Coinbase has launched a marketing campaign in Canada, expanding the narrative first seen in its debut UK campaign that questioned whether the traditional financial system still works for consumers.
The spot opens with a woman standing in a long queue at a bank, reflecting on why she’s been called in for an appointment. As she looks down the line of waiting customers, she begins to question the need for in-person visits, especially when the bank is only open during her working hours.
Frustration builds from internal thoughts until she finally blurts out: “Why am I even here?”
Coinbase says the average Canadian visits their bank branch 15 times a year — “15 times too many,” according to the crypto exchange, which positions itself as a faster, more flexible alternative.
The campaign continues the brand’s effort to challenge what it calls an outdated financial system, encouraging audiences to rethink how they manage and move money.
The new spot closely mirrors Coinbase’s first UK campaign, which similarly framed crypto as a modern challenger to traditional banking.
That ad, however, was ultimately blocked from airing on UK television after Clearcast, the organisation responsible for pre-approving TV ads, ruled that it breached compliance rules by making unsubstantiated political and economic claims and omitting required crypto risk warnings.
In taking its message to Canada, Coinbase is doubling down on its mission to provoke debate around how the financial system should evolve in the digital age.