In less than a year, the acronym NFT has gone from WTF to BFF for brands. Non-fungible tokens are digital assets like bitcoin, only they’re unique and irreplaceable, like owning an original work of art online. They utilize the same authentification technology as cryptocurrency and, similar to the digital dough, are still nebulous in their uses. While some NFTs hold monetary value, others link owners to communities or can even be worn digitally.

Still confused? Read our guide to NFTs here.

Brands including Taco Bell, Crockpot, Campbell's and Twitter have leaped into the ever-popularizing market, with more joining them by the day. Below is a continually-updated list of new NFTs and how brands are adopting them in their marketing.

Dec. 28, 2021

9:17 AM ET

Crypto.com airdrops Mars-themed NFTs hidden in previous ad

Presenting "Marscapes", our new NFT collection made for the lucky few who found the hidden QR code in our brand film, Fortune Favours the Brave.

Airdropping over the next 72 hours.

Get the full story behind the collection :point_down:https://t.co/frpzYKgFhW pic.twitter.com/9CAdPDi0oG

— Crypto.com (@cryptocom) December 28, 2021

In its global ad campaign starring Matt Damon, Crypto.com featured a hidden QR code, which brought those who scanned it to a webpage allowing them to register for an NFT. Now the company is airdropping the collectibles to those observant enough to have found it. Tens of thousands of fans today will receive a Mars-themed NFT, each depicting a real location on the planet, such as Gale Crater and Valles Marineris, with atmospheric music accompanying the digital artwork. 

“It is a mission with so many parallels to the one of the crypto community: pushing the limits of what we can achieve as a society,” said Steven Kalifowitz, Chief Marketing Officer of Crypto.com.

— Asa Hiken

Dec. 22, 2021

12 PM ET

Crypto trade sparks CPG product launch

A Florida entrepreneur has found a way to tap into NFTs to market a product that doesn’t exist yet. Tyler Phillips, who has plans to introduce a chickpea-based muffin snack called Hummii to grocery stores, made a deal with a graphic designer who exchanged work on an investor presentation for an NFT he created. The deal, worth about $1,200, is small potatoes in the crypto trading world. But for Phillips and designer Adrian Curiel, it represents a fair exchange that demonstrates a promising path to brand launches and loyalty.

— Jon Springer

Dec. 21, 2021

12 PM ET

Under Armour drops sneaker NFT in honor of Steph Curry’s 3-point record

Under Armour is releasing an NFT to commemorate a milestone from one of its biggest stars. The token is a replica of the Curry Flow 9 model that Steph Curry wore when he broke the NBA three-point shooting record on Dec. 14. The collection features 2,974 copies—one for each of his three-pointers leading up to the record. Buyers will also be able to dress their virtual avatars with the footwear in metaverse platforms Decentraland, Gala Games and The Sandbox. The NFTs are $333 a piece, with proceeds going to charities that improve youth access to sport.

— Asa Hiken
 

Marilyn Monroe and tokidoki launch 25,000 NFTs

Marilyn Monroe is getting a digital makeover. Authentic Brands Group, the brand development, marketing, and entertainment company whose portfolio includes Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Muhammad Ali, has partnered with NFT platforms Binance and NFkings to create a collection of Marilyn Monroe NFTs. The first collection will be in collaboration with tokidoki, a Japanese-style lifestyle brand, which reimagines Monroe in the brand’s style. The collection of 25,000 NFTs will launch on Dec. 21 on Binance. Buyers can purchase up to 100 boxes, and each costs $20.

— Erika Wheless

Dec. 20, 2021

4:50 PM ET

How do you wrap an NFT for Christmas?

Acento is looking to alter the very nature of agency holiday gifts. So forget the jam-and-crackers gift bags and bottles of champagne, because the Los Angeles-based creative shop had decided to give its employees personalized non-fungible tokens for Christmas. Spearheaded by agency executive Vicent Llopis and creative director “El Tigre” Sanchez, the individual NFTs are based off of the employees’ own headshots, with each token also being accompanied by a digital frame to electronically display their portrait.

— Ethan Jakob Craft

11:08 AM ET

Don’t cry, BoohooMan will give you an NFT for free

VIRTUAL DRIP 💧 NFT drop #2 is here 🚀

Want to get your hands on one of our first ever boohooMAN NFTs? We're giving away our ENTIRE COLLECTION. 🤯

Hit the link to enter ➡️ https://t.co/2dfOCJyqg1#boohooMANNFT pic.twitter.com/uYINhxhsBN

— boohooMAN (@boohooMAN) December 17, 2021

BoohooMan is the latest apparel brand to drop an NFT collection. “The Future Edit” will feature futuristic tops and pants in a mix of eight images and videos, which will be given for free. Users can enter to win one of the NFTs on the boohooMan website. The NFTs will be given away via OpenSea. The competition closes at midnight on Jan. 16 and the winners will be announced the following week. 

— Erika Wheless

11:06 AM ET

UNO turns to VeeFriends NFTs for new card deck

Mattel’s UNO card game looks a little different thanks to Gary Vaynerchuck’s VeeFriends characters. The new deck offers UNO fans and NFT collectors the opportunity to own a VeeFriends collectible in the form of a physical UNO deck. Each deck will include a special non-playable, collectible foil card. There are 17 VeeFriends characters. The VeeFriends x UNO deck will be available for $25 pre-sale at MattelCreations.com starting Dec. 17 at 12 pm ET.  

— Erika Wheless

11:04 AM ET

Melania Trump turns herself into an NFT

Melania Trump Launches NFT Platform—With a Painting of Herself https://t.co/KF04L4Czb8

— ARTnews (@artnews) December 17, 2021

Former First Lady Melania Trump is selling an NFT of a watercolor painting of her eyes, the first in a series of NFTs she plans to release in early 2022. The NFT, painted by Marc-Antoine Coulon, will be for sale from Dec. 16 to Dec. 31 on the Solana blockchain. The NFT will cost one Sol, or about $171. Part of the auction proceeds are meant to help kids aging out of the foster care system. Trump didn’t specify which charity, or indicate how much of the money will be donated.

— Erika Wheless

10:36 AM ET

'Masters of Horror' raises hell in the metaverse

Legends of horror media are slashing into the metaverse with a new generative NFT collection from entertainment-focused virtual goods brand Boss Protocol. The “Masters of Horror” series debuted last week with a Pinhead collection based on the iconic leather-clad and nail-headed “Hellraiser” franchise. Each Pinhead NFT, valued at .0666 ETH (around $250) grants the owner access to a limited run of exclusive physical prints featuring the Cenobite by Hollywood concept artist Miles Teves.

In addition to physical artwork, ownership of a Pinhead NFT awards access to future drops in the “Masters of Horror” series, exclusive memorabilia and collectables, fan events and screenings, as well as customizable add-ons to the series’ NFTs, like original line readings from Pinhead actor Doug Bradley. More characters will follow the pain-as-pleasure disciple, chosen by fans according to the campaign’s website. The “Masters of Horror” collection is the latest virtual horror project after the “Leatherfaces” NFT campaign announced in October (and the third entry on this blog).

— Parker Herren

Dec. 16, 2021

4:40 PM ET

Kelley Blue Book NFT puts the evolution of cars on display

Kelley Blue Book is launching its first NFT to celebrate its 95th anniversary and annual Best Buy Awards, a list of each year’s best new car models in the U.S.

The work, by artist Bloo Woods, is an animated timeline of the evolution of cars, from the horse-drawn carriage to 2022’s Best Buy winner the Ford Maverick. The vehicles appear to be housed within a glass display case that spins before the viewer, showcasing a new vehicle with every rotation.

“Model NFT by KBB.com” is available for bid through Dec. 21 and all proceeds from the single NFT going to American Rivers, a sustainability charity for the preservation of rivers and bodies of water across the country.

— Parker Herren 

2:00 PM ET

Adidas enters the metaverse with NFT collection

The sportswear company will be dropping its first NFT collection as part of a four-way partnership, which includes NFT leader Bored Ape Yacht Club, NFT influencer and collector Gmoney, and Pixel Vault, an intellectual property group focused on crypto assets. The collection will drop Dec. 17 on adidas.com/metaverse and will cost 0.2 ETH (about $800). The company declined to say how many NFTs would be released.

— Erika Wheless

2:00 PM ET

White Castle Celebrates 100th Birthday with 5,001 NFTs

White Castle is going digital for its 100th birthday. The fast-food chain has partnered with Doodle Lab Corp., an NFT platform, as well as artist Che-Yu Wu to make 5,001 NFTs. They will be auctioned at noon Dec. 17 on Doodle Labs. A portion of the auction proceeds will go to White Castle front-line team members through a Team Member Relief Fund and a scholarship fund. White Castle’s agency, Brandgenuity, is managing the rollout.

— Erika Wheless

Dec. 14, 2021

3:00 PM ET

Former NBA player drops Black Santa NFT

Christmas is coming early in the world of NFTs. On Dec. 17, Baron Davis will release 2,852 NFTs centered around The Black Santa Company, a character-based company founded by the former NBA All-Star.

The collection will be up for auction on Crypto.com/nft. A portion of the auction proceeds will be donated to the Los Angeles Urban League, which promotes economic empowerment for African Americans and others in underserved communities.

Davis launched The Black Santa company to celebrate "diversity in storytelling through engaging content and high quality products."

— Erika Wheless

See all of Ad Age's 2021 Marketers of the Year here.

Dec. 13, 2021

10:11 AM ET

Real NFL players, virtual collectibles

Move over fantasy football, for a new way to interact with your favorite football players is coming to the virtual world. The NFL Players’ Association and DraftKings recently struck a deal to allow the online betting powerhouse to begin using real-world athletes’ likenesses—including their legal names and images—to create “gamified NFT collections." While the non-fungible tokens won’t launch until the 2022-23 NFL season, it’s expected that users will be able to pit their players against each other within games on the DraftKings Marketplace platform.  Addition details of the drop including limited editions and tiers, which will be powered by Polygon, have yet to be announced.

— Ethan Jakob Craft

Dec. 9, 2021

2:45 PM ET

Marriott journeys into NFTs

Marriott Bonvoy recently created its own NFTs as part of its “Power of Travel” campaign, unveiling them last week at Art Basel. The three non-fungible tokens are the result of a partnership with digital artists TXREK, JVY and Erick Nicolay. Three consumers were able to win each of the NFTs and 200,000 reward points for Marriott Bonvoy. The hotelier has more innovations underway. A press release touted the brand engagement impact of NFTs and other digital properties.

“Marriott Bonvoy aims to continue building a presence within the metaverse and engage with consumers in an impactful and inventive way,” the release read.

— Adrianne Pasquarelli
 

11:40 AM ET

Pepsi releases NFTs for free

In a nod to the year it was first made, Pepsi has created 1,893 "Mic Drop" NTFs with the help of VaynerNFT. The digital microphones, which pay homage to Pepsi's history in music, are inspired by flavors of the beverage, including classic blue Pepsi, silver Diet Pepsi, red Pepsi Wild Cherry, black Pepsi Zero Sugar and Crystal Pepsi. 

But the NFTs won’t be for sale. In order to avoid a handful of buyers snapping up the digital mics, Pepsi is having would-be owners register on a waitlist, and will distribute the NFTs on Dec. 14. Users will still have to pay blockchain gas fees for minting the NFT.

— Erika Wheless

10:00 AM ET

Bicycle rolls out NFTs

Bicycle, the playing card maker, is launching its first NFT collection. In playing card fashion, the brand will drop NFTs grouped by suit every three days from Dec. 9 to Dec. 23, with the Joker being dropped randomly. The NFTs were created by artist Adrian Valenzuela, and will be available for bidding on the platform Kolectiv. The minimum bid for each NFT will be 1 ETH, or about $4,000. Bicycle is looking to target a younger generation that is familiar with the brand as it segues into the metaverse era, according to the brand.

— Erika Wheless

Dec. 3, 2021

3:05 PM ET

Robert Mondavi turns NFTs into wine

Robert Mondavi Winery is experimenting with non-fungible tokens as a way to authenticate the wine from its vineyards for collectors worried about counterfeit vintages. 

This week, Robert Mondavi worked with VaynerX, a division of VaynerMedia run by NFT-enthusiast Gary Vaynerchuk, to launch a limited series of artistically designed wine bottles that are linked to tokens in the digital world to track their provenance. The winemaker said that NFTs could help fix the illicit wine forgery market.

NFTs are minted on the blockchain, which validates the virtual asset and can’t be altered without being recorded in the digital ledger. On Dec. 15, wine collectors will be able to purchase the NFTs online and then will receive a physical magnum bottle of wine that corresponds with the NFT. The NFT acts as a certificate of ownership.

The wine bottles are also works of art designed by the porcelain maker Bernadaud. There will be 1,966 NFTs and bottles in the series. The project debuted at Art Basel, the art festival in Miami, which is full of NFT projects that blend brands, artists and crypto-technology. Art Basel opened on Thursday and runs through Saturday.

— Garett Sloane
 

Dec. 2, 2021

5:06 PM ET

Kinetic Sand x Dan Lam NFT

Kinetic Sand, the squeezable sand toy, partnered with artist Dan Lam for three NFTs. Proceeds from the auction will be given to select Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help expand their arts programs.

The NFT collab follows the interactive installation, Sensory Play: Please Do Touch The Art, which was hosted by Kinetic Sand and Lam. Over the course of two days, two floors of the gallery at the Waterfall Mansion & Gallery in New York showcased Kinetic Sand installations created by Lam. Guests were encouraged to touch the art.

— Erika Wheless
 

Dec. 1, 2021

4:30 PM ET

K-Swiss to release anniversary sneaker and NFT

To celebrate its 55th anniversary, K-Swiss is entering the metaverse. Partnering with NFT agency Walt Grace Digital, the athletic shoe brand will host an in-person launch event Dec. 4, during Miami’s Art Week.

The “Instant Classic” NFT is a digital rendition of K-Swiss’s limited-edition Classic ‘66 sneaker, the highlight of the brand’s physical anniversary collection. The NFTs, initially priced at $350 on the Ethereum blockchain, will serve as proof of purchase for one of 55 pairs of the shoe, an example of the brand trend to merge digital and physical product.

An exclusive, invite-only presale went live Dec. 1, during which five shoes were sold. “Instant Classic” may be K-Swiss’s NFT debut, but the brand plans to follow the initial release with a broader range of usable and salable virtual products.

— Parker Herren
 

Nov. 29, 2021

5:02 PM ET

See ‘Spider-Man,’ get an NFT

AMC is expanding from the silver screen to the digital screen, wading into the world of NFTs in collaboration with Sony Pictures ahead of next month’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” theatrical release. The massive cinema chain will offer around 86,000 non-fungible tokens as freebies to select VIP members, including those who belong to its Stubs Premiere and A-List programs, who pre-order tickets for the latest installment in the Spider-Man franchise. Tickets for the Dec. 16 premiere officially go on sale today. Movie releases new and old alike are shaping up to be a major corporate contender in the NFT space this year, with other studios and filmmakers tapping into titles including “Space Jam,” “Pulp Fiction” and the upcoming “The Matrix Resurrections” as base material for the digital artworks.

— Ethan Jakob Craft

5:02 PM ET

Budweiser’s first-ever NFTs sell out in minutes

Budweiser has become the first Anheuser-Busch InBev brand to enter the non-fungible token business with its new “Heritage Collection,” comprised of 1,936 one-of-a-kind digital beer cans that were retailing for hundreds of dollars each. With two different types of blockchain-based tokens—1,900 “Core Heritage Cans,” priced at $499 each, and a much more limited run of 36 “Gold Heritage Cans,” going for $999 each—the digital collectibles sold out less than an hour after their release, netting Budweiser somewhere in the neighborhood of $984,000.

“The Budweiser ‘Heritage Collection’ is designed to celebrate the brand’s iconic history while also moving Budweiser into the metaverse,” said Spencer Gordon, Anheuser-Busch’s VP of digital and DraftLine, the brewer’s in-house creative agency. “The launch of this NFT collection is yet another example of our innovative and consumer-first approach to further strengthen our iconic brands.”

— Ethan Jakob Craft
 

Nov. 24, 2021

1:30 PM ET

Virtual real estate fetches record $2.4 million deal in Decentraland’s fashion district

A plot of virtual real estate on Decentraland’s Fashion Street just sold for a record $2.4 million. Tokens.com, a publicly traded company based in Toronto, was the buyer of what it described as a 116 parcel of land in “the heart” of Fashion Street, at prices that don’t quite rival Rodeo Drive but are still hefty for an entirely online estate.

“The estate will be developed to facilitate fashion shows and commerce within the exploding digital fashion industry,” Tokens.com said in its announcement. Decentraland is considered the first virtual world “owned by its users,” and it is funded by Ethereum. The participants in the marketplace buy land in the form of non-fungible tokens.

Players in Decentraland use a cryptocurrency called MANA, which is based on Ethereum. Tokens.com’s purchase was a record real estate transaction for the virtual world, at 618,000 MANA, which converts to $2.4 million. The previous record was set in June when a buyer bought 259 parcels of land for 1.3 million MANA, which amounted to about $900,000 at the time based on exchange rates, according to Reuters.

Tokens.com said that its purchase translates to 6,090 square feet of space in Decentraland, which comes close to $400 a square foot. LVMH just bought a prime store location on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, in the real world, for $110 million at $19,400 a square foot.

— Garett Sloane 
 

Nov. 23, 2021

3:00 PM ET

NFT Chess Pieces

On Friday, Nov. 26, Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen will play Ian Nepomniachtchi in Dubai for the World Chess Championship. To mark the occasion, the International Chess Federation is dropping a collection of NFTs on ChessNFT.com, which was built on the Everscale blockchain network.

There will be 9,000 NFTs for sale, each costing $100. NFTs will be randomly allocated to collectors’ accounts as soon as they are minted and purchased. Collectors could end up with one of the 8,400 Common, 480 Rare, or 120 Unique collector pieces. Collectors can buy up to six NFTs. Those who are lucky enough to get six different NFTs of both white and black color will qualify for an exclusive NFT drop featuring moments from championship matches. In October, Carlsen was presented with the world’s first NFT chess trophy, rather than the traditional laurel wreath, for winning the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour.

— Erika Wheless

Nov. 19, 2021

4:00 PM ET

Adidas kicks into the metaverse with new token

The sneaker-maker Adidas is now issuing POAP tokens, which is a type of NFT that stands for Proof of Attendance Protocol. Adidas started minting the POAP tokens this week, and they are available through poap.gallery. The point of a POAP is to show that a fan attended an event, in real life or virtually. In this case, Adidas wants its most hardcore fans to claim the digital coin to show they were at the virtual moment when the company stepped into its future in the metaverse.

“For those of you in search of new playgrounds where possibilities are limitless, we invite you to join us as we voyage into the Metaverse,” Adidas said in its POAP gallery description.

POAP tokens are inexpensive to mint and easy to distribute compared to other types of NFTs, and typically handed out for free. It’s unclear what value Adidas’ digital coin transfers to holders, but the token is related to the brand’s Confirmed app, where it drops limited product lines and popular collaborations.

“This digital collectible is our way of rewarding you for following your curiosity as we explore this new age of originality together,” Adidas said. “This token proves you were here from the beginning of this journey. Keep it safe—it may come in handy.”

— Garett Sloane 
 

Nov. 18, 2021

1:00 PM ET

The NFL turns tickets into NFTs

NFL fans can now receive complementary virtual commemorative tickets as an NFT. The limited-edition NFTs, done in collaboration with Ticketmaster, will be for those who attend select games from Thanksgiving through the end of the 2021 season. Customers must purchase tickets for select games through the NFL Ticketing Network to be eligible for an NFT ticket. They can access the NFT through a postgame email with a link to a dedicated NFL NFT marketplace, where fans can trade or sell them. A list of eligible games can be found here.

— Erika Wheless

Nov. 16, 2021

6:41 PM ET

​​Gary Vaynerchuk mints NFTs and prints books

The publishing world has been trying to figure out how to work NFTs into the business model, and it makes sense that Gary Vaynerchuk cracked it with his latest book that comes with a non-fungible token. Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia and creator of the NFT project Vee Friends, has been promoting his new book “Twelve and a Half: Leveraging the Emotional Ingredients Necessary for Business Success” by offering a new NFT to those who buy a dozen copies.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Vaynerchuk generated more than a million pre-orders of the book, partly thanks to tying purchases to NFTs. The book is set to be released on Nov. 30. Those who bought at least a dozen copies, about $240 worth of books, will also receive an NFT called “Veefriends: Book Games.” Vaynerchuk, the motivational marketer, has been on an NFT high all year, bullish about the prospects of the crypto-technology. In May, he launched his first foray in NFT markets with Vee Friends, through which he raised more than $20 million from 10,255 NFTs. Vee Friends are digital doodles from Vaynerchuk, and they bestow fandom privileges upon the owners, who participate in Vaynerchuk’s community. “The one thing many don’t understand with NFTs is,” Vaynerchuk said on Twitter on Tuesday, “I can, and so can anyone controlling a project, continue to add value to a holder for the … ‘book games’ NFTs. I’m going to run games like forever.”

— Garett Sloane 

10:45 AM ET

Simone Biles looks for a perfect NFT score

Simone Biles is about to dismount from the balance beam and drop into the NFT market again on Tuesday. The famed gymnast is the latest G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time athletes) to do an NFT project with Autograph, which has worked with NFL quarterback Tom Brady, NHL great Wayne Gretzky, and golfing legend Tiger Woods. Brady is a co-founder of Autograph, which is trying to create a digital sports collectibles marketplace through non-fungible tokens.

Biles already worked with Autograph on an NFT project over the summer, and she is set to start dropping newly minted NFTs on Tuesday. Collectors who bought into Biles’ first NFT drop have first dibs to buy the new series. The new NFTs include 8-bit animations of Biles’ most recognizable Olympic moves. The general public, those not holding NFTs from Biles’ earlier drop, will be able to line up for the new NFTs on Autograph’s marketplace starting on Thursday. Biles created 16,600 digital collectibles for this project, which is based on “mystery” boxes. The owners buy the virtual boxes, which unlock next week, revealing the “rarity” of that particular NFT. Autograph creates different tiers of NFTs, with limited numbers of mintings of the most valuable ones.

— Garett Sloane

10:45 AM ET

Post Malone promotes MoonPay and Bored Ape NFTs in new video

Rapper Post Malone is a member of the Bored Ape Yacht Club after purchasing one of the quirky NFTs in a new music video. The video for “One Right Now,” which also featured The Weeknd, opens with Post Malone checking out a Bored Ape NFT, before buying it through MoonPay, the crypto-payment app. MoonPay’s marketing team issued a blog post explaining why the company collaborates with mainstream artists like Post Malone.

“We can understand why our seemingly unlikely cameo would raise a few eyebrows,” MoonPay’s blog said, “not because Post Malone decided to go with us (the artist is shown purchasing a Bored Ape NFT with MoonPay, which he did for real before acquiring another via our VIP concierge service), but because we decided to go with Post Malone.” Bored Ape has become one of the more compelling NFT projects out there, commanding millions of dollars on NFT markets. Owners of the NFTs become members of the Bored Ape club, which is trying to build an exclusive online community.

— Garett Sloane

Nov. 15, 2021

11:45 AM ET

Baby Shark is diving into the world of NFTs

SmartStudy, the South Korean company behind brand Pinkfong and viral children’s song-turned-cultural phenomenon “Baby Shark,” has announced its first foray into the NFT marketplace. It is partnering with non-fungible token hub MakersPlace to launch the “Baby Shark: Collection No. 1” digital art series next month.

Available for purchase Dec. 2, the collectibles will consist of “original, loopable animations, all accompanied by audio that references the genre-defining song,” Pinkfong said in a press release. The drop, a preview of which is available now, will consist of both limited edition and one-of-a-kind NFTs. “As a sensation born on the internet, it is a natural progression for Baby Shark to embrace NFTs, which will be a significant step of the next chapter of Baby Shark's stamp on the digital landscape,” said Bin Jeong, CEO of Pinkfong USA.

— Ethan Jakob Craft

Nov. 15, 2021

11:10 AM ET

New NFT drop to mark 25th anniversary of ‘Space Jam’

A quarter-century after Bugs Bunny and the Tune Squad defeated the Monstars on the basketball court, WarnerMedia Global Brands and Experiences is launching a new “Space Jam” non-fungible token collection featuring the film's animated stars. Starting today, as part of a wider 25th anniversary celebration, the “Starting 5” collection will offer fans a slate of Tune Squad and Goon Squad NFTs. Collectors who hold five or more on Jan. 14, 2022, will be eligible to receive a limited edition Monstars NFT. The drop is backed by social NFT platform Nifty’s, with which WarnerMedia has previously collaborated, including on a recent “Matrix”-inspired token release that the media company debuted earlier this month.

— Ethan Jakob Craft

9:33 AM ET

Quiznos looks to the stars for its first NFT launch

Quiznos is auctioning off a series of “Out of this World” NFTs that feature astronauts. The 24-hour auction, hosted on Crypto.com, began at 9 am ET on Nov. 15. Proceeds from the one-day sale of each token will go toward the World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit founded by Chef José Andrés. Quiznos had Sameer Baloch, a 3D digital artist from Oman, to create the NFTs. Quiznos worked with The NFT Agency on the launch.

This isn’t Quiznos' first time taking part in the crypto economy. A few months ago, the brand launched a pilot program that allows customers to pay with Bitcoin at select Quiznos locations across the Denver metropolitan area, including Denver International Airport.

— Erika Wheless

9:33 AM ET

Coinbase hosts NFT galleries at Gov Ball and EDCs

Coinbase, the cryptocurrency trading platform, worked with Wavemaker to host on-site NFT galleries at three major music festivals this year: The Governors Ball, Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas and Electric Daisy Carnival Orlando. Potential buyers could walk through the galleries and see NFTs that captured moments from past festivals, as well as moments from the current festival.

— Erika Wheless

Nov. 11, 2021

2:07 PM ET

World’s largest record company is creating an NFT super group

Universal Music, the home to top-selling musicians like Drake and Taylor Swift, is working with collector Jimmy McNelis to convert four of his NFTs into a band called Kingship. Kingship consists of four digital characters — three bored apes and one mutant ape — all part of an NFT collection known as the Bored Ape Yacht Club. The club is one of the most successful NFT stories of the past year; it gave anyone who bought one of the apes full commercial rights to use the image.

10:22PM, one of Universal’s labels, has hired a team of crypto artists and animators to turn the two-dimensional apes into three-dimensional beings. The company will record music for Kingship that it releases on streaming services. The “band” will perform and participate in video games, virtual-reality applications and across the constellation of digital experiences known as the metaverse.

—Bloomberg 

Nov. 11, 2021

10:07 AM ET

Emilia Clarke launches NFT for brain injury charity

Emilia Clarke’s charity, SameYou, announced an NFT auction to help improve recovery treatments for brain injury and stroke survivors. The "Game of Thrones" star has recovered from two brain aneurysms. The drop will include both 2D and 3D NFT artwork by photographer Steven Sebring, as well as a digital wearable of the Versace dress Clarke wore at the 2016 Emmy Awards. The physical dress itself will also be part of the auction. The NFTs, done in partnership with Subnation, will be listed on SEVA.LOVE.
 

—Erika Wheless

​​Nov. 9, 2021

9 AM ET

Original Penguin partners with TikTok artists for NFT auction

Clothing line Original Penguin is auctioning eight NFT penguins that buyers can view in augmented reality before bidding. Three of the NFTs were created by the brand, and the other five are from TikTok influencers. Interested bidders can visit originalpenguinnft.com on a mobile device, where they'll be able to explore the NFTs in AR. Through their smartphones, potential bidders can “walk” along an AR beach lined with the virtual penguins. They can then place a bid using a credit card or cryptocurrency.

Original Penguin collaborated with digital experiential marketing agency Bajibot. The auction will run from Nov. 10 to Nov. 23 on RareCircles. Auction proceeds will go to Free Arts NYC, a nonprofit that helps underserved youth through art and mentoring programs.

—Erika Wheless

Nov. 5, 2021

5:50 PM ET

Bacardi music NFTs earn royalties

Bacardi and BBDO NY teamed with Grammy-winning producer Boi-1da to launch a collection of music NFTs aimed at addressing gender disparities in the music industry. According to a representative from BBDO, only 2% of music producers are women. That’s why the NFT collection, called “Music Liberates Music,” included three tracks from female Caribbean producers Bambii, Denise De’ion and Perfxn.

Once purchased, the NFT holders receive a percentage of the producers’ royalties for that track, connecting music enthusiasts to the artists. The songs are housed on the music-based NFT platform Sturdy.Exchange, and have already earned over $30,000 for the producers. The holders of the three NFTs will also receive unique animated art from Serwah Arrufuah, an afrofuturist designer, and promotional kits to promote their track’s artist and build up streaming figures.

—Parker Herren

​​Nov. 4, 2021

10:44 AM ET

AE does NFT
 

Teen favorite American Eagle has teamed up with VaynerNFT and Bitski on the clothing brand’s first NFT collection. The offering, which includes 120 NFTs for $1 each from creators Liam Eisenberg and Amy Perez, will run over a three-day period ending Saturday, Nov. 6. The unique designs are focused on good vibes and individuality, which have been core tenets of American Eagle’s brand promise to young millennials and Gen Z shoppers. Shoppers can redeem their NFTs for a real-life patch version that they can sew to their AE jeans.

—Adrianne Pasquarelli
 

Nov. 2, 2021

3:00 PM ET

State Farm launches NFT treasure hunt

State Farm is launching a virtual treasure hunt in which players will search for 500,000 footballs and have the chance to earn exclusive non-fungible tokens. The NFTs were designed by Florian, an award-winning generative simulation artist, and Karolina Sereikaite, an award-winning fluid and physics simulation artist. State Farm has said it won't take a cut from those who choose to sell their tokens. The treasure hunt, which marks the insurance company's first foray into augmented reality technology and NFTs, will take place from Nov. 4 to Nov. 7. Other prizes include merchandise signed by NFL stars and spokesmen Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes.

—Mark Fischer

Opinion: Why brands should be all in on NFTs

12:32 PM ET

See ‘Pulp Fiction’ like never before

Film director Quentin Tarantino is auctioning off seven never-before-seen “Pulp Fiction” scenes as NFTs, the latest celebrity to capitalize on the red-hot market. Each non-fungible token will contain “secret” content that’s only revealable to its owner, including the uncut first handwritten scripts of the movie along with commentary from the Oscar-winning filmmaker. The so-called front cover of the NFT will show a previously-unseen work of art, according to a news release, while the commentary is set to reveal secrets about the film and its creator. Tarantino’s tokens are built on Secret Network, a privacy-centered blockchain, which lets users post content that contains hidden embeds—for instance, NFT art with secret links to a piece of digital content or game items that have undisclosed abilities within.

Update: The movie studio Miramax on Nov. 16 accused Tarantino of copyright and trademark infringement, according to a lawsuit obtained by Bloomberg Law. 

—Bloomberg News and Ad Age Staff

12:01 PM ET

Warner Bros., Nifty’s launch first ‘Matrix’ avatar NFTs

Ahead of the December premiere of “The Matrix Resurrections,” Warner Bros.’ consumer products division and social NFT platform Nifty’s are partnering to launch avatar-based non-fungible tokens inspired by the classic film franchise. Pegged at $50 each and available exclusively on Nifty’s platform, the run of 100,000 “Matrix” NFTs will launch in two stages. First, on Nov. 30, users will have the chance to buy randomly selected tokens “resembling ordinary people caught within the matrix,” according to a press release from the companies. Then, on Dec. 16, a week before the newest installment’s premiere in theaters, the NFT holders will be prompted to either take a “Red Pill” to keep their avatar locked in the matrix as is, or a “Blue Pill” to completely alter its hairstyle, clothing, accessories and more. The initial run is the first step in a multi-year collaboration between Warner Bros. and Nifty’s that will include “frequent challenges that will allow the ‘Matrix’ NFT holders to upgrade their avatars, earn new NFT rewards and participate in an active community,” the companies said.

—Ethan Jakob Craft
 

Nov. 1, 2021

2:15 PM ET

McDonald's gets into NFT game

In its here-today, gone-tomorrow McRib sandwich, McDonald’s feels it’s found an especially saucy asset to render as its first-ever NFT promotion. To commemorate McRib’s return to menu boards this week – and to amp up excitement among its devoted fans to its limited availability – the burger giant said it would make 10 McRib NFTs available to fans who retweet the brand’s invitation: More than 21,000 had done just that in the first few hours.
Jon Springer

—Jon Springer

Oct. 29, 2021

3:00 PM ET

SXSW lands its first official blockchain sponsor

Fox Entertainment’s non-fungible token business Blockchain Creative Labs has been selected as the inaugural blockchain sponsor of the annual South By Southwest Conference and Festivals. In addition to a number of on-site and virtual activations, including some designed to boost Fox-owned properties like its ad-supported streaming service Tubi, the Blockchain partnership will see SXSW 2022 mint the event’s first-ever NFT. The digital collectible will be sold via a blockchain hosted by upstart tech company Eluvio. Fox bought a minority stake in Eluvio this summer as it prepares to ramp up its NFT operations, including by promoting its new animated show “Krapopolis” as the first series that’s “curated entirely on the blockchain.”

—Ethan Jakob Craft

Oct. 28, 2021

1:00 PM ET

Ray-Ban debuts Aviator NFT

Ray-Ban is auctioning off its first, and only, NFT featuring the brand's iconic Aviator sunglasses. The single NFT, created by German artists Oliver Latta, aka “Extraweg,” will be auctioned on OpenSea, with all proceeds going to charity. The auction begins Oct. 27 and ends Oct. 29.

Oct. 27, 2021

11:00 AM ET

WWE launches NFT marketplace 

WWE will introduce an NFT marketplace in collaboration with Fox's Blockchain Creative Labs, a new non-fungible token business and creative studio it formed with Bento Box Entertainment. WWE will create NFTs based on the company's vast intellectual property, including iconic moments in wrestling history and its key events like "WrestleMania" and "SummerSlam." 

The marketplace will be designed to serve as a hub for consumers to buy, trade, sell and store digital tokens that will be authenticated through Eluvio's blockchain and interoperable across the currency Ethereum and other blockchains. 

—Jeanine Poggi

Read: Everything brands need to know about NFT marketing

Oct. 26, 2021

6:30 PM EST

Hot Wheels zooms into NFTs 

Mattel is introducing NFTs tied to its Hot Wheels brand in partnership with the Worldwide Asset eXchange. The company plans to release 40 NFT Hot Wheels designs for fans and collectors on Nov. 16. As part of this effort, Mattel is also giving people the change to own limited-edition real-life die-cast vehicles when they collect select NFTs. The non-fungible tokens will cost $15 each. 

—Jeanine Poggi

Oct. 25, 2021

4:30 PM ET

Scary NFTs 

Just in time for Halloween, iconic horror franchise "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is ripping into the metaverse with a line of 666 NFTs, each a variant of the films' Leatherface character. The "Leatherfaces" project is more than just exclusive art, it's an invitation to an exclusive community tailored to fans of the cannibal family and their exploits. Those in possession of their own Leatherface will gain access to community events, discounts on licensed merchandise, chances to buy memorabilia and film screenings with Kim Henkel, screenwriter of the original film. The initial drop will take place on Halloween, with a second digital bloodbath following on Nov. 13.

—Parker Herren

Oct. 19, 2021

8:00 AM ET

Martha Stewart gets crafty with NFTs 

Martha Stewart debuted Fresh Mint boutique, a digital NFT shop, in October. Her first collection is called “Carved Collection” and features jack-o-lantern art by the founders of Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, Marc Evan and Chris Soria. The NFTs are images of pumpkins carved like tree bark, a spooky cat, an owl or even Martha Stewart herself. Some of the images are edited with swirling lines or monochromatic hues.

Shoppers can bid on Stewart’s NFTs on her website. One pumpkin, called “Shriek or Chic Carving,” has received a bid of more than $8,000. The top bidder for the collection will win a custom-carved pumpkin before Halloween. The collection will be updated over time with more work from designers, photographers, artists and creators from the NFT community, reflective of the changing seasons, holidays and special events.

—Parker Herren

Oct. 19, 2021

10:00 AM ET

Clinique brings optimism to NFTs 

Clinique revealed its first set of limited-edition NFTs, called "MetaOptimist" with a twist. Instead of bidding on them, like one does to claim most NFTs, the beauty brand is holding a contest to give away three NFTs to select participants in its Smart Rewards program who share stories of optimism and hope for the future. Submissions can be posted on Instagram, TikTok or Twitter with the hashtags "#MetaOptimist," "#Clinique" and "#Contest."

In addition to one of the three NFTs, Clinique will award winners with early access to the currently sold out Black Honey Almost Lipstick, and a range of Clinique products once a year for the next decade. Clinique is the first Estée Lauder Companies brand to release a range of NFTs and recruited Futures Intelligence Group CEO Cathy Hackl to assist in the launch.

—Parker Herren