Bicycle, a 137-year-old playing card brand, announced this week that it will be putting Bored Ape #1227 on a deck of playing cards. The company purchased the Ape in June of this year for 103 ETH or $191,000 at the time. It bought the Ape through MoonPay, a concierge service that celebrities often use to purchase NFTs.
Ranked #1476 in rarity in the entire Bored Ape Yacht Club collection, Ape #1227 has a gold hoop earring, holographic eyes, and a Vietnam War helmet. The helmet is not just the Ape’s rarest trait but of particular significance to Bicycle: tucked into the brim of the helmet is a Joker playing card.
Although Bicycle plans to use the Ape in its 2023 playing card collection, it may not just stop there. It said it plans to reach out to other BAYC NFT owners to collaborate on adding more Bored Ape NFTs to the decks, a move that could go a great (and free) marketing ploy for the collection.
Tricia Bouras, CEO of the US Playing Card Company, a branch of the Cartamundi Group (Bicycle’s parent company), said that communities like the Bored Ape Yacht Club are the “heart and soul” of Web3. She added that Web3 gives the company new ways to interact and co-create with communities.
According to the press release about the announcement, the company will reveal more details about the upcoming Ape deck in the coming weeks. This isn’t Bicycle’s first foray into Web3. The company launched an NFT collection in December of 2021 that featured a futuristic playing card deck.
Bored Ape Holders Get Creative with IP Rights
Yuga Labs, the creators of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, set a precedent in April of 2021 when it gave all holders of its BAYC NFTs full commercial rights to the art of their NFTs. Since then, BAYC holders have used their IP rights in interesting, exciting, and humorous ways. Here are three stories involving Bored Apes and the use of their IP.
First, there is Kingship. The rock band Web3 company 10:22PM created features three Bored Apes and one Mutant Ape. And two months ago, they scored a coup: appearing on the surfaces of M&Ms in exclusive candy boxes.
Second, there is MLS. Two months ago, Major League Soccer “signed” Bored Ape #6045 to a pro contract. According to the official profile, Striker, as MLS calls the Bored Ape, stands at 6’5 and weighs 250 pounds. As suggested, he plays the striker position.
Third and finally, there is Snoop Dogg. The California-based rapper is a prominent collector of NFTs, including Bored Ape non-fungible tokens. Five months ago, he announced he was opening a sweet shop in LA with his Bored Ape, Dr. Bombay, as the mascot.
Bicycle’s use of its Bored Ape IP is a great moment for the NFT space and shows companies are still using their IP in powerful ways. Here at Rarity Sniper, we’ll keep our ears to the ground for further developments in the story.