Watch all 8 videos ETF issuers released as ads to promote Bitcoin Watch all 8 videos ETF issuers released as ads to promote Bitcoin
As competition heats up, asset managers have unleashed creative ad campaigns to promote potential spot Bitcoin ETFs.
4 min read
Updated: Jan. 6, 2024 at 12:27 pm UTC
Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.
Potential spot Bitcoin ETF issuers, including VanEck, Bitwise, and Hashdex, have all unveiled a series of promotional videos and marketing materials; let’s watch them together, and why not use the mash.com gifs and emojis to highlight your favorites below.
This new wave of marketing endeavors highlights the growing interest and competition in the Bitcoin ETF space, reflecting the broader acceptance of digital assets in traditional investment portfolios.
We’ve also included videos from Invesco Galaxy and Global X, which, while not specific ETF-focused ads, have also been promoted recently on their social media feeds.
Hashdex
Hashdex, an asset management firm, has released three videos. The first was an ad on Dec. 20 featuring a dump truck, which emphasized the uniqueness of crypto compared to traditional assets. Hashdex has a history of offering crypto-related ETFs, such as the Hashdex Nasdaq Crypto Index ETF, which is listed on the Bermuda Stock Exchange and provides exposure to the Nasdaq Crypto Index.
— Hashdex (@hashdex) December 20, 2023
The second is an ad spot released on Dec. 28, which features a satirical interview from the 1980s where a man dismisses the usefulness of personal computers, suggesting that using home computers for everyday tasks is less efficient than keeping simple records manually. The ad concludes with the message, “Understanding disruptive innovation takes time,” followed by “Bitcoin’s time has arrived,” drawing a parallel between the early skepticism towards personal computers and the current state of Bitcoin as a disruptive innovation.
— Hashdex (@hashdex) December 28, 2023
Hashdex’s latest advertisement, released on Jan. 5, continues the firm’s trend of using retro footage to promote its potential spot Bitcoin ETF. This time, the ad features a vintage Burger King commercial that celebrates the introduction of credit card payments at the fast-food chain. The video begins with the original Burger King commercial playing on a television screen. The commercial showcases the novelty of using credit cards for fast-food purchases, a concept that was innovative at the time.
The ad emphasizes the convenience and modernity of this new payment method, reflecting the public’s initial skepticism and eventual acceptance of credit cards as a standard form of payment.
As the Burger King commercial concludes, the video transitions to Hashdex’s message echoing the slogan from Hashdex’s previous ad. This is followed by “Bitcoin’s time has arrived,” drawing a parallel between the early skepticism towards credit card payments and the current state of Bitcoin as a disruptive innovation.
The use of the Burger King commercial serves as a metaphor for the potential of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Just as credit card payments were once a novel concept that has now become commonplace, Hashdex suggests that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies could follow a similar trajectory. The ad aims to position Bitcoin as the next step in the evolution of financial transactions, underscoring the potential of Hashdex’s Bitcoin ETF offering.
— Hashdex (@hashdex) January 5, 2024
The company’s marketing head, Chris Glendening, has stated that they expect investors to choose issuers with extensive experience in running Bitcoin ETFs across several markets, highlighting Hashdex’s thematic asset management experience in the digital asset space.
VanEck
VanEck, an asset management firm, launched its pro-crypto ad campaign titled “Born to Bitcoin” on Dec. 29 via social media. The ad was filmed in New York City’s PubKey bar and is part of a series of aggressive marketing strategies employed by various firms as the decision deadline for the first-ever spot Bitcoin ETF in the United States approaches.
The “Born to Bitcoin” ad is a 19-second teaser that does not explicitly endorse a Bitcoin ETF. The ad features a silhouetted figure walking in front of a city skyline and a copy of the “Buy Bitcoin” sign that a fan held behind Janet Yellen in 2017. The ad ends with the words “BORN TO BITCOIN.” It also includes several Bitcoin-specific references, such as a reference to the Real Bedford football club, which has been using Bitcoin to turn the club around.
A VanEck spokesperson clarified that the commercial is a teaser for a longer ad, yet to be released.
Born to Bitcoin. 🧡 pic.twitter.com/qYI3bmZDvC
— VanEck (@vaneck_us) December 29, 2023
Bitwise
Bitwise Asset Management, a firm known for its crypto index funds and ETFs, launched an advertising campaign titled “Bitwise Is Interesting,” with two videos currently released on Dec. 18 and 20. The campaign was designed to broaden public awareness about Bitwise’s expertise in cryptocurrency and was featured across various media platforms, including TV, social, and digital channels.
The ad campaign prominently featured Jonathan Goldsmith, the actor known as the “Most Interesting Man in the World” from the Dos Equis adverts. In the Bitwise ad, Goldsmith revives his persona in an upscale bar setting, similar to the beer commercials. Instead of his signature line, “Stay thirsty, my friends,” Goldsmith delivers a Bitcoin-focused message: “You know what’s interesting these days? Bitcoin. Look for Bitwise, my friends”.
The use of a well-known figure from popular culture in the ad spotlights the increasing relevance of Bitcoin and signals a new era of digital investments. The ad campaign was seen as a strategic move in crypto advertising, aiming to solidify Bitwise’s position as a premier specialist in cryptocurrency investment.
Bitwise already offers several crypto ETF products, including the Bitwise Bitcoin and Ether Equal Weight Strategy ETF, which are futures-based products. The firm’s venture into the spot Bitcoin ETF market is significant, given its existing product offerings.
A word to the wise, from a man of few words. #bitcoinisinteresting https://t.co/wantGiAIqJ pic.twitter.com/x5MPbElEev
— Bitwise (@BitwiseInvest) December 18, 2023
Listen closely, my friends. #bitcoinisinteresting pic.twitter.com/pbfo6vlX0C
— Bitwise (@BitwiseInvest) December 20, 2023
Global X
Global X has not released an advert per se, but it has released a more traditional corporate video featuring its Director of Research talking about how digital asset economies are emerging as frontier marketplaces for global value, content, and culture. The video is part of a campaign entitled “Charting Disruption,” which goes into detail about the benefits of blockchain technology and digital assets at large.
Digital asset economies are emerging as frontier marketplaces for global value, content and culture. Director of Research @PPalandrani_gx explores the future of blockchain's decentralized applications. https://t.co/rSyb1uTJ9U
— Global X ETFs (@GlobalXETFs) December 22, 2023
Invesco
Invesco, which is partnering with Galaxy Digital on its spot Bitcoin ETF application, has not released an official video either. However, it did share a video posted by Galaxy Digital’s Mike Novogratz on Bitcoin’s birthday, Jan. 3, stating, “Happy Birthday #bitcoin. Cheers to 15 years of pioneering the financial revolution!”
The video starts with the line, “15 years ago, a revolution was born, not in the streets but in the silent depths of the digital world.” It romanticizes aspects of Bitcoin and the community before ending with Novogratz walking toward the camera and declaring, “Happy Birthday, Bitcoin,” and ends with the Invesco and Galaxy logos.
Happy Birthday #bitcoin. #BlockYourCalendar https://t.co/kOj7n7yP4U
— Invesco US (@InvescoUS) January 3, 2024
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Author 
Liam 'Akiba' Wright
Also known as "Akiba," Liam Wright is a reporter, podcast producer, and Editor-in-Chief at CryptoSlate. He believes that decentralized technology has the potential to make widespread positive change.
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VanEck
VanEck is a global investment manager with offices around the world, including New York, Australia, China, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland.
Bitwise
Bitwise Asset Management pioneered the first cryptocurrency index fund and is the leading provider of rules-based exposure to the cryptoasset space..
Galaxy Digital
Galaxy (TSX: GLXY) is a digital asset and blockchain leader providing access to the growing digital economy.
Michael Edward Novogratz, born on November 26, 1964, stands out as an iconic figure in the financial realm.