Cool Cats has had a rough time during the bear market. The floor price for the original NFT collection has cratered, and the team has suffered criticism from holders for the game it released that did not meet expectations. But brighter times appear ahead.
Yesterday, the team revealed the design for its Macy’s Thanksgiving Day balloon: the iconic Blue Cat that Clon, the artist and founder of the collection, created:
We’re about to turn New York City into Blue York City! Here’s your first look at our OFFICIAL @Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon🎈
Who is going to come see it in person? pic.twitter.com/WjoKmqTkiJ
— Cool Cats (@coolcats) September 14, 2023
Cool Cats originally won the opportunity to appear in the Parade last year in a competition that Macy’s sponsored. It went up against other notable NFT collections, including VeeFriends, Boss Beauties, and SupDucks, before winning with 69,175 votes.
In addition to the balloon float, Cool Cats will have its merchandise featured in 11 Macy’s stores around the U.S. The team will also sell Cool Cats hoodies in New York at Macy’s Herald Square. According to a press release, all the merchandise will come with digital activations.
In a statement, Clon called the opportunity to showcase his artwork in the Parade a “dream come true” and added that the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade holds many memories, as he spent time watching it with his family growing up. He is excited for new fans to engage with the characters and the brand.
The appearance of the Blue Cat and Chugs (another Cool Cats character) in the Macy’s Parade marks a turn in the last 12 months for the collection. 11 months ago, it received a strategic investment from Animoca Brands, a Hong-Kong based company that invests in many Web3 start-ups.
Cool Cats Makes News in Bear Market
Although the bear market has been tough for Cool Cats, that hasn’t stopped the collection from making news. In fact, it has been innovating in this market, even if its results have yet to bear fruit. Here are three stories involving it in the past year.
First, 10 months ago, Cool Cats teased a new NFT collection for the World Cup in Qatar. The NFTs launched on November 17th and were dynamic, following the paths of the 32 teams in the competition and changing depending on how they performed. For the collection, Cool Cats partnered with new investor Animoca Brands.
Next, 11 months ago, the NFT collection secured a partnership with Animoca Brands. The deal came because of a long-standing relationship between the Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands and the corresponding person within Cool Cats. The goal at the time was to expand the Cool Cats brand into Web3 gaming.
Lastly, about a year ago, Cool Cats partnered with The Hundreds, a streetwear brand, for a limited-edition merch drop. The t-shirts, short and long-sleeved, and totes came emblazoned with the Blue Cat and an Adam Bomb Squad (ABS) mascot. ABS is the official NFT collection of The Hundreds.
As these stories show, Cool Cats is still building in the space, even though their collection has had a rough time. That’s good news for NFT fans and Web3 overall. Rarity Sniper has reached out to the Cool Cats PR team for comment on this article and will update it if it responds.