GCrypto: House of Ohlala
In April 2023, GCash, the leading finance app in the Philippines, took a step further in its evolution beyond digital banking by entering the Web 3.0 sphere with the launch of the GCrypto NFT Hub. This platform gives users access to NFT collections by local artists, serving as the gateway for those interested in purchasing their own unique artworks. The announcement of the hub was met with great excitement, as the Philippines has emerged as a promising market for NFT adoption, ranking seventh globally, according to a 2022 study by Finder.
To ensure the initiative's success, GCash partnered with Likha, a local NFT marketplace, and Vinyl on Vinyl, a contemporary art gallery. The hub's flagship collection was the House of Ohlala, artist Reen Barrera's groundbreaking entry into the NFT space. His whimsical and colorful style effortlessly transitioned from traditional to digital, and was made exclusively available on the website.
This event was hosted by popular local celebrity couple Mikael Daez and Megan Young, who are avid art collectors and fans of Barrera. The main program included a panel discussion with Barrera, Gaby Dela Merced, co-owner of Vinyl on Vinyl, and Mark Nuñez, Head of Partnerships for GCrypto. Afterwards, guests seized the opportunity to purchase NFTs at the venue's minting booths and received personalized bag tags featuring various versions of the Ohlala character.
KOL and Media Strategy
In addition to overseeing the logistics and implementation of the launch, my role as a member of the PR team involved crafting a comprehensive KOL (Key Opinion Leader) and media strategy to amplify and sustain buzz among a broader market. Departing from the typical finance-focused personalities associated with GCash, we engaged influencers from the arts scene in the Philippines. Eleven paid KOLs attended the event, resulting in a reach of 194,417 and 10,840 engagements through their posts. Other guests were organic KOLs who expressed genuine interest in the campaign.
The Press
The House of Ohlala NFT launch garnered significant attention from various lifestyle and tech-focused media outlets, resulting in a total media value of P4,056,375 and a PR value of P12,169,125 from thirty-seven pickups. To expand the readership further, GCash also collaborated with Vogue Philippines and Nylon Manila for supplementary event coverage. The Vogue Philippines article achieved a combined social media reach of 1.46 million, with 65,800 total post engagements, while Nylon Manila's article reached a combined social media reach of 516,718.
