College kids, old age pensioners, and beyond, everyone is talking about cryptocurrency in 2018. The Bitcoin buzz spans the entire world, with people jumping at the chance to ride the blockchain train. The actual trading, spending, and betting potential of cryptocurrency is huge – just look at what BitStarz brings to the table as an example of that – but that’s not all that has thrown the crypto market into the public eye. Advertising and cryptocurrency have come together to create quite the force. Big businesses, mainstream celebrities, and even sports superstars are now battling it out to promote cryptos to the masses.
Basking in the star power
It’s been said a thousand times – there is nothing like star power. For years musicians and actors have been used to promote brands and services, pushing them into the mainstream. Just look at the tobacco industry, for decades it placed the biggest movie stars of the time – including silver screen legends such as John Wayne and James Dean – in adverts. Working wonders, it’s safe to say that celebrity-backed advertising can help any product achieve more notoriety. Seeing the strength in star power, during the past few years we’ve seen various cryptos backed by leading pop culture figures.
Sports superstars don’t come any bigger than Lionel Messi. The Barcelona FC forward is one of football’s most recognizable faces, so he’s become a sought-after figure when it comes to crypto advertising. Securing his signature, he was recently used to endorse SIRIN LABS – a Blockchain hardware company. Punching on the same level as the Barcelona FC superstar is Floyd Mayweather, who was linked to Centra – an Ethereum-based ICO – last year, along with Messi’s teammate Luis Suarez.
Get rich or die tryin’
You might have read one of our previous blogs, which looked at how 50 Cent became an unlikely Bitcoin success story. In his own way, he’s become a walking advert for Bitcoin. Plastering his success all over social media, by boasting about his $7 million turnaround and flaunting the cash, he’s only given Bitcoin a massive mainstream stamp of approval.
Even the NFL has managed to get in on the act. Fans of American Football will have likely seen adverts for TD Ameritrade during half-time breaks. Starring Commodores signer and Motown legend Lionel Richie, the 24-hour crypto trading platform has certainly seemed to benefit from this quirky advertising campaign.
Taking the bizarre approach
Some celebrities have managed to bypass the mainstream when it comes to crypto advertising. Instead, supporting projects that are a little bit on the odd side. American actor Steven Seagal is known for being eccentric, so it probably makes sense that the project he’s attached to is just as out there. Bitcoiin2Gen (B2G), which is a highly questionable Ethereum-based ICO that claims to be the second-coming of Bitcoin, is being backed by Segal on social media. Yes, we don’t get it either, but it does represent another example of celebrities getting involved in the crypto sphere, even it’s a pretty weird example at that.
Do you want to see more bizarre cryptocurrency advertising? Then you should look to Japan, as they’ve created an array of Bitcoin-focused celebs through some pretty odd advertising methods. A pop act with a twist, the Virtual Currency Girls have been spreading the word of cryptocurrency through song and dance. Each member of the girl group takes of the form of a leading crypto, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. While the whole act is a largely seen as a bit of a joke, the group’s front-woman Rara Naruse has said that the crypto angle has helped them become well-known in Japan.
Bitcoin endorsements are big business!
Journey back five years and you wouldn’t find many public figures willing to buy cryptocurrency, let alone promote it. Now, celebrities across all mediums can’t move fast enough to sign a cryptocurrency endorsement deal. From sporting icons like Lionel Messi to music legends such as Lionel Richie, the cryptocurrency market is exploding, with recognizable faces helping spread its message throughout the world!
