How Polymarket is Rewriting the Prediction Market Model

What happens when a prediction market shifts from pricing probabilities to shaping cultural conversation?

Polymarket’s latest move offers a clear signal, voiced by Rick Rubin.

The company has unveiled Questions Are Everything, its first global brand campaign, launched to coincide with the 2026 World Cup.

The work was developed alongside New York-based agencies Better Half and Four Four Entertainment.

“If you could ask one question, what would it be?” Rick asks.

Questions are everything, is the campaign line, “because the people who keep asking are the ones who uncover answers”.

The bet runs on talent, not airtime

Within 24 hours, Polymarket’s World Cup spot Flags had generated 30 million views.

Directed by Gabriel Moses and set to Kanye West’s Runaway, the short film opens with fifteen national flags, each tied to a live market predicting that country’s chances of winning the tournament.

The casting choice stands out: Rick Rubin, Future and Peso Pluma appear, but no athletes.

Polymarket is positioning the World Cup as an entry point into broader culture, using music rather than sport as its vehicle.

A 15-second edit has aired throughout the tournament, while a 30-second version debuted during a UFC event hosted at the White House.

Localised versions for Argentina, Portugal, Senegal, Britain and France are rolling out in sync with the tournament bracket, supported by market-specific billboards.

The client took the creative chair

The campaign was driven by Polymarket’s creative director Daf Orlovsky, with Better Half and Four Four executing against his vision.

Founder and CEO Shayne Coplan is also credited on the story, reflecting how closely the brand retained creative control while agencies handled delivery.

This model reflects Polymarket’s origins. The platform built its reputation without traditional advertising, becoming a reference point for debates spanning elections, sport, and awards season.

Backing includes Intercontinental Exchange, owner of the New York Stock Exchange, while Polymarket data is distributed through Dow Jones publications.

The company has also been named to both the TIME100 and the Forbes Fintech 50.

Coplan’s ambition is expansive: any topic that enters cultural discussion should have a corresponding market.

“We want to have a Polymarket for it,” he says.

That thinking is already extending into entertainment, with the Dear Media podcast What Are the Odds? integrating live market data into celebrity conversations.

Culture as a hedge against regulation

Prediction markets are facing renewed regulatory attention.

In the US, policymakers are considering restrictions on contracts linked to war or assassination, while allowing sports-related markets.

In the UK, the category remains governed under gambling legislation.

Against this backdrop, a reflective, culture-led campaign offers a softer counterpoint to regulatory scrutiny.

Competition is intensifying as well.

Kalshi, Polymarket’s closest rival, has focused on sponsorships and stadium placements to build visibility, while Polymarket is leaning on this new campaign instead.

Activity on its World Cup markets has exceeded US$2bn, with annualised revenue surpassing US$1bn.

For the wider sector, the takeaway extends beyond betting.

In categories perceived as complex or controversial, cultural relevance can accelerate trust.

Polymarket has chosen to frame the narrative around a question – and let Rick Rubin deliver it.

The intended outcome is credibility.