BlackRock wants to project Bitcoin ETF ads onto former banks, filing says

BlackRock proposed a campaign to project spot Bitcoin ETF advertisements onto the sides of buildings in a Jan. 31 SEC filing.

The filing describes BlackRocks plans in brief, noting:

“The IBIT Signal is an animation designed to be projected onto the facades of former financial institutions in New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles. This storyboard uses our Miami facade as the template.”

The projection includes “IBIT” throughout much of its runtime, referring to the ticker for BlackRocks iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT).

Each image otherwise shows a timeline of events leading up to the launch of BlackRocks spot Bitcoin ETF this January. Certain images describe the launch of the first stock market in the U.S. in 1790, the first U.S. ETF in 1993, the launch of Bitcoin in 2009, and the first Bitcoin futures contract in 2017. Other scenes read “a new era of access” and “spot Bitcoin ETFs are here.”

As noted, BlackRock intends to project the ad onto former bank buildings. It is unclear whether it intends to do so solely on its property, or whether it plans to rent property from other firms. The building featured in the presentation appears to be a shared building at 360 Rosemary Ave in West Palm Beach, Florida. That office remains open, contrary to the firms broader ad plans.

Spot Bitcoin ETF ads on the rise

BlackRock previously published a more traditional ad for IBIT on Jan. 14. That ad was recognized for its straightforward and informational approach in contrast to competing ads from Hashdex, VanEck, Bitwise, and others.

The news also includes changes to Google ad policies on Jan. 29, allowing cryptocurrency coin trusts to advertise with the search engine. BlackRocks ETF is currently among the funds shown in sponsored links.

Private investor Fred Krueger, meanwhile, has observed that some websites have begun to display online advertisements for BlackRocks IBIT fund.