It’s Super Bowl season! The annual league championship game of the National Football League is upon us, as the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to take on the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium this Sunday.
Apart from pitching the NFL’s best players together, the event also paves the way for the entertainment world to collaborate with sports in a very unique way that leads to the NFL bagging millions of dollars.
While the likes of Usher (half-time performer) and Jenna Ortega (Doritos commercial) are making headlines this year, Matt Damon trended in 2022 for his Crypto ad. And it seems fans aren’t forgetting his puzzling stint anytime soon.
What Matt Damon Said About His Infamous Super Bowl Crypto Ad
Matt Damon partnered with Crypto.com for an ad that grabbed millions of eyeballs at the 2022 Super Bowl. It promoted investing in cryptocurrency with the message: “Fortune favors the brave.”
At the time, the crypto market was enjoying a phenomenal run, attracting countless investors to throw their money on the most random of coins. Apart from Damon, the likes of Larry David and Justin Bieber found their names linked to the industry in different ways.
The speculative market did what it does best – went down at a pace that surprised many inexperienced investors. They basically got rug pulled. Frustration turned to anger toward celebrities attached to the industry. Naturally, Damon also got the flak for taking part in the crypto ad.
Explaining his decision, Damon said he did the commercial for philanthropic reasons.
“I did that commercial in an attempt to raise money for Water.org,” the Good Will Hunting star told the AP while on the red carpet for some event, adding that he gave his “whole salary” to the org.
The Oscar winner also revealed that the company donated $1 million to Water.org.
Regardless, his explanation did little to change the minds of some investors. The top comment under his interview video read: “Thank you Matt Damon for helping people lose their money.”
Other users in the comment section also seemed far from convinced by Damon’s philanthropic intentions.
Lionel Messi, Jenna Ortega, Ben Affleck & More Part of 2024 Super Bowl Commercials
The 2023 Super Bowl was a crypto-free outing and it seems no such commercial will be part of this year’s event as well. Fox Sports‘ list of every Super Bowl commercial didn’t feature any crypto company.
Regardless, there was still a huge competition to book a 30-second commercial spot on CBS’ broadcast, with companies willing to spend as much as $7m to be part of the clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
Jenna Ortega is making her debut as the lead of a Super Bowl ad by promoting a new Doritos flavor, Dynamita. Meanwhile, soccer legend Lionel Messi has combined with fictional coach Ted Lasso for a beer brand Michelob Ultra’s ad. The likes of Jennifer Aniston, Tom Brady, Chris Pratt, and Ben Affleck are also in the mix.
