NF-Tis the season: Avatar la la la la (la la la)

by Jolyon Varley
Web3

In 2021 lots of companies flirted with Web3. But last week, Adidas smashed down the door of the digital frontier. Its campaign, Into the Metaverse was a tie up with Bored Ape Yacht Club, Punks Comics, and GMoney. The sneaker company put up 30,000 NFTs up for sale at 0.2 ETH (about $765) a pop, and flipped 29,620 of them, earning around $22m in a single afternoon. KILL SHOT.

If you’re reading this and reaching for your Metamask wallet, then you’re out of luck. All the virch merch (I’m coining that) from Into the Metaverse has gone. But it’s Christmas so the team at OK COOL has got you covered. Here’s our edit of Web3-related gifts for the festive period.

1. Off-White’s NFT tiles

The passing of visionary founder Virgil Abloh dismayed the world in November. Few who purchase these NFT off-white hues will look at them without remembering the genius and vision of the designer. The ten pared-back tiles provide an antidote to the cartoonish aesthetic of the metaverse. According to the website, “the prestige of owning an ‘Off-white.’ is found not in what is shown but rather through what is not.”

Where to get it: They’re on sale through OpenSea. Auctions start on the 1st Jan. Too late for Christmas, but your dad won’t be disappointed if you cop one for him on new years’ day to go with his new Blue Harbour chinos.

https://opensea.io/collection/off-white-collection

2. RTFKT virtual sneakers

This Web3 company, that specialises in virtual sneakers and metaverse fashion, just got bought by a little known US sneaker brand called Nike. Last month, RTFKT launched CloneX in collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. The project saw 20,000 digitally generated avatars snapped up almost immediately. If you missed out, don’t be salty. The new Nike buy-out signifies a deluge of streetwear NFTs on the cards. Or, perhaps, something more esoteric….

How to get it: You can’t, yet. Don’t miss another RTFK drop. Enter your email into this form, then refresh your Gmail every four seconds.

https://rtfkt.com/drops

3. Chito x Givenchy NFT

Creative director Matthew M. Williams (with whom I once shared a delicious paneer curry and two naan) has injected some crypto culture into legacy luxury brand, Givenchy. The company has collaborated with artist Chito. The selection of 15 NFTs includes prints and moving GIFs. All the proceeds go to The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit aiming to reduce 90% of the world’s ocean plastic. Much better than getting one of those brochures saying that you’ve just adopted a mountain goat for Christmas.

How to get it: Amazon. Just kidding. The Chito x Givenchy NFT is on sale right now on OpenSea.

https://opensea.io/collection/chitogivenchynft

4. cent.ldn x Girl Gang NFT candle collectible

Your families’ homes in the metaverse could probably benefit from some ambient lighting. So why not give them this digital candle on the day? Feu De Bois? Nahhh. Cent.ldn has been hand pouring unique candles since you were banging pots outside and waiting for ‘things to go back to normal’. Its tie up with female fashion brand Girl Gang signifies that we’re about to see homewares come to the metaverse in a big way. Kudos.

How to get it: Buy it with Ethereum on OpenSea here:

https://opensea.io/assets/matic/0x2953399124f0cbb46d2cbacd8a89cf0599974963/23247466209108988612667171159993459273706012867761429153799864957568030867956

Sign up for future product drops in the Girl Gang metaverse by entering your email here:

https://girlgangthelabel.com/pages/girlgang-eth

 5. LAND, The Sandbox

They say land is valuable (IRL land, that is), because nobody’s making any more of it. That’s not true in the metaverse. Here devs and game designers are making digital landscapes all the time. But that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. LAND is a virtual piece of real estate in The Sandbox. You can rent it out to others or turn it into a digital domain of your own design. It’s the perfect investment gift for the budding real estate mogul in your family.

How to get it: You have to register for the game here. Or buy it second hand from OpenSea or Rarible.

https://www.sandbox.game/en/login/?r=BRfi9bS3OdLtnlW5wetMY_&__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=v93.YrQaxPH6ucKafSc6z9t88_yaQpPFagp_CD2yJhI-1640008656-0-gaNycGzNCOU

2022 will be the year that Web3 becomes central to brand experiences. Trying to make sense of the metaverse? OK COOL has more skin in the game than a nudists’ volleyball tournament. Get at me in the DM and merry Christmas!

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