[jkubicek]

it's also just plain advertising. When the celebrities listed in these charges say that they're buying NFTs, a whole lot of people are going to see that and notice.

The number of people that buy an NFT because Soulja Boy bought one is probably pretty small. The number of people who buy NFTs because "everyone else is" is much much larger.

[pavlov]

Yes, in advertising terms these endorsements are not tactical but strategic. You want to create an ambience where people sense that everyone successful is now getting into crypto/NFTs. That kind of diffuse group pressure is much harder to consciously analyze than “do I want to buy this thing because Soulja Boy told me to?” — and thus much more effective over time.

Crypto seems to have been particularly powerful at preying on women and minorities who felt like they’re missing out with mainstream finance. This kind of highly focused influencer marketing within communities must have been a major contributor to its uptake.

[ipaddr]

Crypto is mainly a boys club. These celebrity endorsements came late to the party hoping to bring in a new group of people.