Say what you will about Reddit, it’s a hell of an organizing tool. The website has proven that time and time again this month. The first time came when it briefly put a hurting on hedge funds via an organized short squeeze on GameStop stock. The second time came during the Super Bowl, when Reddit let its users know it appreciated their efforts in a Super Bowl ad.
In the five-second clip, Reddit praised its users for what they’ve accomplished. The website also made it clear how it felt about moves made by Robinhood and Wall Street bigwigs to cancel out the schemes of the WallStreetBets users (and excited retail traders who got in on the action). The spot ran so short because it was all the platform could afford.
“Wow, this actually worked. If you’re reading this, it means our bet paid off,” Reddit wrote in the bare-bones clip styled like a Reddit post. “Big game spots are expensive, so we couldn’t buy a full one. But we were inspired and decided to spend our entire marketing budget on 5 seconds of airtime. One thing we learned from our communities last week is that underdogs can accomplish just about anything when they come together around a common idea.”
The ad went on to reference the WallStreetBets saga more directly.
“Who knows, maybe you’ll be the reason finance textbooks have to add a chapter on ‘tendies.’ Maybe you’ll help r/SuperbOwl teach the world the majesty of owls. Maybe you’ll even pause this 5-second ad,” the ad read. “Powerful things happen when people rally around something they really care about. And there’s a place for that. It’s called Reddit.”
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