Man City football club is introducing the “Unseen City Shirts” nonfungible token (NFT), where supporters can compete for a restricted quantity of exclusive jerseys and matchday experiences.
The “Unseen City Shirts” initiative represents the most recent development in an extended collaboration with the OKX cryptocurrency exchange.
Depending on the rarity of the NFT, users can mint the digital collectibles through the OKX app, which also provides the opportunity to win redesigned, commemorative football shirts.
To discuss the specifics of the new campaign, Cointelegraph conducted an exclusive interview with OKX global chief marketing officer Haider Rafique and Man City chief marketing and fan experience officer Nuria Tarré.
Artistic Christian Jeffery meticulously applies designs from the limited collection jerseys, which prominently showcase the Lancashire rose and the Manchester worker bee.
Rafique explains that the algorithmic determination of the NFTs’ rarity is in place. Five extremely uncommon NFTs will grant the holder a limited-edition City shirt, two tickets to a Manchester City match, and the opportunity to experience the pitch firsthand.
A hospitality pass, a “The Roses and the Bees” design jersey, and an additional five NFTs are uncommon. The minting of NFTs on the OKX Marketplace is complimentary for OKX consumers.
According to Nuria, the NFT launch is an element of the Premier League club’s strategy to recruit “more tech-savvy, receptive to new innovations and technologies” audiences. Additional digital proprietorship is an aspect that Manchester City wishes to introduce to its supporters. Tarré elaborated:
“We think it’s important that you can own this piece digitally. I think that’s one of the beauties of Web3 — it changes the ownership process.”
The chief marketing officer of Manchester City stated that the club will further investigate the potential of Web3 through its collaboration with OKX as well as other channels. According to Tarré, the society has conducted extensive technological experimentation in Web2 and metaverse environments.
Tarré, representing Manchester City, entered the realm of Roblox in late 2022, praising Web3 environments as the most innovative and thrilling:
“Technology keeps on evolving and applications keep on evolving. You can add layers of sophistication, creation and co-creation. We’re definitely willing to explore further.”
In recent years, Rafique has been an active proponent of OKX’s prominent sports collaborations with Manchester City and Formula 1 team McLaren. The exchange has been investigating various marketing strategies to attract the attention of the fan bases of these athletic brands.
OKX’s CMO explained that the organization had devoted the last three years to creating the groundwork for a service that benefits Web3 users and sports fans. Creating the foundation for additional utility-based ecosystems begins with fundamental NFTs attached to tangible goods. Rafique declared:
“I don’t think it’s a lack of intention. I think it’s a lack of product and technology infrastructure, which will come as the industry progresses and as our partnership progresses.”
OKX established its initial sponsorship with Manchester City in March 2022; subsequently, for the 2022–2023 season, the brand evolved into the club’s official training uniform partner. In June 2023, OKX accomplished a new multiyear agreement to become the City’s official sleeve partner.
