Scottie Barnes is making a name for himself as both a great basketball player and the Toronto Raptors’ resident hugger.
The power forward’s notoriously friendly disposition is exactly why Canadian cryptocurrency exchange Bitbuy has tapped him to star in their new Super Bowl commercial.
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In the ad spot, Barnes is the company’s “Vice President of Hugs & High Fives.”
The ad features the NBA athlete following a trader, Doug, and hugging him during pivotal moments in his life, such as a wedding and the birth of his baby.
Barnes gives Doug “confirmation hugs” whenever he makes a crypto trade using Bitbuy.
ET Canada’s got some exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the commercial — featuring an on-set dance break from Barnes — below.
Bitbuy explained why they thought Barnes was the right choice for the ad and how they plan to continue collaborating on future projects.
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“Scottie… represents the next generation of investors who are new to investing and interested in new and innovative ways to generate what we like to call modern wealth,” said a statement from the company. “We will be leveraging Scottie throughout the year to promote a variety of new investment tools that many Canadians don’t even know exist such as crypto staking and fractional stock trading.”
During an interview with Daily Hive earlier this week, Barnes explained he participated in the ad because he felt it did a great job showcasing his lighthearted personality.
“I feel like it really fits how my personality is. I feel like I’m a fun type [of] person and being able to show my emotions what I can do… I feel it’s like a perfect fit.”
