How Coinbase Broke the Offline-to-Online Marketing Paradigm

As it turns out, the biggest winner from Super Bowl 56 was not the Los Angeles Rams, but Coinbase and its ingenious TV ad. Marketers everywhere know that the simpler the ad the better, and Coinbase’s floating QR code that nostalgically reminded us all of the DVD era was the perfect combo of curiosity-piquing, non-complicated marketing that makes ads explode. And it did just that, so much so—according to Surojit Chatterjee, Coinbase’s chief product officer—that the landing page generated more than 20 million hits in just 60 seconds. This viral moment for Coinbase would make any marketing department get out the champagne to celebrate. But the real story behind why the ad was so popular isn’t how uncomplicated and intriguing QR codes are, but that Coinbase figured out how to break the offline-to-online paradigm and create a fluid experience that defines the future of marketing. TV has always been considered an expensive and isolating brand play—isolating in the sense that being able to convert a viewer from one device to another, seamlessly, is notoriously difficult. For marketers especially, connected TV (CTV) blends the reach and impact of TV with the performance and transparency of digital marketing, so it is understandable why CTV ad spend increased by 60% to $14.4 billion in the past year. Users also find TV isolating due to the fact that we’ve all become accustomed to smoothly moving from one device to the next. That is one of the reasons why CTV is currently experiencing a period of massive growth, where in the U.S. alone, 70% of Americans are turning to over-the-top streaming services instead of traditional TV subscriptions. So what Coinbase landed on with its Super Bowl spot, and why it resonated with viewers, was the ad's ability to seamlessly transport a user from one device to another, from CTV to mobile—all through a QR code. How QR Codes Made Waves at the 2022 Super Bowl QR codes first came to market in 1994 when the Japanese company, Denso Wave, developed the highly suitable two-dimensional code to make manufacturing operations more efficient. Nowadays, however, QR codes are universal. They’ve enjoyed a huge comeback thanks to the pandemic and their widespread adoption as marketers push boundaries, placing QR codes everywhere from pizza boxes to gigantic drone-mounted projections in the sky. And it seems like we are just getting started on the potential of QR codes, as eMarketer expects QR code usage in the U.S. to increase by nearly 20% in the next three years. For those marketers who now want to capitalize on CTV-to-mobile attribution through QR codes, there are a few things to keep in mind. One, focus on deep linking. Providing a seamless user journey while avoiding unnecessary touchpoints will increase conversion rates and return on experience. Two, by utilizing contextualization, you can offer customers to meet them where they are, then provide an experience that maintains a constant dialogue consistent with their current journey status. The beauty of the Coinbase ad is that, in reality, they created a tipping point for marketers and opened a new world for users. Companies can feel comfortable going outside the box, using QR codes as a call to action in more campaigns. Thanks to Coinbase, marketers can break down the barrier of offline-to-online, from TV to mobile; and that’s the real reason Coinbase is this year's true Super Bowl champion. Coinbase’s Super Bowl Ad Certainly Drove Interest. But for Who?

Performance Marketing

How Coinbase Broke the Offline-to-Online Marketing Paradigm

The crypto platform’s ad proved that QR codes, that failed relic of early internet era, are back to stay

Gaston Rendelstein

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Gaston Rendelstein