Pharrell’s NFT Pop-Up, Balenciaga’s AR WeChat Game and more: Web3 Drops of the Week

It may have taken a few months, but brands in Web3 have finally found their groove ahead of 2023’s second quarter.

This week, Web3 fashion label Mntge dropped its highly anticipated physical collection, which received rave reviews after selling out in 24 hours. Pharrell Williams also brought his creative and collaborative visions to life through an offline pop-up experience, which saw NFT collective Doodles team up with the artist’s streetwear label BBC Icecream.

In China, Balenciaga is exploring new avenues across the mainland’s online ecosystem by launching a WeChat mini-game as part of its 520 campaign. The augmented reality-driven experience is one of many taking over the country right now, as the new technology phase continues on a steady growth trajectory.

For more Web3 drops like these straight to your inbox, sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter Jing Meta newsletter here.

Mntge’s “Fruit & Veggies” collection sold out in 24 hours. Photo: Mntge

Mntge brings its vintage fashion vision to Web3 with the NFC-connected “Fruit & Veggies” Drop

What happened: Web3 vintage clothing label Mntge dropped its first physical product collection on April 26, featuring a limited run of custom, tech-enabled vintage denim and graphic tees. The “Fruits & Veggies” collection includes a number of specially sourced pieces, including one-of-a-kind Levi’s 505s that were embroidered in Los Angeles in a pattern designed by Mntge co-founder Sean Wotherspoon. Each product is NFC-chipped and linked to a uniquely numbered, collectable denim art token, which can be accessed via a digital wallet.

Celebrating the history and heritage of true vintage garments, the collection included a range of branded graphic T-shirts from the 1960s to the 2000s, made available after the first denim drop. Buyers could purchase the items via Mntge’s dedicated marketplace, priced at $200 for Mntge Passholders and $250 for non-Passholders.

The verdict: With the vintage and archive fashion market thriving offline, Mntge is unlocking a new area for the virtual sector. Thanks to its unique perspective on approaching luxury in Web3, the brand has gained attention from technology enthusiasts and others.

The response to the first physical collection has been largely positive, selling out in less than 24 hours. TThe only criticism has been that the variety of sizes available was not enough to accommodate all interested investors. Still, even those who didn’t manage to take a piece were impressed by the platform’s seamlessness.

When it comes to debut launches, Web3 startups have often had to struggle with clumsy payment processes and rookie communication errors, but Mntge’s has set the bar high for itself and future competitors.

Balenciaga released an AR-powered WeChat game ahead of China’s 520 Valentine’s Day. Photo: WeChat

Balenciaga uses augmented reality in WeChat mini-games with 520 themes

What happened: Balenciaga has unveiled a creative campaign for its 520 limited edition collection, featuring both video and print work by photographer Andrea Artemisio. In addition, the brand has launched an augmented reality-powered mini-game on its official WeChat account. Players enter a virtual world as farmers wearing items from the 520 collection and learn about regenerative agriculture to complete tasks, which can earn them limited edition stickers, wallpapers and wish cards.

Balenciaga is on a mission to strengthen its reputation. While the Parisian brand looked to the past for its brick-and-mortar Fall 2023 collection, it’s leveraging next-generation technology trends like AR to build its virtual identity and propel it into the mainland spotlight.

The verdict: Leveraging China’s holidays to unlock the purchasing power of local consumers is nothing new. Brands and retailers want the benefits. To differentiate themselves from the competition, some brands choose to launch their campaigns via Chinaverse and other digital avenues. Li-Ning is creating buzz by developing a metaverse love story for the upcoming event, while Prada raffled off 20 limited-edition digital collectibles to select Tmall Luxury Pavilion customers in February for the Lunar New Year.

Balenciaga’s latest move also follows the gamification trend, which continues to captivate netizens across the country. In addition to providing instant gratification to users who complete activities and receive rewards, the mini-game serves as a way to educate consumers about the brand’s farming strategies.

Pharrell Williams merged his work on Doodles and streetwear brand BBC Icecream at the Something In The Water festival this week. Photo: Doodles

Pharrell Williams joins Doodle’s NFT project with Streetwear Heavyweight BBC Icecream in new offline pop-up experience

What happened: For Pharrell’s first IRL moment as Chief Brand Officer of Doodles, the NFT brand partnered with multi-hyphenate streetwear brand BBC Icecream on a curated pop-up experience, which took place during the Something in the Water festival in Virginia Beach, USA this week.

Dubbed ‘Doodle Beach’, the pop-up featured an exclusive joint collection from Doodles and BBC Icecream, consisting of a range of T-shirts, hats, shorts, skateboards and towels.

Visitors could enjoy free ice cream, receive a sneak peek at new digital wearables in the Doodles universe, and shop the exclusive BBC Icecream x Doodles collection at the on-site ShopDoodles kiosk. A portion of the sales went to Williams’ nonprofit Yellow, which provides resources and toolkits to help close the education divide.

The verdict: With Web3 hype sobering, this year has seen a resounding push to bring online communities together through offline experiences. For NFT.NYC, a number of brands, including Adidas and Gmoney, have focused on curating physical encounters, hoping to have as much impact in the physical world as in the digital one.

In Pharrell’s case, bringing Doodles and BBC Icecream together feels like an organic fusion, with the creative exploring new opportunities to push his artistic and commercial boundaries. Also, hosting the experience at the Something In The Water festival, which generated 50,000 attendees last year, is likely to encourage more non-Web3 natives to engage with Doodles and contribute to the project’s mainstream growth.