Mojito & Mercedes-Benz NXT: Driving World-Class Brands in Web3 Forward
Gottlieb Daimler, Carl Benz, Wilhelm Maybach—three names potentially unknown to the average individual—were instrumental in changing how human beings get from point A to B, especially in fine (and increasingly innovative) style.
Alongside German automobile entrepreneur Emil Jellinek-Mercedes, who is credited with commissioning the first modern automobile (the Mercedes 35 hp), this group of engineers’ collaborative work led to the creation of Mercedes-Benz, one of the most iconic and influential automotive brands in history.
The company’s early engineering feats include Carl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, widely regarded as the first internal combustion engine in a self-propelled automobile (goodbye horses), Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft's 1901 Mercedes, and Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach's addition of a petrol engine to a stagecoach. This era set the stage for a legacy of innovation that has never slowed down.
120 years after its first ignition sparked, the company that went from pioneering transportation to building “computers on wheels” is looking back—and forward—through the Mojito-powered ‘Era of Technology’ NFT collection, Mercedes-Benz NXT’s second foray into web3 as part of its evolving ecosystem of digital objects.
Paving the way to the blockchain
From the earliest cooling radiators to the first electric-powered engine, life-saving safety features, smart locks, and the integration of VR and AR into their tech stack, Mercedes-Benz has always explored the intersection of luxury automobiles and next-generation technology. Its journey onchain was inevitable. In 2022, Mercedes-Benz NXT put the pedal to the blockchain with the launch of NXT, an evolving ecosystem of digital objects focused on a retrospective and generative art collection and consumer loyalty.
Part one of the Mercedes-Benz NXT ecosystem was divided into three core collections:
- Maschine, a generative art collection created by Harm van den Dorpel and Fingerprints DAO.
- Eternities, an exclusive program for top customers who can mint a membership at IRL events via NFC technology.
- Icons, a seven-era retrospective collection of digital art.
For the first era of the collection, Mojito made it easy for Mercedes-Benz NXT to import the collection by Harm van den Dorpel and Fingerprints DAO and distribute these to their audience using a Dutch Auction-style sale. The mechanics of the sale and the checkout experience were all powered by Mojito, helping set the stage for the next stage of our partnership, ‘The Era of Technology,’ a 780-piece digital collectible collection spanning many of Mercedes-Benz’s most celebrated and influential models.
What happens NXT
Two years after the launch of Mercedes-Benz NXT, 'The Era of Technology,’ features six iconic Mercedes-Benz vehicles produced between 2000 and 2017. Chosen for their design and technological significance, the collection offers a portal into the company’s forward-looking mindset and the relationship between physical materials, technical features, striking patterns, and, of course, an emphasis on sleek movement.
Launching on May 21, the collection of 780 unique collectibles will be sold via a seven-day online mint window. Each collectible will be priced at 0.08 ETH, including collectors’ discounts, and permitting ETH and credit card payments. The drop also features on-demand wallet creation, powered by Mojito’s APIs and SDKs, which provide an invisible web3 infrastructure to Mercedes-Benz NXT by abstracting away crypto complexities to its audience.
Now to the drop. The collection includes 62 unique traits, featuring six featured Mercedes-Benz vehicles: the Maybach Landaulet, Mercedes-Benz S 560 Cabriolet, Mercedes-Benz CLS 500, Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6x6, Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series, and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé.
As a special perk to existing NXT community members, a 30% discount is offered to collectors of previous core collections (Maschine, Icons, and Eternities). Superdackel holders also gain a 15% discount, with discounts provided per token in users’ wallets.
With minting opening in under a week, our team at Mojito couldn’t be more excited to get Mercedes-Benz NXT’s latest collection of digital objects out into the world — and into the wallets of its NXT community.
As a project that combines the best in technology, design and consumer engagement, ‘The Era of Technology’ demonstrates just that: the future of what’s driving brands in web3 forward.
Chat with a member of the Mojito team to learn how we can bring innovative web3 experiences to life for your brand.
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How Mojito is Powering the Toledo Museum of Art’s Second NFT Drop
We caught up again with the museum's CEO to hear how they're leveraging Mojito's tech stack to engage new audiences.
This past spring, we had the honor of collaborating with the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) on the Sankofa Carnival: a digital art experience that showcased a three-part collection of digital works from artists Osinachi and Yusuf Lateef.
This Mojito-powered activation marked TMA’s triumphant first foray into NFTs, where the institution seamlessly adapted to web3 technology, engaging its audience in a narrative about how art can connect people across cultures.
Now, on the heels of the Sankofa Carnival success, we’ve partnered with TMA once again, this time to present House of Yatreda: an immersive, multi-sensory exhibition by Yatreda ያጥሬዳ, the digital artist collective based between Ethiopia, Kenya, and the United States.
House of Yatreda — which will also spotlight Ohio-based painter Jordan Buschur — will be open to the public at TMA through November 10. As another exhibition that features a limited-time open edition minted on-demand exclusively at TMA, House of Yatreda is a testament to the melding of physical and digital art, and traditional art institutions adopting cutting-edge initiatives powered by Mojito's invisible web3 technology.
To check in on how TMA is feeling about the burgeoning new paradigm they've entered into, we spoke with Sophie Ong, the Assistant Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Toledo Museum of Art, and Adam Levine, the President of Edward Drummond and Florence Scott Libbey and Director and CEO of Toledo Museum of Art.
How Web3 can Boost Luxury Fashion Sales
Three ways web3 help ease the mid-year woes of some of the world's largest luxury brands — LVMH, Prada, Gucci, and more.
From CNBC to Vogue Business to Reuters, the expert analysts have spoken: luxury sales are down.
Hugo Boss reported a second-quarter sales slump of 1% (a cool billion euros), with brick-and-mortar retail revenue down another 3%.
Kering, Gucci's parent company, reported a 50% drop in net profits, while sales have slumped 11% to €9 billion. Gucci, Kerring's star child, dropped 19% in Q2.
The LVMH side of the jewel-encrusted collar is also feeling the squeeze, with slower sales due to decreased Q2 spending among Chinese consumers.
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Who’s hungry for zero-party cookies?
Welcome to the future of personalized consumer data.
Camilla McFarland isn't just a crypto OG who's been making moves onchain since 2013; she's also an advisor and member of Mojito's founding team, who's long been at the forefront of brand innovation in web3.
What better person to wax onchain poetic on the future of brands in web3 at one of the industry's largest global gatherings: EthCC?
Following her talk last year on Big Brands & Web3: NFTs and the consumer brand revolution, Camilla took the stage this week in Brussels to drop some more alpha on brands making moves onchain in a new talk, Zero-Party Cookies: the future of personalized consumer data.
