Budweiser has partnered with NBA Dwayne Wade with a set of limited-edition collectibles. The collection is called Budverse Legends: Dwyane Wade x Budweiser Zero Edition. Creating a set of NFT’s is nothing new and honestly as soon as we see another brand has done it we honestly roll our eyes, because most of them are gimmicks.
The impressive part of this collection is that someone on the Budweiser team has seen the current potential of NFTs for fan engagement. Which is to give the people what they want - limited edition physical items and real life experiences. That, though simple, is impressive because unlocking exclusive experiences or physical items is something that many NFT creators aren’t doing.
But the follow through is disappointing. The core NFT is a Wade Decentraland Jersey, the next tier is a can that is signed by the athlete and the best NFT is an in person experience with Dwyane Wade. These prizes could have been so much more exciting. Where is the storytelling?
We also believe that this isn’t the best demonstration of creativity or art – it might sit in the design language for many NBA collectables, but web3 should be about reimagining what's possible and unfortunately, we don’t see that happening here – we’d love to have seen experimental new artists pushing the culture forward.
