Marckell Williams
Nike announced on Monday that it has acquired NFT sneaker and fashion collectibles site RTFKT and Adidas announced their Into The Metaverse fan platform as both brands race to master the metaverse.
Nike Has A New NFT Marketplace
RTKFT is known for creating virtual sneaker designs and exclusive collectibles minted as NFTs. The company has done notable collaborations with Takashi Murakami and Jeff Staple. The site was founded in January 2020 by Benoit Pagotto, Chris Le, and Steven Vasilev.
“This acquisition is another step that accelerates Nike’s digital transformation and allows us to serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sport, creativity, gaming, and culture,” said John Donahoe, president and CEO of Nike in a statement.
“We’re acquiring a very talented team of creators with an authentic and connected brand. Our plan is to invest in the RTFKT brand, serve and grow their innovative and creative community and extend Nike’s digital footprint and capabilities.”
Adidas Announces Plans For Metaverse
Additionally, Adidas is also launching an NFT collection.
The apparel company is launching a line of NFTs called Into the Metaverse, which will offer buyers access to what’s a very exclusive fan club. NFT holders will be able to purchase special merch drops and can help to shape what kinds of products and experiences the company puts together for its NFT community.
“Adidas is in the metaverse,” Tareq Nazlawy, Adidas’ senior director of digital growth, told The Verge. “We want to figure out what would be the dopest thing to do in that space and start involving the communities we’re activating through this [NFT] in how we should manifest in the virtual world.”
Takeoff Take Off Into NFT’s
In addition, recently Takeoff launched his own NFT project.
Takeoff’s new NFT project, called Apes In Space, has the Migos rapper on a journey into (cyber) space and he’s looking to take one lucky fan – who purchases the NFT – on the journey with him.
