Setting the Stage
Coinbase’s presence wasn’t loud, but it was unmistakable. By stepping directly into the home of a legacy institution, the brand offered a quiet nudge at the old guard: the future of finance isn’t just near, it’s here.
Confidence in the Details
The pavilion was designed to feel less like a financial headquarters and more like a contemporary gallery. Every element was curated to slow people down, invite them to look closer, and create a sense of permanence around crypto.
Breaking Away From the Old
Gone were the cues of a corporate bank. Instead of cold walls and formal lobbies, the pavilion carried the warmth and openness of a boutique gallery, designed to spark connection.
Design as a Touchpoint
Even the smallest details carried weight. Branded cups and bottled coldbrews became rotating canvases, each one bearing Coinbase and crypto graphics. Design wasn’t decoration—it was strategy, reframing familiar objects through a Coinbase lens.
Proof in Your Hands
Coinbase wanted people to walk away with more than impressions—they wanted proof. From zines to posters to collectible collateral, attendees left holding artful publications about crypto in the very space once owned by bankers.
Challenges That Sharpened The Work
Tight timelines tested the team, but also sharpened the outcome. In just three weeks, ideas turned into fully formed executions. The speed demanded clarity and trust across everyone involved, pushing creativity into focus and making each decision count.
Collaboration As A Catalyst
The Davos activation was built on clarity and trust. Each team moved with purpose, guided by a design system rooted in strategy. Working with DIA Studio, IDK, and Coinbase, the pavilion made a distinctly modern statement in an otherwise overly commercial landscape.
Problem
Coinbase needed to establish itself at Davos as a serious player in global finance, in a landscape dominated by legacy institutions.
Insight
The former Bank of America pavilion offered the perfect stage: a symbolic space to show that crypto is no longer on the margins, but part of the financial mainstream.
Solution
In partnership with DIA Studio, Brand New School reimagined the pavilion as a boutique-style activation with editorial design, tactile zines, and gallery-inspired details—modern, elevated, and quietly subversive.
Result
In just three weeks, the pavilion was transformed into a statement that resonated at Davos: Coinbase belongs at the center of the financial conversation.
Credits
- Strategy and Brand Design PartnerDIA Studio
- Chief Creative OfficerJonathan Notaro
- Creative DirectorJeff Welk
- DesignersChae ParkCathy XiaoJean-Michel VerbeeckDiego Gil de BiedmaEllie SunAlbert Son
- 2D / 3D AnimatorsGerald Mark SotoPete GermanoJane LiuMaria CruzMike CostabileDaniel Wenzel
- 3D GeneralistsChris FosterChristopher Rodriguez
- COODevin Brook
- Executive ProducerJohnna MacArthur