Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com, which recently penned a patch partnership with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, teamed up with the team’s super star Joel Embiid to front a US ad campaign called ‘Bravery Is A Process’ which leverages spiking hoops interest around the NBA Playoffs.
The Cameroonian centre fronted a subtly branded 30-second spot which sees him walking through the streets of Philadelphia while his former college coach Bill Self narrates a story about Embiid’s unconventional path to basketball stardom.
The first sign of the spot being a piece of marketing for the crypto exchange brand only comes in the final few seconds of the commercial when the company’s ‘Fortune Favours The Brave’ tagline appears on a basketball court followed by a logo shot.
The ad was created by agency Wieden+Kennedy and rolled out from 6 May welcoming Embiid to the #CROFam across television, digital and social channels.
Welcome to #CROFam @JoelEmbiid
Now more than ever,
Fortune Favors the Brave#FFTB pic.twitter.com/eHAbGvmEAx— Crypto.com (@cryptocom) May 6, 2022
“Embiid was one of the people that drew us to support the team because of his story and the team’s story, explained Crypto.com CMO Steve Kalifowitz. “His personal story is exactly what we talk about when we talk about ‘Fortune Favors the Brave. There are people who see a future for themselves that doesn’t follow the beaten path.”
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This NBA Playoffs campaign follows on from Crytpo.com’s decision to sign on as the team’s jersey patch partner in September 2021 in a deal that designated it as the franchise’s ‘official cryptocurrency sponsor’.
It follows on from the company’s previous, somewhat similar spots starring Matt Damon and LeBron James (which debuted during the Super Bowl) which introduced its ‘ Fortune Favours The Brave’ brand platform.
The brand is adopting a sports-centric marketing strategy which thus far has included stadium naming deals like its arena partnership with the Los Angeles Lakers, a prominent uniform placement deal with the mixed martial arts company Ultimate Fighting Championship and a sponsorship deal with Formula One’s 2022 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix.
“Our connection to sport is really about transcending beyond,” explained Kalifowitz. “It’s really about connecting with culture, connecting with what people are talking about and presenting ourselves as what we what we genuinely are, which is a company that’s established, trustworthy and trusted by these other partners.”
Much like Crypto.com’s first two global TV spots, the new ad aims to further drive brand awareness amongst the company’s three main customer target segments: crypto-serious, crypto-curious and those who are still unfamiliar with the concept.
The overall marketing strategy is to make the Crypto.com brand so common and ubiquitous that even the latter two categories of consumers will automatically think of it if they do decide to delve further into the space.
“I want all of those people to look at us and say – whether you’re in the industry, you’re thinking about coming in the industry, or not really thinking about the industry – when you see our stuff you say, ‘That’s a brand who knows what they’re doing. That’s a brand who knows who they are,’” added Kalifowitz. “And if this is a message that resonates with you, if and when you’re ready for crypto, that’s the brand you’ll choose.”
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