Joining forces to tap into the virtual and augmented reality of the metaverse, Adidas and Prada have announced the launch of an NFT project that enables fans to contribute to a large-scale digital artwork and earn some money for their involvement.
Dubbed “Adidas Originals For Prada Re-Source,” the activation invites fans to work on a digital piece inspired by Adidas’ and Prada’s new Re-Nylon collab, a collection of high-end athletic wear made in Italy with recyclable materials.
Starting January 24, anyone can register with a digital wallet and contribute an anonymous image, which the brands suggest should capture something meaningful that demonstrates what play means to them. Adidas and Prada will select 3,000 at random to mint their submission as an NFT, free of cost.
Digital artist Zach Lieberman will compile the 3,000 tiles using openFrameworks—the open-source creative code library founded by Lieberman—into a single mosaic NFT overlaid on an Adidas for Prada campaign image. The NFT will be auctioned on SuperRare from January 28.
Adidas and Prada will split the proceeds from the auction sale. Nonprofit Slow Factory will receive 80 percent, Zach Lieberman, 5 percent, and shared between all participants who created a tile (after auction fees), 15 percent.
To sign up, users must complete a verification challenge then enter an 18+ waitlist, which will determine access to the randomized raffle to receive an invitation to mint.
Prada is far from alone in venturing into this new, virtual world of luxury that promises to help win over young consumers and capture lucrative sales. Burberry set the stage when it teamed with Mythical Games to launch an NFT in their flagship title, Blankos Block Party. A few months later, Balenciaga and Fortnite created virtual clothing and accessories for avatars as well as physical merch.
Recently, Gucci announced a collection of NFTs with Superplastic, a global toy and digital collectible company. Balmain and Barbie debuted a collaboration comprising a ready-to-wear and accessories collection and a series of exclusive NFTs, the latter marking Barbie’s first foray into the digital art space. Gap also just revealed its first collection of NFTs in partnership with artist Brandon Sines, giving customers the opportunity to own a limited edition, collectible Gap hoodie.
