"Fees"

29 October 2025

30s

Could you repeat that.

Coinbase's hot streak continues with a 30" commercial directed by Matthew Swanson. Hot on the heels of 'Grin' comes 'Fees', a terrific takedown of—you guessed it—bank charges. When a man asks the assistant manager to, er, clarify them, neither he nor the viewer's prepared for what comes next. All we can sat is try as best you can to keep up.

Like an auctioneer who chucked it in to become a banker, he reels off a list of charges that beggars belief ("ATM, wire fees, overdraft, underdraft, inbound, outbound, direct deposit, withdrawal, low balance, no balance, administrative fee fees"). It only gets worse from there, as the man fires off payment after payment like a monetary machine gun.

It's a wonderful performance that would test even the most polite Canadian's patience. From that uncanny drawl to the 'computer says no' look on his face, he's supposed to make the advertised cryptocurrency exchange look like a bastion of sanity. Coupled with 'Grin', the ad encourages bank customers to see the financial violence inherent in the system.

Canada

Financial Services