Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) became Collins Dictionary’s word of the year in 2021 because of the major buzz attached to it. From Crypto Kitties and the Forever Rose through 3LAU and the Bored Ape Yacht Club, some massive NFT sales drew over $1 million each for their creators.
That sparked a wave of people to be inspired to mint their own NFT and list them on marketplaces from OpenSea to Sotheby’s. While it may seem like just another investment bubble, it’s the first widespread usage of blockchain technology. And major brands are getting involved, showing the longevity they believe blockchain technology has.
Whether you invest in a digital collectible or the company behind it, these 10 major brands are making NFTs mainstream and hence are top NFT companies to invest in if you want exposure to the space.
1. Macy’s
Macy’s Inc (NYSE:M) department stores has a long-standing tradition in New York City. The retailer marked the 95th year of its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade by auctioning off 10 unique NFTs representing balloons from past parades.
It then released another 9,500 parade-themed pieces, and the proceeds went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The launch was a massive success, with over 2,300 NFTs sold on the Sweet marketplace for up to $310,000 each. By launching on Layer 2 network Polygon, it also avoided high Ethereum gas fees.
2. Sony and AMC
Sony Group Corp (NYSE:SONY) and AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE:AMC) partnered on a release of 86,000 NFTs to commemorate the theatrical release of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
This hotly anticipated release follows a rough year for movies and helped drive enthusiasm for the movie’s release with preorder sales.
Not only that, but AMC also issued an NFT to its retail stockholders and added support for cryptocurrencies to watch movies in its theaters. Both drops were minted on the WAX blockchain.
3. Marriott
Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) jumped into the NFT space at Art Basel Miami Beach 2021 with drops from three top digital artists.
The company promised to gift the NFTs and 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to three lucky winners, but OpenSea still reports that there has only ever been one owner.
This highlights the immutability of the blockchain – once you list something on OpenSea, it’s there forever. And everyone can see on the digital ledger the Marriott Bonvoy account still holds all three NFTs as of this publication.
4. Pepsi
PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ:PEP) paired with VaynerNFT to drop a collection of 1,893 generative-style NFTs called Mic Drop on the Ethereum blockchain.
Gary Vaynerchuk is a major player in the digital art industry, and these microphones are themed with a variety of different Pepsi drinks for the Genesis NFT collection.
Because it exists on Ethereum, this drop is likely to last forever, but it will also cost an expensive gas fee. If you don’t want to pay for one of these ERC-721 tokens, there are 50 set aside for marketing and giveaways.
5. Budweiser
Anheuser Busch Inbev SA (NYSE:BUD) may be the most NFT-friendly brand on the planet, as Budweiser doubles down on the tech fad.
In November 2021, Bud launched the Budverse Cans Heritage Edition comprised of 1,936 unique can-inspired artworks to commemorate the brand’s founding in 1936.
Not only that, but it spent 30 ether on the beer.eth domain name from ENS. This gives it a simple Ethereum-based web address that can be used as either a crypto wallet or to create a website which would be NFT based.
6. Adidas
Adidas AG (OTCMKTS:ADDYY) forged several major partnerships to make its metaverse mark on the blockchain. This includes a collaboration with Bored Ape Yacht Club, gmoney NFT, and PUNKS Comic where a bored ape sporting the brand’s iconic tracksuit. It also followed the trend of changing its Twitter profile pic to a bored ape NFT.
The German shoe giant also partnered with Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) and The Sandbox to make its brand presence known anywhere it can in the metaverse.
7. NFL, NHL and NBA
The NBA set the bar high for professional sports leagues entering the NFT space with NBA Top Shot. The collection features league highlights to replace the traditional trading card.
Not to be outdone, the NFL jumped on the bandwagon by partnering with Dapper Labs to put NFL NFTs on its league game tickets.
Soon every league jumped in, and even the NHL and NHLPA’s Upper Deck partnership now includes digital NFT collectibles.
8. WarnerMedia
WarnerMedia is among the first brands to innovate in the NFT space, with launches for several of its movie releases, like Space Jam: A New Legacy and The Matrix Resurrections. Its DC imprint also has a partnership with Palm NFT Studio for a digital collection based on its iconic characters, and even CNN has an NFT offering called “Vault by CNN.”
Minting the news lets you own a piece of history, and CNN even offers exclusive perks for owning full collections. Until now, the NFTs on this list offer nothing but an expensive jpeg, but these perks are what make smart contracts truly special.
9. State Farm
State Farm (MUTF:STFGX) took things even further with an augmented reality NFT game. Mobile users were challenged to an AR treasure hunt using a smartphone. They could collect prizes like NFTs, autographed physical merchandise, and gift cards.
It also worked to embed Jake from State Farm into the NBA 2k22 video game. This virtual scavenger hunt also snagged NFL partners, showing just how savvy this insurance brand is when working with sports.
10. Time Magazine
Time Magazine is heavily invested in the NFT space, with President Keith Grossman being practically addicted to new technologies. It started with the launch of three special edition NFT magazine covers and developed into an entire NFT community featuring the sector’s most popular artists.
This bridge between traditional media and NFTs could keep Time relevant through the web3 era. And the company is open to full crypto support as payment, subscription benefits, and more.
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