There are few more watched — and therefore, more expensive — advertising opportunities than the Super Bowl. In fact, the adverts have become a spectacle in and of themselves, attracting more than 40% of the viewership! Well, now a Web3 game has bought ad space for the 2023 Super Bowl LVII.
In February this year, at Super Bowl LVI, we saw a selection of crypto adverts. Larry David cropped up on behalf of FTX, Lebron James for Crypto.com, and Coinbase tried something a bit different. Many saw crypto’s presence as another marker of its legitimacy and mainstream growth, though others scoffed at it invading more of normal life. 2023’s Super Bowl ads may include crypto again, although we are in very different conditions inside and outside of Web3, so it’s difficult to call. After all, sentiment has shifted drastically since we dug deep into the bear, as it always does.
One facet of Web3 I would not have predicted to have space in the 2023 Super Bowl ad break is a blockchain/NFT/crypto/Web3 game. It was only 2 years ago that blockchain games shuffled into the limelight, receiving modest investment, and so I would have said we were years away from such a mainstream ad for a Web3 game. But, crypto makes a fool of all of us.
Limit Break’s Web3 Game, DigiDaigaku, and Super Bowl LVII
If I said Limit Break or Gabriel Leydon, it may ring a bell to the regular readers. This is because Limit Break announced its “Free-to-Own” model back in August and, unsurprisingly, it was met with some criticism. The most notable detractor was CZ of Binance who pointed out that “nothing is absolutely free.”
We are often asked what our free-to-own model is all about. Although we still have a lot to reveal, here is a quick breakdown of what we have revealed so far 🧵
— DigiDaigaku (@DigiDaigaku) October 16, 2022
Well, I remain open-minded about Free-to-Own, and in any case, my attention is drawn to the latest news coming out of the camp. Limit Break is developing the game DigiDaigaku which is going to be the focus of the Super Bowl ad. Not a great deal is known about the game and Limit Break is in “stealth” mode, but the art style is anime or anime-inspired and there are some details on the Heroes and spirits.
This is undoubtedly a bold move from Limit Break and Gabriel Leydon. He has bought ad space in the Super Bowl before, and he’s a veteran of effective marketing, but this is one hell of a play. Leydon also claims that the ad would only have been done if they could provide a “cool Web3 experience.” I’m not sure how that translates, but I’ll be watching (from across the pond).
1/ We are excited to announce that @limitbreak has purchased a commercial spot starring @digidaigaku for SUPERBOWL LVII February 12th 2023! 50 MILLION PEOPLE will be watching live and 10s OF MILLIONS ONLINE! pic.twitter.com/255CtYXYIf
— Gabriel Leydon (FREE,OWN) (@gabrielleydon) October 13, 2022
So, no pressure, Gabriel, but this is blockchain gaming’s debut to high-profile, coveted advertising spaces, so it’s not just DigiDaigaku’s reputation on your shoulders!