PUMA
Puma Introduces NFT Shoes For Its First Metaverse Experience. Can It Give Competition To Nike?
Puma, one of the world’s biggest sports brands, announced the “Black Station” launch on September 7. It is the brand’s first interactive metaverse experience during the New York Fashion Week. The company's news announcement has clarified that Black Station will become a "dynamic destination to visit.” The brand’s consumers will be able to engage in an immersive and engaging way to enjoy the brand's NFTs, which will primarily focus on athletic items.
Puma Back On Track With Its Creative Journey
“Twenty years ago, Black Station was PUMA’s home,” said Adam Petrick, Chief Brand Officer. PUMA used Black Station to exhibit its most inventive designs, so it recreated the website to highlight its commitment to creativity.
“Given the boundaries, we’re pushing in product design and digital, we decided it was time to relaunch Black Station as a new portal for virtual inquiry across fashion, athletic performance, our legacy classics, and innovation.”
Users can select a hyper-realistic virtual lobby with three separate portals to enjoy exclusive, never-before-seen footwear from the time they access the website. They can also print NitroPass passes in order to acquire NFTs related to tangible objects that can be claimed after the Futrograde fair in New York has concluded.
Puma’s Global Creative Director and Head of Innovation, Heiko Desens, stated that because of the benefits provided by the metaverse, Puma’s team of designers could work without limits to produce creative designs as amazing as the actual products.
“Our design team took a lot of chances when imagining these footwear types.” We told them there was no such thing as a limit. As a consequence, we were able to tap into their creativity without being constrained by the constraints and limits of our shoe manufacturing process.”
Puma Wants To Get Into “The Metaverse” Stronger Than Ever
Despite the technological breakthrough that the metaverse provides, it should be mentioned that Nike, one of Puma’s primary competitors, has made a fortune from their NFTs products. This is an excellent opportunity for a marketplace that is only getting started.
According to data, Nike leads the list of corporations who have gained the greatest amount from the sale of NFTs, trailed by Dolce & Gabbana, which has sold approximately $23.67 million. Due to the complications that happened during the collection’s introduction, Adidas, one of the first to bet on the metaverse, has barely sold $10 million (something for which the brand has publicly apologized).
The reality is that the metaverse is accessible to any company that wishes to go beyond the boundaries of the physical world. Even major automakers, such as Ford Motor Company, have announced the filing of patents in a bid to enter the metaverse with their most popular car collections.
