As part of its Black Future campaign, Cadillac commissioned and auctioned original NFTs by Nyla Hayes. The NFTs, created in Hayes’ renowned “Long Neckie” style, represent Cadillac’s first entry into the Web3 space, which includes token-based marketplaces. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Save The Music Foundation.
Cadillac commissioned two NFTs for this auction: Adira, the Gold Edition Long Neckie, an exclusive, one-of-one NFT, and Adira, the Silver 120 Anniversary Edition, available to multiple purchasers.
The Gold Edition NFT sold for 1.888 ETH, equivalent to more than $3,500 at time of auction. The Silver edition NFT, which commemorates Cadillac’s 120th anniversary, sold at .2 ETH with 75 purchasers, totaling approximately $20,000.
“Adira represents a Black woman superhero,” said Hayes. “She aligns with the Cadillac brand through her bold, confident, powerful, luxurious and electrifying stance.”
Proceeds from the sales of the Black Future Long Neckie NFTs, combined with a $55,000 contribution from Cadillac, will be donated to the Save The Music Foundation’s J. Dilla Music Tech grant program. This program teaches students electronic music creation, audio engineering, recording and production. Music and audio engineering skills can help prepare students for sound engineering roles within the auto industry.
“As the champion of big dreams and bold ambitions, Cadillac encourages students to pursue their passions. We are thrilled to support the Save the Music Foundation and their efforts to get students excited for careers in music tech,” said Juanita Slappy, multicultural marketing lead at Cadillac. “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.”
Grants from Save the Music Foundation have helped more than 2,000 schools across the nation start and maintain their music programs.
“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,” said Danielle Zalaznick, chief development officer of Save The Music Foundation. “This is just an early preview of an array of new and innovative projects to come.”
The J. Dilla Music Tech program launched in Detroit with support from Cadillac in 2019. This $55,000 contribution will expand the program to an additional Detroit High School in 2023. Once launched, each J. Dilla Music Tech grant provides programming for 10 years, impacting hundreds of students with each investment.
The Cadillac Black Future campaign, Online Media Marketing & Advertising (OMMA) award winner for Best Content Marketing, not only highlights rising artist NFTs, but displays Black artistry through compelling visuals and captivating music while featuring the 2023 Escalade-V — the industry’s most powerful full-size SUV.
