In a pioneering step that represents a historic first for sports sponsorships, the Polkadot community has secured its first collaboration with an athlete through its on-chain governance system.
This has seen IndyCar star Conor Daly be selected as the Polkadot Brand Ambassador for the flagship Indianapolis 500 event, a big break from run-of-the-mill, behind-the-curtain sponsorship arrangements. Now, Conor Daly—one of the stars of American professional racing and a huge fan favorite because of his outgoing, infectious personality off the track—finds himself in headlines again, this time as only the 29th driver in history to have completed the double of both NASCAR’s prestigious Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 in the same season.
This happened because hundreds of Passionate & Real DOT holders liked the idea – A LOT! pic.twitter.com/xepm1Yte1j
— The Kusamarian (@TheKusamarian) April 9, 2024
Conor Daly popularity exceeds the racecourse only; he has been to The Amazing Race season 30, and he participated in the 2024 NBA Celebrity All-Star Game. Receiving an overwhelming majority (95.8% approval) from the Polkadot community for their decision to back Daly is just proof of how much the community is truly interested and excited to start sponsoring these high-level athletes to generate more brand awareness of Polkadot and the decentralized applications that will shape the future of the internet. The Polkadot project represents the cutting edge of the Web3 movement; it is a functional and running platform designed to undergird the next generation of the web.
This is because a strong emphasis would be placed on decentralized governance, where every DOT token holder would be part of a decision-making process in the direction of the platform’s future.
Polkadot:
→ We like to go fast!@LearnPolkadot with the scoop! pic.twitter.com/4Cbc6PCpZg— The Kusamarian (@TheKusamarian) April 9, 2024
The partnership between Daly and Polkadot moves up through Indianapolis 500, with a year-long collaboration that features the participation of fans in the interactive community events and digital initiatives aimed at engaging fans with the innovative world of Polkadot. On the other hand, Conor Daly was quoted saying, “An incredible honor to be chosen not by a corporate team but by thousands in the Polkadot community.
“It really underscores the shift to empowering the individual and democratizing the web,” said Daly. “And the chance not to represent a brand but to represent a community of developers, investors, and regular people building the future of the web is just exhilarating and a deep honor.” The pioneering venture in sponsorship does more than just rattle the cage of the traditional sponsorship model; it shows how blockchain technology holds the promise of transparent, community-led decision-making processes.
Chris Wade, a key Polkadot community member around this proposal, says: “This partnership underlines how blockchain technologies can democratize access to otherwise elite processes and are heralding a new era of transparent, inclusive community and fan engagement within sports marketing agreements.”
Iconic.
Amazing accomplishment by the @Polkadot Community and a huge thank you to every person involved.
Can’t wait for 26th of May. #Indy500 @ConorDaly22, I want to give you this artwork as a 1/1 NFT gift. I Dm’ed! https://t.co/pMIkqDhywS pic.twitter.com/5WH4oXzO5o
— PABLO (@mrkusama) April 10, 2024
