Image via Adidas
It has been quite a journey with numerous
twists and turns, but we have arrived. Or rather, Adidas has.
On Thursday, the brand made its first official announcement about its entry into the metaverse. Quite literally, at that: The NFT collection, created in collaboration with the iconic Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), the PUNKS comic team, and crypto investor gmoney, is called
Into the Metaverse.
Image via Adidas
Previously, this was hinted at in some teaser posts made on Instagram. However, there was no further information or confirmation at the time.
Owners of these tokens will be able to gain exclusive access to Adidas Originals experiences and products, including virtual wearables for The Sandbox, a blockchain-based gaming world Adidas recently
purchased land in.
Image via Adidas
This will be the location for exclusive content and experiences, with the brand working to fill it with digital assets in partnership with crypto exchange Coinbase.
“Blockchain is one of the most innovative technologies of this generation,” Scott Zalaznik, Chief Digital Officer at Adidas, shares. "The foundation we are building with Web3 will lead to new creative opportunities for partnerships, engagement through digital goods and a path towards a more inclusive future.”
In addition to all of this, an NFT from BAYC, named
Indigo Herz, was also purchased by the brand in a move to join “one of the most fervent communities in the NFT space,” according to the press release.
Image via Adidas
“As part of our ambition to celebrate ideas that are defining a new age of originality, we’ve landed at the forefront of creativity, which is the open Metaverse,” states Adidas VP of marketing and communications Erika Wykes-Sneyd.
According to the spokesperson, it’s “a natural place for Adidas Originals to enter: a wild world where possibilities are truly limitless and where anyone can express and be rewarded for their most original ideas.”
The Into the Metaverse NFTs go on sale December 17 on Adidas’
website, and will cost 0.2 ETH (around US$800 at time of writing) apiece. Following this, digital and physical wearables will be available for NFT owners in 2022.
[via
Adidas]