Video Agency Power Play: Helping NDAX Launch a Proudly Canadian Crypto Campaign

As a full-service video agency, our role goes far beyond production services. We dive into brand strategy, audience insights, creative concepting, messaging, and platform performance. In this article we’ll explore how choosing a specialized video production agency like Black Box means faster timelines, lower costs, and a more agile production process than you'd get with a traditional and inefficient ad agency.

When NDAX came to us, they were looking for more than a polished video for their next ad. They needed a strategic partner who could help them reach a very specific audience, Canadian crypto traders who are educated, discerning, and difficult to impress, during a cultural flashpoint: the NHL Playoffs. They needed a production partner who could think fast, move even faster, and deliver something that was on-brand, on-message, and impossible to ignore.

NDAX is a Canadian crypto platform built on trust, transparency, and regulatory compliance. Unlike many platforms that rely on hype or buzzwords, NDAX stays rooted in clarity and education, traits that have won them a loyal user base but also means they are cautious in how they communicate. With Canadian pride surging in early 2025 and the NHL Playoffs creating a national buzz, we saw an opportunity for NDAX to take a bold approach, without losing its credibility.

They turned to Black Box not just to produce a video, but to serve as a strategic advisor who could help them tap into this cultural moment while staying authentic to their values.

Market Research as Creative Foundation

We began this project with a clear intention: to build a campaign grounded in real market insight, not assumptions.

That meant diving deep into the cryptocurrency platform landscape, looking closely at who was speaking to crypto traders, what tones and narratives were being used, how brands were positioning themselves, and what types of campaigns had actually broken through. The market ranged from brash comedic ads to overly technical explainers, but few seemed to strike the balance between clarity and connection.

Messaging: Defining What Sets NDAX Apart

Through close collaboration with the NDAX team, we identified several key differentiators that set the brand apart: low trading fees, Canadian regulation, trustworthiness, and a strong focus on education. These became the foundation of our script's messaging.

To achieve brand awareness and memorability, we knew we had to deliver a tone and visual language that immediately stood out from typical crypto marketing. That meant rejecting overused industry tropes, no jargon, no futuristic montages, no speculative promises, and instead leaning into a voice that was confident without being brash, informative without being preachy, and unmistakably Canadian. It had to feel smart, grounded, and relatable.

We also focused on making the brand feel approachable and human, ensuring that every piece of content could spark emotional connection through humor, Canadian pride and a love of hockey. The storytelling was crafted to reflect shared experiences and sensibilities of Canadian traders. Humor played a key role here, not just as entertainment but as a tool to make NDAX more accessible and emotionally resonant, ultimately building trust and affinity with the audience.

Campaign Goals: What the Work Needed to Achieve

Once the messaging was locked in, we aligned on the campaign’s strategic goals, what success would actually look like beyond just shipping creative.

First, the campaign needed to be memorable. We wanted viewers to remember NDAX, not just the brand name, but the feeling, the tone, and the message.

Second, the campaign had to drive action. It wasn’t about building awareness in a vacuum. Everything needed to push users toward the next step, clicking, learning more and signing up. That required clear calls-to-action, strategic media planning, and a concept that would perform well across all digital channels, from TikTok to Connected TV.

And finally, the campaign had to create an emotional connection. Crypto can often feel cold or inaccessible, but we knew this work had to resonate on a human level. Humor became the bridge, allowing us to speak to Canadians in a voice they recognized. Subtle nods to national pride, everyday situations, and cultural cues helped make NDAX feel not just trustworthy, but familiar.

The Concept: Humor with a Message

With those goals in mind, the creative concept took shape: a series of calm, deadpan conversations about crypto between two regular beer league hockey players, starting in a locker room and moving to chaotic action on the ice. The contrast between the seriousness of their dialogue and the absurdity happening around them became the campaign’s hallmark.

This first spot laid the groundwork for a broader series—relatable Canadians casually discussing their experience with crypto investing, even as their surroundings became increasingly ridiculous. It was a fresh, funny, and unexpected way to deliver real information about crypto—perfectly aligned with NDAX’s brand voice.

The campaign was a true collaboration with creative director Ben Goloff, producer Josh Usheroff and director Rouzbeh Heydari all contributing to the script and concept development. The commercial is fast paced and constantly building on the situational ridiculousness. The campaign’s most memorable line? “It’s totally transparent…Like your defense.” It was an unexpected, funny way to deliver real information about crypto.

This spot was inspired by the concept of Mio Changes Everything ad. This wasn’t just comedy for comedy’s sake. Every gag–from the goalie talking on the phone as a player slides into the net, to the Mountie moose mascot, to the hockey hits—served a purpose. They were crafted to earn attention, keep the audience engaged, and make the brand message stick. We delivered a serious product story inside a humorous, unexpected package, and the contrast made it all the more compelling.

Planned Not Just for Delivery, but for Results

From day one, we built the campaign to perform, not just in creative terms, but in measurable, testable results. Working closely with NDAX's media buyers, we designed each asset to be modular and adaptable across channels: broadcast TV, YouTube, Meta, TikTok, and Connected TV. The campaign was green-lit just weeks before the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so we had to move quickly to launch while the games were still underway.

We created multiple versions of the opening scenes, each designed to hook audiences in different ways. Some were direct and information-driven. Others leaned into humor or national identity. We also delivered alternate endings, each with a unique call-to-action, to measure which drove the best engagement and conversion. Each variation was made to function as a standalone video while still feeding into a larger campaign arc. The 48 video variators from this campaign gave the NDAX team the tools to run A/B tests, gather real-time performance data, and optimize the campaign as it launched.

Collaboration From Start to Finish

This was a fast, ambitious project, six weeks from greenlight to delivery, with a scale and level of detail that demanded close coordination at every step. Black Box led the full execution in-house, managing everything from scripting and location scouting to casting, production, and post. Cinematographer Kevin Rasmussen shot on the ARRI Alexa Mini with Leitz Summicron-C lenses, balancing cinematic polish with a natural lighting aesthetic to allow the humor work.

What set the production apart wasn’t just the team, though it included 35 people, 13 actors, and a full crew spanning direction, cinematography, sound recording, art direction, wardrobe styling, and logistics. The rink location was chosen for its red-and-white color scheme. The red & white uniforms echoed Canadian pride. NDAX’s branding was subtly integrated into rink boards and even stitched onto the referee’s jersey. The wardrobe department carefully removed or covered all third-party logos from equipment, helmets, pads, sticks, ensuring every frame was clear for distribution across all platforms.

From the set dressing in the locker room to the pacing of the edit, every detail reinforced the tone: this wasn’t a dramatic, stylized sports ad. It was meant to feel familiar, average guys at their local rink, so that when things got absurd, the contrast was funnier, sharper, and more memorable. That relatability also made the brand message land stronger. The audience could laugh, connect, and still walk away knowing that NDAX is a smarter, clearer way to invest in crypto.

From start to finish, we worked in close partnership with NDAX to ensure every layer of execution remained aligned with their brand, mission, and the audience they serve. On set the NDAX team had a blast! Our client even got in on the action, dancing in the background of the final scene as a subtle easter egg. They were impressed with our organization and amazed by all the skilled technicians required to execute a ‘simple’ thirty-second commercial.

A Campaign with Strategy at Its Core

We believe that creative decisions should be grounded in strategy. We enable our clients to use data driven insights to maximize campaign impact. Real success comes from thinking holistically, from early market research to the final distribution tactics. When brands team up with Black Box as a video agency, they get more than a nice looking video. We provide an agile, creative, and cost-efficient production process that exceeds what you'd expect from a traditional ad agency.

This project with NDAX is a perfect example of why the video agency model is redefining how branded videos are made. By working directly with our client, we were able to shape the campaign from start to finish. Strategy, creative, and execution came together seamlessly, our own Black Box version of the classic hat trick.

If you are a brand looking for a production partner who can think strategically, build campaigns that connect, and deliver creative work designed for real-world performance, then get in touch.