Coinbase turns financial NPCs into players in Oscars ad

Coinbase is inviting Americans to rethink their place in the financial system with a game-inspired Oscars ad for its new platform, Your Way Out of Their System.

Created by New York indie agency Isle of Any and directed by Oscar Hudson through MJZ, the film uses the language of retro video games to show a protagonist breaking out of a controlled, repetitive world and moving towards greater financial freedom.

Set to I’ve Gotta Be Me, the spot begins in an uncanny game-like environment, where people move through life like NPCs. As the hero starts to run, the world slowly shifts. His surroundings become less synthetic, his appearance becomes more human, and he emerges into the real world beyond “their system”.

Coinbase VP of creative Joe Staples said the campaign uses the NPC metaphor to make “economic ownership and autonomy” feel immediately relatable.

Rather than relying on CGI, Hudson created the video game aesthetic in-camera, using practical sets, costumes and choreography. Suit details were printed in 2D, sets were given a pixelated finish, and actors were trained to move like game characters.

The campaign follows Coinbase’s Super Bowl work and marks another major outing under its new marketing leadership, as the brand expands its financial products in 2026.