Cadillac auctions NFTs to benefit Save The Music Foundation

MANILA: Cadillac commissioned original NFTs created by Nyla Hayes and auctioned them as part of its Black Future campaign. The NFTs, designed in the iconic “Long Neckie” style of Hayes, are Cadillac's first foray into the Web3 space, which includes token-based marketplaces. The auction's proceeds will go to the Save The Music Foundation.

Cadillac commissioned two NFTs for this auction: Adira, the Silver 120 Anniversary Edition, available to multiple buyers, and Adira, the Gold Edition Long Neckie, an exclusive, one-of-one NFT.

The Gold Edition NFT was sold for 1.888 ETH, equivalent to more than P172,000. The Silver Edition NFT, which celebrates Cadillac's 120th anniversary, sold for .2 ETH with 75 buyers, bringing in a total of approximately P1.3 million.

“Adira represents a Black Woman superhero. She aligns with the Cadillac brand through her bold, confident, powerful, luxurious and electrifying stance,” Hayes stated.

The J. Dilla Music Tech grant program of Save The Music Foundation will be the beneficiary of the sales of the Black Future Long Neckie NFTs. It will also receive a $55,000 contribution from Cadillac. In this program, students learn electronic music production, audio engineering, recording, and production. By developing their music and audio engineering skills, students can prepare for sound engineering positions in the automotive industry.

“As the champion of big dreams and bold ambitions, Cadillac encourages students to pursue their passions. We are thrilled to support Save The Music Foundation and their efforts to get students excited for careers in music tech. Sound engineering is an important and growing field in the automotive industry, and we’ve seen how engaging this program is in sparking interest in this type of art as a career,” Cadillac Multicultural Marketing Lead Juanita Slappy said.

More than 2,000 schools around the US have been able to launch and continue their music programs with the help of the grants from the Save The Music Foundation.

“As one of the first nonprofits to experiment with this innovative fundraising tactic, this collaboration marked a turning point of the organization’s approach to not only fundraising, but music education at large. This is just an early preview of an array of new and innovative projects to come,” Save The Music Foundation Chief Development Officer Danielle Zalaznick stated.

The J. Dilla Music Tech program started in Detroit, Michigan in 2019 with support from Cadillac. With the $55,000 contribution from Cadillac, the program will be expanded to an additional Detroit High School in 2023. Each J. Dilla Music Tech grant offers programs for 10 years, having a major impact on hundreds of students.

The Cadillac Black Future campaign, which won the Online Media Marketing & Advertising (OMMA) award for Best Content Marketing not only highlights emerging artist NFTs, but also showcases Black artistry through compelling visuals and mesmerizing music while featuring the 2023 Escalade-V, the most powerful full-size SUV in the industry.

Photo from Cadillac

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