Solana’s recent “America is Back—Time to Accelerate” ad received significant backlash from the community, with tags such as “cringe” and “offensive” being used to describe it. The ad, which was posted on March 17, featured a man named “American” engaging in a therapy session where he was diagnosed with “rational thinking syndrome.”
In the ad, American expressed his interest in various fields, including tech innovation, nuclear energy, crypto, and AI. However, the consultant in the session redirected his focus towards gender identity and social constructivism, much to American’s displeasure. This led to American exclaiming, “I want to invent technologies, not genders,” showcasing his frustration with the direction of the conversation.
The video concluded with American breaking free from the therapy session and a message on the screen declaring, “American is Back.” The ad served as a promotional piece for Solana’s upcoming Accelerate conference scheduled for May 2025.
Despite garnering 1.4 million views within nine hours, the ad was swiftly deleted due to the intense criticism it received from the community. Many individuals, including Tyler Bench, the CRO of Tally.xyz, labeled the ad as “toxic” and likened it to content created by individuals with harmful ideologies.
Adam Cochran, a partner at Cinneamhain Ventures, also expressed his disappointment in the Solana team for approving such a controversial ad. He criticized the team for retracting the ad not out of moral concern but due to its negative impact on their business.
Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko acknowledged the community’s feedback, admitting that the previous ad featuring Maren was better received than the recent controversial one. The overall sentiment towards the ad was overwhelmingly negative, with users on social media platforms denouncing it as offensive, cringe-worthy, and pandering.
In response to the backlash, Solana took down the ad, signaling a shift in their marketing approach following the intense community backlash. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of sensitivity and inclusivity in advertising campaigns, especially in a diverse and interconnected world.