Hardware FixRecommendedDevice not working? Your driver may be the problemCheck updates for common hardware issues.Fix DriversOctober DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsClean PCRecommendedOne scan can reveal what keeps slowing WindowsLook for cleanup and repair opportunities.Run Scan×
Skip to content
The Finance Base
The Money Desk · Blog
Re:

T-Mobile and Coinbase Used the Backstreet Boys in Very Different Super Bowl Ads

Both brands featured the Backstreet Boys in Super Bowl LX, but T-Mobile adapted “I Want It That Way” for wireless while Coinbase used a karaoke-style “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” sing-along for crypto.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

In Super Bowl LX in 2026, T-Mobile and Coinbase both featured the Backstreet Boys—but with different songs and different pitches. T-Mobile reworked “I Want It That Way” to sell its wireless service and benefits. Coinbase used a karaoke-style “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” sing-along to present crypto as something for everyone. The contrast is in the ads’ creative approach and intended message; the available reporting does not show which performed better.

How the two ads used the Backstreet Boys

Creative choice T-Mobile Coinbase
Song “I Want It That Way” “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”
Presentation Reimagined the song to carry a wireless-service pitch Karaoke-style sing-along
Intended message The company presented its network, value, and benefits Crypto is for everyone

T-Mobile’s February 6, 2026, newsroom release described the commercial as featuring the Backstreet Boys alongside Druski, mgk, and Pierson Fodé. The company said the spot reimagined “I Want It That Way” to promote its wireless network, value, and benefits. Its line that “when it comes to wireless, people don’t want it any way, they want it that way” is campaign copy, not independent evidence that T-Mobile’s network or value is superior to competitors’.

The Coinbase execution took a different route: viewers were encouraged to sing along to “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” released in 1997. The Associated Press described the commercial as karaoke-style, while Marketing Dive’s Super Bowl LX ad tracker identified it as a 60-second spot in the second quarter and summarized its message as crypto being for everyone.

Why the creative approaches feel different

T-Mobile made the song serve the product pitch

T-Mobile connected a familiar song to the specifics of its own offer: wireless service and customer benefits. The song was adapted to make the brand’s pitch central to the commercial, according to the company’s campaign description.

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Coinbase made participation the framing

Coinbase’s karaoke format invited viewers to recognize and join in with a Backstreet Boys song. That sing-along presentation supported the broad-appeal message described by Marketing Dive. It expresses the campaign’s framing of crypto, rather than establishing how accessible or suitable cryptocurrency is for any particular person.

What nostalgia adds—and what it cannot prove

The Associated Press reported Kimberly Whitler’s research finding that 28% of Super Bowl ads in 2015 had an element of nostalgia, compared with 54% in 2025. Those figures provide context for the use of familiar music in advertising, but they do not show that nostalgia caused either 2026 commercial to succeed. The original study was not identified in the AP report.

The 2025 Super Bowl drew 127.7 million U.S. viewers across television and streaming, according to the Associated Press. That is an event-level audience figure; it is not a measure of how many people saw either 2026 ad or how viewers responded to it.

What is known about the ads’ performance

The available coverage establishes what the commercials did and the messages they aimed to convey, not their relative effectiveness. It does not establish which ad had greater reach, improved brand perception, generated more business, or was more successful with viewers. Any claim that one “won” would go beyond the evidence here.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Coinbase’s earlier Super Bowl ad was different

Coinbase also advertised during the Super Bowl in 2022, but that earlier commercial used a bouncing QR code, according to Marketing Dive. It was separate from the 2026 Backstreet Boys karaoke spot.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Bestseller No. 2
Bestseller No. 3
Bestseller No. 4
Bestseller No. 5
The Hits--Chapter One
The Hits--Chapter One
Shrink-wrapped
$9.98
Best Value

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More post from the Money Desk

  1. The Money DeskBlogTheFinanceBase09 OCT 267 minMortgage Escrow FAQs: Taxes, Insurance, Shortages, and Refunds
  2. The Money DeskBlogTheFinanceBase09 OCT 265 minHow Mortgage Escrow Accounts Work and What Homeowners Pay For
  3. The Money DeskBlogTheFinanceBase09 OCT 265 minHow to Read a Stock Chart, Volume and Market-Cap Data
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownFree scan - exact matches

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.