Coinbase’s Super Bowl ad was fun until it wasn’t

Coinbase’s latest Super Bowl ad has been labelled a “textbook example of scaring the hoes” after its low-effort karaoke segment was met with boos and intense online criticism.

The crypto exchange’s ad featured the song “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by the Backstreet Boys with some PowerPoint-esque sing-along subtitles that ended with Coinbase’s name.

However, footage of Super Bowl watchers shared online showed groups happily singing along until Coinbase’s name appeared, causing a chorus of boos and groans.

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Another group was recorded singing along to the Backstreet Boys, only for them to ignore, and at points ridicule, the insertion of Coinbase’s name.

For many users on X, the reaction was the same, as rooms filled with people watching the NFL showpiece voiced their displeasure at the inclusion of Coinbase’s name.

Semafor’s social media editor said, “That Backstreet Boys karaoke ad was really fun until it wasn’t,” while X user “Spor” claimed that the bar he was in “viciously boo’d” the Coinbase ad.

To make matters worse, other users were confused by the timing of the ad and believed that it was a continuation of the T-Mobile advert that had just played before with its own Backstreet Boys song.

What was Coinbase thinking?

Coinbase execs told Variety that the lo-fi styled ad, reminiscent of an old karaoke machine, was pitched as a simple way to grab the viewers’ attention against a backdrop of high-budget, flashy Super Bowl ads.

The firm’s Chief Marketing Officer, Cat Ferdon, said, “We’re still competing with people’s cell phones, and this ad will undoubtedly get them and anyone to look up.”

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong echoed that he wanted an advert to cut through a loud room. He added that by turning millions of screens into a karaoke machine, he was offering “an antidote to polarization and just plain fun.”

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The firm clearly clocked onto the backlash, and in response to one user calling the ad terrible, Coinbase said, “If you’re talking about it, it worked. Crypto is for everybody.”

It’s another example of Coinbase not quite nailing its ads. The UK’s advertising watchdog banned a series of Coinbase spots last month after it “trivialised the risks of cryptocurrency” by claiming crypto could help during the country’s cost-of-living crisis.

The company was also criticised for sponsoring the US Army’s 250-year anniversary parade, which coincided with Donald Trump’s birthday last year, as a gross endorsement of the military.

The half-time show wasn’t well-received either

There was also a lot of disdain from right-wing figures who described the Super Bowl’s featured performance by Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, as un-American.

Bad Bunny’s performance was a homage to Puerto Rico and the surrounding countries in the Caribbean. It called for unity among the countries while a billboard read, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”

However, not everybody agreed, with social media personality Jake Paul calling Bad Bunny “a fake American citizen who publicly hates America,” while right-wing talk show host Megyn Kelly also implied that he doesn’t love America.

Donald Trump described the Super Bowl show as “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!“

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Amanda Vance, daughter of the vice president, posted an over-the-top clip of herself watching and singing the alternative half-time show put on by the right-wing advocate firm founded by Charles Kirk.