How OKX convinced F1 star Daniel Ricciardo it's safe to promote crypto
Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo and his Olympic snowboarder mate Scotty James say they always think long and hard about the risks of promoting the wrong thing.
And as brand ambassadors for crypto exchange OKX, that no doubt was at the forefront of their minds when FTX collapsed and markets crashed — mere months after they signed on.
The risks then became all too apparent in the acres of negative publicity and lawsuits over comedian Larry David and NFL quarterback Tom Brady’s endorsement deals with FTX.
Even Hollywood nice guy Matt Damon faced blowback from everyone from South Park to Stephen Colbert as a result of his Superbowl commercial for Crypto.com, encouraging normies to buy crypto right before the market crash.
Crypto already had a pretty mixed reputation when Ricciardo signed up in May 2022, and he admits it took a while to get comfortable with the idea.
“But you kind of also learn when to say ‘no, that's not right for me,’" he told Cointelegraph at Token2049, nursing a fractured hand that has taken him out of Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Ricciardo is one of the most popular F1 drivers in the world and has a team that ensures he doesn't get into hot water. Minders struck out direct questions about FTX ahead of the chat, required approval for photos of the interview, and bustled him away after ten minutes for his next appearance.
OKX’s strategy to become the “first crypto lifestyle brand” was driven by Chief Marketing Officer Haider Rafique. The cryptexchange signed multi-million dollar sponsorship deals with sports franchises like F1 team McLaren and United Kingdom Premier League team Manchester United.
The streets of Manchester have officially been futurised by OKX and @mancity fans
Explore Manchester and
