Seeking to offer fans a fun and innovative way to celebrate being a Liverpool FC supporter, the club launched an NFT collection at the end of March which featured digital illustrations of 24 men’s team players each bringing their individual and superhero characteristics to life.
To try and ensure the NFTs were accessible to the entire fanbase, the club created two categories of digital collectibles: a set of 24 unique ‘Legendary’ NFTs and a series of generative ‘Hero Edition’ NFTs. Both the ‘Legendary’ and the ‘Hero’ editions of digital collectibles were available to buy between 30 March and 1 April. The ‘Legendary’ section was available through a live auction, while the ‘Hero’ edition included unique randomly generated NFTs generated during the sale which were priced at £56.
To dovetail with the club’s ‘The Red Way’ environmental and sustainability commitments, the three-day NFT sale was run and managed on an energy-efficient blockchain called Polygon and executed through a Sotheby’s auction hub.
Plus, in a move supporting the LFC Foundation, a portion of the proceeds from the ‘Legendary’ and ‘Hero’ editions will go to deliver life-changing charitable and community projects.
The LFC Foundation also created its own LFC Foundation Heroes NFTs to celebrate outstanding staff members, whose contributions to the club’s charity have made a significant difference in the community. Each Foundation hero had their own superpower – eg leadership, resilience and empathy – which they use continuously to help create life-changing opportunities for young people and families in underserved communities across Liverpool City Region.
Funds raised from this ‘LFC Heroes Club NFT Drop’ will go to support LFC Foundation’s education and employability programmes, its inclusion and special educational initiatives and disability support.
The project was promoted by a digital-first campaign spearheaded by a hero video called ‘Welcome To LFC Heroes Club’ which was posted on 24 March which was supported by a more explanatory video and a set of social content linked to the ‘Foundation Heroes’ strand.
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Find out more about Gemma's role in leading our youth & skills team and how the purchase of @LFC's NFT collection will support getting young people employed across Livery City Region pic.twitter.com/IfQw5QWnSG
— LFC Foundation (@LFCFoundation) March 28, 2022
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Find out more about Dave's journey and how the purchase of @LFC's NFT collection will support work in Liverpool City schools pic.twitter.com/nmXDX0gyll
— LFC Foundation (@LFCFoundation) March 27, 2022
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— LFC Foundation (@LFCFoundation) March 25, 2022
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— LFC Foundation (@LFCFoundation) March 25, 2022
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— LFC Foundation (@LFCFoundation) March 25, 2022
In a fairly unusual move, the promotion and PR around the NFT collection saw the club seek to make it clear that while its NFTs are digital collectible works of art, they should not primarily be considered investments.
Instead, the club also positioned this NFT release was a way for supporters to ‘join an innovative fan community with access to an LFC community forum, unique experiences, virtual hang-outs, competitions, LFC retail discounts and more, all while raising money for LFC Foundation and supporting good causes in Liverpool and beyond’.
“The LFC Heroes Club drop is a first-of-its-kind initiative, which seeks to bring a new, exciting and innovative way for supporters around the world to engage with the club. We always strive to adopt new emerging technology for the benefit of fans and club, while also being very conscious of our impact on the environment,” explained Liverpool FC SVP Of Digital Drew Crisp. “This is why we have chosen to work with Sotheby’s due to its capability to create NFTs on an energy-efficient blockchain. We wanted to create a really accessible collection of NFTs that are truly unique to LFC, and simply give fans an opportunity to explore this new and trending topic, and most importantly, give fans the choice to buy one should they wish. We know that not all fans will be ready to explore the world of NFTs. However, we have conducted some in-depth fan research before entering into this market. We found that almost a quarter of 18 to 34-year-olds would be likely or very likely to participate in official NFT offerings from the club. This is a great chance to offer fans something truly special and at the same time give back to our LFC Foundation in the local community and beyond.”
Sotheby’s EMEA Managing Director Sebastian Fahey added: “To collaborate with Liverpool Football Club, one of the most successful and storied football clubs in the world, for this first-of-its-kind NFT collection marks a turning point in how NFTs can be used to engage fan communities with tailored releases and unique concepts specially designed for their supporters. Together we have created a new digital art collection, which celebrates LFC heroes and leverages our web3 technology to enable the club’s passionate and global supporter group to be a part of this exciting initiative for the long term.”
Comment
Whether you feel that NFTs are largely a cynical short-term cash grab, or possible long-term value-based collectibles, this release does at least aim to engage and include different supporter segments and offer a chance for supporter/purchasers to contribute to club-linked good causes.
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