VeeFriends, the popular NFT project from entrepreneur and influencer Gary Vaynerchuk, just announced another sneaker release with Reebok. Following up on its first drop with the global footwear giant in August called the ‘VeeFriends x Reebok Aspiring Alapaca,‘ the latest kicks feature VeeFriends’ ‘Accountable Ant‘ character displayed on Reebok’s Classic Nylon sneaker.
The new sneaker, which displays the Accountable Ant on the shoes‘ tongues, will be available to VeeFriends‘ token holders between December 12th and 14th. Holders and online shoppers will receive a 50% off discount code, making the shoes a reasonable $45. On December 15th, the limited-edition shoes will become available to the public.
Vaynerchuk said that he was “thrilled” to partner with Reebok once again, and mentioned that he grew up “immersed in sneaker culture.” The minimalist Classic Nylon from Reebok was first unveiled in 1991. The new shoes will be available in two color patters — Black/White and White/Black.
During the pre-order period, holders of VeeFriends Series 1 and Series 2 tokens can order the ‘VeeFriends x Reebok Accountable Ant Classic Nylon‘ shoes for discounted prices. They are limited to five pairs per token held and can be purchased on the VeeFriends‘ website.
The move comes as VeeFriends NFTs, which struggled in the bear market, have seen an 81% increase in sales volume over the past week according to OpenSea data.
The Accountable Ant NFT logo is reminder that accountability is a fundamental part of greatness, a message that‘s represented by the ant pointing its thumb back at itself. It appears Vaynerchuk is doing his best to be accountable to his NFT holders, as he continues to release new physical products that his community has first dibs on.
VeeFriends Partners to Release Physical Products for Holders
About a year ago, news broke that VeeFriends had raised $50 million in a seed round led by capital venture firm Andreesen Horowitz (a16z). Since then, the NFT project has been collaborating with top brands to release physical products for its community. At Rarity Sniper, we’ve covered several stories about VeeFriends since the successful seed round. Here are the top three.
First, about two months ago, VeeFriends collaborated with toy manufacturer Mattel to transform its ‘Skilled Skeleton‘ character into a physical collectible. Mimicking the traits that dominate generative NFTs, the toy comes with three swappable heads, five swappable hands, a hood, armor, a flex chain, and a ‘Sword of Power‘ and ‘Havoc Staff.‘
Next, in August, VeeFriends partnered with Reebok to release a limited edition IRL shoe inspired by the ‘Aspiring Alpaca‘ character. The unisex sneaker featured the NFT logo on the side and the original drawing on the tongue of the shoe. Like the latest drop, it first became available to VeeFriends‘ NFT holders before opening later to the public.
Finally, about a year ago, VeeFriends signed a deal to launch a series of toys at Macy’s and Toys’R’Us around the United States. The toys consisted of ten VeeFriends NFTs, including Willful Wizard, Genuine Giraffe, and Practical Peacock, which holders could claim for free for a limited time.
With the long bear market in crypto putting a damper on many NFT collections and their community’s enthusiasm, VeeFriends appears to have pivoted towards physical products. The latest release with Reebok is another iteration of this strategy, and if the rise in VeeFriends‘ NFT sales this week is any indication, it appears to be working quite well.