shots” in a high risk, high-reward environment, is masterful.  
7. eToro | Flying Your Way.  I wasn’t actually familiar with eToro, but it was clear this was a Web3 commercial.  What really blew me away about this spot was the visuals.  Masses of people swarm through the air, interacting like a colony of Web3 people, or a school of fish.  It's striking, inspiring, and beautiful.  These visuals nail what NFTs and Web3 feel like to me.

That's all this time.  Thanks for reading!