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Squarespace x Emma Stone: Key Findings
Campaign Snapshot
This isn't some A24 arthouse film, but it may as well be.
Squarespace is making sure nothing cuts through Super Bowl noise like watching a famous person lose control of her own name.
The website-building platform has unveiled its 12th Big Game campaign, starring Academy Award winner Emma Stone in a 30-second spot titled "Unavailable."
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, the ad follows Stone as she attempts to register emmastone.com, only to learn the domain is already taken.
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Shot on black-and-white analogue film, the spot carries loads of tension and dramatic flair, with each failed attempt to claim the domain raising the stakes.
It frames the domain not as just a website you type out, but as a piece of identity that can be lost if ignored.
Stone says that the commercial is based on true events, making it more special.
"Having the opportunity to play myself in my own home was a joy and a memory I won't soon forget, despite the pain that came rushing back.
Thank you Squarespace for honoring my experience,” she shared.
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Unlike most lighthearted Super Bowl ads, this one uses suspense and emotional storytelling to underline how securing a domain is the first step in building something that lasts.
The spot airs between the first and second quarters of Super Bowl LX on February 8.
The Unavailable Domain
The film starts at the lone house in the middle of the island that was first seen in the teaser.
Here, Stone finds out "emmastone.com" is no longer available, causing her to burn her laptop in anger.
She gives it another try, but to no avail. And then again. And again.
In true Lanthimos fashion, the cinematic wide and close-up shots are paired with suspenseful music, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats, as the spot ends with the frame it opened with.
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The film rollout-like approach of the spot was intentional, according to David Lee, Squarespace’s Chief Brand and Creative Officer.
"That mindset pushes us to create a fully-realized world that feels cinematic rather than commercial,"
This year, Emma's emotional performance paired with Lanthimos' meticulous direction delivers a story where the stakes are immediately clear.”
The game-day spot is only the opening act. Squarespace is supporting “Unavailable” with additional short films that expand the narrative.
One, titled “The Negotiation,” shows Stone attempting to reclaim her domain through increasingly uncomfortable exchanges.
Another, “A Message from Emma Stone,” adopts a PSA-style format that warns audiences about waiting too long to secure a domain.
Together, the films reinforce a clear call to action to claim your domain before someone else does.
Squarespace has a history of returning to this territory.
In recent years, its Super Bowl work with Barry Keoghan and Martin Scorsese similarly treated websites as extensions of human ambition rather than tools.
All of it is proof of the brand's consistent marketing strategy and high-brow yet commercial storytelling.
Squarespace’s Cinematic Domain Drama
Squarespace keeps things simple, focuses on one problem, and lets the situation carry the brand message. Through these ads, we learn that:
- Anchor your campaign on one clear problem. Squarespace built the story around losing control of a domain, and many can relate.
- Use a recognizable talent who can play the role well. Stone plays an exaggerated view of what actually happened to her, helping audiences feel the frustrations of the issue.
- Reinforce the story across multiple assets. Supporting films repeat the tension, ensuring the core message sticks across channels.
Last year, the company’s annual revenue run rate approached $1.2 billion, establishing its position in the market and ability to invest in high-profile campaigns.
Our Take: Does Owning Your Name Still Matter?
Squarespace, having done this rodeo before, manages to surprise the audience every time.
Watching this spot, I felt that familiar knot in the stomach that comes from realizing something small has slipped away forever.
Squarespace understands that domains are boring until they aren’t, until they carry your name, your work, your reputation.
Shorts like these take confidence and money.
But it also takes taste. I don't know why I ever doubted a Lanthimos-directed spot.
In other news, OpenAI will also debut its second Super Bowl spot on February 8, with a focus on humanizing its chatbot.
These top agencies in our directory help brands use stories to build connections and drive awareness.
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