Let’s be real—nobody wakes up excited to file an expense report. But Expensify turned that snooze-fest of a task into a full-blown, diamond-covered, money-cannon-firing rap video.
Sure, they had 2 Chainz (Grammy-winning rapper, “It’s a Vibe”) and Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, Severance), plus a Super Bowl-sized budget to play with. But take away the celebs and the budget, and what’s left? A formula any B2B company can use—no superstar required.
The Formula (That Works at Any Budget):
Big Contrast = Big Impact – They took expense reports (yawn) and dropped them into a rap fantasy world (wild).
Lesson:
- Take the most extreme opposite of your product and use it to tell your story.
Unexpected Pairings Keep People Watching – The buttoned-up finance guy vs. the over-the-top rapper.
- Lesson: Even without celebrities, clashing personalities = instant engagement.
Show, Don’t Tell – They didn’t list features—they showed 2 Chainz using Expensify while casually torching a stack of cash.
- Lesson: Find a visual way to prove your product’s value—without a single bullet point.
Serious B2B Marketing Doesn’t Have to Be Boring – This ad leans into the ridiculous, making it impossible to ignore.
- Lesson: Humor isn’t just for B2C. Done right, it’s a massive competitive advantage in B2B.
There’s a lot B2B marketers can take from ads like this—whether it’s using contrast, unexpected characters, or humor to grab attention. That’s why having a library of the best B2B ads is so valuable: seeing what works makes it easier to create something original that stands out.
Brave-o-meter score:
B-9 | R-7 | A-10 | V-9 | E-8
BRAVE – 8.6/10
Company Info:
Website: Expensify.com
LinkedIn: Expensify LinkedIn Page
Steal the formula. Make it your own. And give your audience something worth remembering.
