Calderon’s worthy status in the NFT area also means that he has met many brands that are interested in distinguishing themselves in Web3. Many have sought partnerships with Calderon, but unlike Adidas, most have not succeeded in offering what he considers a necessary increase in value that brands must bring to the table. There is even a specific phrase that many brands have approached Calderon with which he considers an immediate breach of contract.
On the heels of receiving a first Cryptie Award from Decrypt Studios – a Web3 production studio and sister company of the brand Decrypt Media – for “Industry Achievement” in the crypto ecosystem, Calderon spoke to Ad Age about how brands should build credibility in space in order to effectively countries partnership. Among his recommendations, he discussed the importance of acting quietly and completing his due diligence, as opposed to making a big splash from the start.
Calderon also gave background on the deal with Adidas, shared his thoughts on NFTs moving past their speculative reputation and explained how Art Blocks grew from a personal project to the globally recognized platform it is today. Oddly enough, he attributes considerable credit to Discord for creating a new social experience – a core marketer should keep in mind when creating their own Web3 communities.
This interview has been edited for space and clarity.
How did the partnership with Adidas happen?
When WAGMI United came to me, they had not signed Adidas yet. But they wanted to bring in Adidas because of the brand recognition they had. And this is so important. For example, I have my preferences for brands that I want to work with that have had an impact on my life [such as Swatch, Onitsuka Tiger and Lego]. And as the space grows, there will be more like me, each of whom will have their own preferences for brands. And I think there’s going to be a whole different dynamic between people who are already in the room pulling in the brand versus the brand saying those fateful words that literally shut me down every time I hear them, which is “How do I get in” ? ‘
Adidas had proven itself with a couple of other falls in the NFT area that happened long before the WAGMI thing. It was more likely that I signed the agreement with WAGMI to let them use Squiggle on the jersey because it was Adidas, as opposed to just a random jersey manufacturer. So when the brand brings credibility to a project, I think it’s a home.
How do you recommend a brand to gain that credibility in the NFT area, even if they are not known?
It requires some effort. It requires a brand to enter the room, not by splashing on Twitter that it bought their first NFT, but perhaps by attending conferences, attending dinners and hiring a Web3 person who knows how to get them on someone of these events.
Let’s pretend I do not know Swatch. Swatch starts coming to conferences and ends up at a table next to me, and I nerd over a few drinks about how much I love this technology. And Swatch starts thinking “Oh man, it can be fun to do something together.” Then I go home and research Swatch and think they can be a great partner, and therefore I contact them. It requires dedication.
Or maybe Swatch buys a Goblin Town NFT, but privately, then goes to the event and has fun, meets really good people, has conversations and says, ‘Oh yes, I work with Swatch.’ People would say, ‘Wow, someone from Swatch is here’, but not in this ‘ta-da!’ the way to do it via Twitter. Rather in an organic way, and suddenly it arouses a certain interest and leads to a conversation where Swatch is now relevant in this room as a participant.
