BITCOIN
Industry: Fintech / Non-Profit
CHALLENGE
A nonprofit set out to educate the public about Bitcoin, build cultural capital to accelerate adoption, and normalize its use for everyday Americans. It started with research. Next came the first-ever ad campaign for the currency itself, not an exchange, fund, or company that sells it. The task: give investment professionals who see Bitcoin as speculative noise good reasons to change their minds, and build a distinct brand for something no one controls.
INSIGHT
Individuals don’t need to own Bitcoin to recognize its structural significance, and investors don’t need to understand everything about it to consider a measured allocation. They just need a credible resource to educate themselves on what matters most to them, in plain English. Giving them permission not to fully “get it” lowers the barrier to taking it seriously and ultimately adopting it.
SOLUTION
Develop a traditional media campaign for a modern currency, anchored by a monthly series of expert essays in The Wall Street Journal. Each essay tackles one core investor concern, from volatility to legitimacy, supported by a full-page ad on the same theme and five quarter-page ads on others, in print and online. Every bold, headline-driven ad points readers to gettingbitcoin.org, the home for the expert essay series, explainers, and research.
RESULT
88% recall among Wall Street Journal readers for the first ad. Nearly twice as many readers as the financial services norm said they’d visit the website (67% vs. 35%) or look for more information (67% vs. 36%), and more than twice as many said they’d act on it (62% vs. 25%). The campaign is still running.
Deliverables: editorial essay series, full-page and small-space newspaper ads, digital banners, website
Roles: concept, brand strategy, creative direction, copywriting
