12 Popular Brands That Have Launched Their Own NFTs
The hype around NFTs have attracted the interest of more and more big brands wanting to capture a lion’s share of the market. In this article, we explore some of the most popular brands that have dipped their toes into NFTs by launching their own NFT collections.
Table of Contents
Overview
The attention around NFTs has largely centered on how it helped creators make a living by promoting their art or projects online. But what about businesses? Can they also capitalize on the opportunities that NFTs bring? Can NFTs help brands to connect with customers and open up new marketing channels, outside from the usual social media ads or influencer sponsorships?
As it turns out, the answer is yes. So let’s look at some big brand names throwing their hats in the NFT space.
1) Adidas
Adidas Originals teamed up with some of the biggest names in the NFT community, such as Bored Ape Yacht Club, the team behind Punks Comic, and gmoney for its first NFT release. NFT owners are granted both physical and digital products from Adidas.
Buyers of the NFTs received virtual wearables for The Sandbox, a blockchain-based gaming universe, actual hoodies, tracksuits, and gmoney’s characteristic orange beanie. Adidas even bought their own NFT, the Indigo Herz, from the Bored Ape Yacht Club. At the time of writing, the collection is still one of the top 25 weekly NFT collections in terms of sales volume on OpenSea.
Check out the Adidas NFT collection.
2) Budweiser
Anheuser-Busch Budweiser, an InBev beer brand, has unveiled the Heritage Collection, its first NFT collection, which includes 1936 distinct digital designs of beer cans as NFTs. The collection sold out in just an hour.
The NFT is only available to those over the age of 21. The collection consisted of two sub-categories, Core Heritage and Gold Heritage, and each category has a different price depending on the rarity. 1900 Core Heritage NFTs were minted and cost $499 to buy. The remaining 36 NFTs were released under the Gold Heritage set for $999.
Check out the Budweiser NFT collection.
3) Coca-Cola
For its NFT debut, Coca-Cola’s team and its agency partners Virtue & Tafi created and hosted an NFT auction for a special edition Coca-cola NFT. Named ‘The Friendship Box’, it is concept is based its iconic vending machines and is modelled after video game loot boxes. The auction successfully fetched $575,000 and the proceeds benefited the Special Olympics International.
Check out the Coca-cola NFT collection.
4) Dolce & Gabbana
One of the biggest fashion houses, Dolce & Gabbana, recently released an NFT collection. They titled their debut collection “Collezione Genesi” (or Genesis Collection). Dolce & Gabbana collaborated with UNXD for its debut release.Â
The NFT pieces will be featured in the fashion house’s next Alta Gioielleria, Alta Moda, and Alta Sartoria events, taking place in Venice between August 28 and 30. The collection drew inspiration from Venice’s iconic city’s traditions and rich history.
Check out the Dolce & Gabbana NFT collection.
5) Lamborghini
Lamborghini, the luxury automobile company, also joined the NFT space in January 2022. In truly Lamborghini fashion. The collection screams exclusivity and luxury. It features 400 Lamborghini Aventadors recreated as spaceships.
Check out the Lamborghini NFT collection.
6) Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton stepped into the NFT space with style. LV partnered with the artist behind one of the most popular 1/1 NFTs, Beeple, to create its exclusive NFT game. The game, titled “Louis: The Game” did not only signify their foray into the NFT circle but also marked the 200th birthday of Louis Vuitton, the brand’s founder. There are 30 NFTs in the game, some of which Beeple made himself. Players can collect the NFTs, but they cannot resell them.
Check out the Louis Vuitton NFT collection.
7) McDonalds
McDonald released its first NFT collection to celebrate the return of the McRib to its menu in November 2021.Â
McDonald released a small number of NFTs to generate excitement about the product’s brief reappearance and limited availability.Â
There was also a sweepstake involved. Only those who retweeted the brand’s invitation were eligible to receive the collection of ten separate McRib NFTs. More than 21,000 individuals entered in only a few hours.
Check out the McDonalds NFT collection announcement.
8) NBA Top Shot
NBA Top Shot is an online marketplace for trading virtual basketball cards. It is a collaboration between Dapper Labs and the NBA. Fans can buy and sell “moments,” video clips, and GIFs of their favorite players from recent seasons.
These moments reside on the blockchain, which is effectively a digital record book maintained using encryption, making them one-of-a-kind, difficult to forge, and instantly authenticated.
Quavo, a rapper, recently partnered with the NBA to provide exclusive finals packs. Top Shot moments from some of Quavo’s favorite players, like Stephen Curry, Lebron James, Trae Young, and Kevin Durant, are included in his quest.
Check out the NBA Top Shot NFT collection.
9) Nike
The digital fashion brand RTFKT (pronounced “Artifact”) recently unveiled Nike CryptoKicks, a collection of customizable NFT sneakers. CryptoKicks is RTFKT’s first sneaker release since Nike bought it in December. The designs are based on the brand’s iconic Dunk silhouette.
The RTFKT Nike shoe is a standout feature of the collection. The Nike Dunk Genesis kicks can be customized with eight skins made by RTFKT. In the future, RTFKT intends to allow other designers and influencers to release CryptoKick skins of their own.
Check out the Nike NFT collection.
10) Pepsi
With the ‘Pepsi Mic Drop’ genesis NFT collection, Pepsi revealed the brand’s first-ever step into the evolving realm of NFTs.
Pepsi has declared that it plans to produce 1,893 unique computer-generated NFTs (to commemorate Pepsi’s founding year). Each NFT in the collection has a unique trait randomly generated by an algorithm making each NFT one of a kind.
Furthermore, the Pepsi Mic Drop NFTs will be inspired by renowned Pepsi tastes such as silver diet Pepsi, black Pepsi zero sugar, red Pepsi wild cherry, fan-favorite Crystal Pepsi, the classic blue Pepsi, and many more.
Check out the Pepsi NFT collection.
11) Puma
Not to be outdone by its competitors, Puma chose to collaborate with Micah Johnson, a former MLB participant, to release Aku (or Akutar as it is commonly known). The collection consisted of 15,000 3D NFT avatars created on the Ethereum blockchain.
The collection was released on the 22nd of April, 2022, and gave holders entry into the “Akuverse” (The Akutar Metaverse). In addition, holders will also enjoy other benefits, such as Akutar NFT airdrops, culture defining experiences, products and collaborations.
Check out the PUMA NFT Collection.
12) Taco Bell
Another brand that recently joined the NFT craze is Taco Bell. The fast-food company auctioned a series of 25 iconic NFT gif Taco dishes on Rarible (an NFT marketplace). The aim was to increase brand awareness and support a good cause. Buyers of the “Transformative Taco” NFT also received an electronic gift card worth $500 to spend as they wish. Although the auction kicked off with a starting bid of $1, prices quickly skyrocketed, with the highest NFT selling for $3,646. The proceeds were donated to the Live Más Scholarship, a program that supports young people’s education.
Check out the Taco Bell NFT collection.
Summary
It is apparent that many big brands have successfully capitalized on the NFT craze to bring in massive gains, attention, and conversations to their businesses. When executed well, you can be rewarded with a successful marketing campaign outside from traditional methods. If you are thinking of launching your own branded NFT campaign, it is best to consult experts in the space who have deep knowledge in the industry.