Why Did Solana Really Pull That Ad?

    Why Did Solana Really Pull That Ad?

    Arielle (Sobel) Penningtonx Joeri Billast
    13 supportersApr 1, 2025

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    Solana launched a bold ad, then deleted it. What happened behind the scenes? Joeri Billast seeks the inside story on a marketing decision that sparked debate throughout the crypto community—what happened, why, and what it reveals about marketing's role in blockchain adoption.

    Why This Matters

    In Web3, marketing isn’t just about selling - it’s about shaping culture. So when Solana stepped into political waters, then backtracked, it raised bigger questions: • Where’s the line between boldness and responsibility in Web3 marketing? • Who gets to decide what’s “too far” in decentralized spaces? • And how should projects respond when they get it wrong? This moment deserves more than hot takes. It deserves an honest, nuanced conversation - with the people behind the campaign. ...

    Nominated Speakers

    Arielle (Sobel) Pennington

    Head of Communications at Solana Foundation

    Relevance to Conversation

    As the communications lead at Solana Foundation during the controversial ad campaign, Arielle has firsthand knowledge of Solana's decision-making process, community response, and subsequent strategy adjustments.

    Joeri Billast

    Host of the Web3 CMO Stories podcast series

    Relevance to Conversation

    Joeri’s podcast has become a trusted platform for exploring the unique challenges of marketing in the blockchain space, making him perfectly positioned to unpack this controversy. Known for asking probing but fair questions that reveal the strategic thinking behind marketing decisions, while maintaining a balanced perspective that serves both the Web3 community and newcomers to the space.

    What People Are Saying

    Supporters

    TWITTER/XActions
    Chris K.-4/15/2025
    Anon G.-4/11/2025
    Ankit@0xankit4/10/2025
    Giorgia D.-4/9/2025
    Shiro H.

    I’m curious to learn more about the reasoning behind Solana’s decision.

    -4/8/2025
    Dave B.

    It's an important story not being covered by the media.

    -4/8/2025
    Sarah S.

    I’d love to hear the behind-the-scenes of this conversation because it’s a rare opportunity to dive into how Web3 marketing navigates sensitive topics like gender and politics. Understanding the decisions, strategies, and challenges behind the ad could provide invaluable insights into how brands manage controversial messaging. It’s not just about the ad itself—it’s about the conversation we need to be having around marketing boundaries and what’s at stake when we push the envelope. Definitely worth exploring!

    -4/7/2025
    Mark S.-4/7/2025
    Jeff K.-4/7/2025
    Brian L.

    I followed the discourse around Solana's ad and am intrigued to learn how the internal discussions were like. Also curious what lessons there may be for other blockchains/ecosystems in the future

    @b__lowey4/7/2025
    Ankit B.

    someone should get the actor in on this conversation 😂

    -4/7/2025
    Anonymous

    When they say blockchains aught to be credibly neutral, does that apply in a political sense as well?

    -4/4/2025
    Maddy B.

    Intrigued to understand Solana's strategy behind the ad - What was the purpose of it?

    -4/3/2025

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