In August 2021 Audi announced its planned entry into the Chinese NFT marketplace. The German auto maker backed Holoride, a startup focused on in-vehicle entertainment experiences powered by blockchain and non-fungible tokens. Shortly after Audi's announcement Holoride's RIDE token launched on the Maiar Launchpad and continues to gain momentum, now listed on Gate.io and coming to BitMart soon.
Months after Audi's nft announcement, the brand's relationship with China has been tested. Despite getting "the greenlight for its US$3.3b EV Factory in China" in February 2022, Audi was forced to suspend shipments by train to China due to Russia's war in Ukraine just two months later. Audi is now handling a public relations debacle triggered by an advertising copyright breach. People's Daily warned "The carmaker could suffer huge losses to its corporate image in China."
Have these developments changed Audi's nft trajectory? After reviewing the news and the market, no, Audi is not out of the nft race. Recent tweets and threads by Audi Official paint a picture of a fully engaged brand, with NFT drops ...
NFT drop powered by Audi: A constantly changing installation was created with the help of AI and @hello_ouchhh who transformed motion data and therefore moments of @OMRockstars into a digital work of art. We call it #TheArtOfProgress. pic.twitter.com/YdXl2R8W11
— Audi (@AudiOfficial) May 18, 2022
...and NFT Community banter such as this exchange with Muri NFT:
We are auctioning art by @hello_ouchhh - all proceeds for @unoflucht.
Thank you for picking up the message @MuriNFT 🙏 https://t.co/2PysH1SMEc— Audi (@AudiOfficial) May 20, 2022
Plus, there is a demand for Audi nfts beyond the Chinese market, such as this tweet highlighting the opportunity for Audi to take advantage of metaverse plays such as Night City through the use of marketplaces or sponsorships:
audi cars in night city? or maybe campaign sponsorship as brand advertisement? initial step to nft market
— Hunter_P 🟥 (@theredsonly) May 19, 2022
What do you think is on the horizon for Audi nfts?