Haider Rafique, Chief Marketing Officer, OKXDubai-registered cryptocurrency exchange OKX launched its business in the UAE in October 2024, with a launch at the Museum of the Future, making waves with its entry into the region.
The brand has invested heavily in brand, marketing and advertising, including sponsorships and brand partnerships with the McLaren Formula 1 team and Manchester City F.C.
As a primary partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team, OKX branding was carried on the McLaren MCL36 and McLaren MCL38 F1 cars, on the helmets of McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and on the McLaren F1 team kit and McLaren shadow team kit. The recently launched 2025 McLaren livery, the MCL39 F1 car, driver helmets and kits also displays the OKX brand.
Oscar’s lid game’s levelled up for 2025 🔥#NeverStopRacing pic.twitter.com/Db3axsSWPC
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) February 22, 2025
“It’s truly unique when you’re able to be part of the underdog story, the comeback. We took a long-term approach with McLaren, and it shows how investing in long-term vision creates sustainable success.”
Campaign Middle East spoke to Haider Rafique, the Chief Marketing Officer at OKX, about the brand’s significant moves within the advertising and sports marketing realm, and its plans for the future.
Kickstarting the conversation, Rafique said, “First of all, what a way for McLaren to end 2024, taking home the Constructors’ Championship for the first time since 1998. The fact that it took place in the UAE – perhaps the most forward-thinking and visionary nation leading the crypto-surgence – makes it even more impactful.”
He added, “It’s no secret that F1 racing is a massive draw in the UAE. Our approach, however, wasn’t simply to go to the best and rest our laurels. We bet on teams when others weren’t willing to bet on them, because we saw something in them that others did not. It’s truly unique when you’re able to be part of the underdog story, the comeback. We took a long-term approach with McLaren, and it shows how investing in long-term vision creates sustainable success. We choose to align with organisations like McLaren, with a heritage that appeals to older generations, while their focus on innovation helps bring in new ones.”
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Meanwhile, OKX’s partnership with Manchester City, its first venture into the world of sport and entertainment, spanned both the men’s and women’s teams, in addition to the club’s esports operations.
The brands also collaborated on a number of exclusive experiences for OKX’s global customer base, which saw Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola at one of its events in Dubai, in addition to OKX’s in-stadium presence across the Etihad Stadium and Academy Stadium.
The brand has also leveraged out-of-home (OOH) advertising, experiential events in iconic venues across the UAE, and has run integrated campaigns over the past few months.
How OKX is building a long-term brand and marketing a crypto currency exchange
A large part of building a long-term sustainable brand, and marketing OKX as a crypto currency exchange has gone beyond the flamboyance of partnering with big brands to the core of trust, transparency, awareness and education.
Rafique explained, “That’s how we approach all of our campaigns, building them on a foundation of trust and understanding. Over the last few years, we’ve tailored our approach: ‘A New Alternative’, based on a specific imperative: to educate people to trade responsibly, which is part of our commitment to people in the crypto space. This helps to foster an environment that allows people to experience the industry over the long-term, build positive interactions and, in turn, bring the value back to it.”
He added, “Crypto markets can be volatile, and when you’re coming in as a new customer it can be overwhelming to some. Which is why we provide many tools for people to ease into the industry – for example, you can use demo trading at the outset; you can use signal and bot trading to derisk your independent moves; in addition to the myriad controls we use to derisk positions and protect against potential losses.”
The brand’s partnerships with trusted global banks such as Standard Chartered have boosted this effort.
“It all comes back to the trust element. When people see OKX partnering with household names, such as Standard Chartered, it helps to instill a level of confidence and trust in both the company and the broader industry. And this is especially relevant to the institutional sector, where we can offer a broader range of secure and reliable custody solutions,” Rafique said.
This collaboration is expected to attract increased institutional participation in the digital asset market, contributing to a more mature environment for institutions globally. It also aligns with the findings of a recently published research brief authored by Economist Impact titled “Digital assets as the new alternative for institutional investors: market dynamics, opportunities and challenges,” which highlights institutional investors’ view that digital assets are an inevitable institutional opportunity.
The report also finds that 80 per cent of traditional and crypto hedge funds utilising digital assets employ third-party custodians, highlighting strong demand for segregation of duties related to trade execution and asset custody.
Meaningful messaging in marketing and ‘meaningful innovation in the on-chain world’
OKX has incorporated these tenets of trust and transparency, security and reliability into its marketing communications, as well. This focus has led to its brand differentiation and brand recall in a competitive market.
Rafique added, “At OKX, we’ve always prioritised compliance, security and transparency – pillars that build trust. With our steady leadership amidst uncertainty, we’re attracting partners across industries to jointly realize Web3’s potential. Our recent announcement focuses on this, a partnership with Hacken to audit our annual Proof of Reserves, providing industry-leading verification, leadership and innovation and a future-focused approach.”
“This also forms the basis upon which all of our external campaigns are based. I like to think our approach is unique, tailored around one principle: find your own path and don’t imitate; distinguish yourself. Ask yourself, how do you elevate an existing approach in the marketing space? That’s the core tenet behind our strategy and is the driving force, for example, behind our latest campaign, Mild Mild West.”
“Why advertise, when you can make a film? That was my approach to this campaign,” Rafique said.
The film challenges the oversimplified notion that crypto is the “wild west.” Instead, its presents a vision where the future of finance is built on verifiable trust and personal empowerment. Through the western genre, the campaign explores how true freedom isn’t about the absence of structure, but about having the right tools and knowledge to maintain control over one’s own assets and future.
“This mirrors our broader mission at OKX of driving meaningful innovation in the on-chain world. We’re showing how technology should empower, not control. In the same way our reimagined wallet makes onchain experiences across more than 100 chains intuitive while enhancing individual control, the film portrays characters discovering that true freedom in the digital age comes through understanding and utilising the right tools. It’s about making conscious choices about how we interact with technology, rather than being passive participants,” Rafique added.
In its attempt to build impactful and meaningful communities, the brand has leaned on different marketing channels to educate its users on how to interact with the crypto and Web3 ecosystem in a safe environment.
“Whether through events, social media, or using our brand partners [McLaren and Man City, for example], the approach is always to build a story and propose OKX as a new alternative for crypto trading in the region and beyond,” Rafique concluded.
