G-Star Raw’s mascot, G-NO the rhino, is getting a digital upgrade as a collectable NFT avatar.
The Dutch denim brand is partnering with digital marketplace Rarible to launch its first denim art NFT. The G-NO Avatars NFT collection includes 10 unique digital designs of the mascot. Each NFT design is based on a piece of the brand’s history and has been made with different denim fabrics and G-Star’s trademark details.
The original G-NO was created by one of the brand’s longest serving employees in 2007 as a physical mascot and was only available for sale in stores twice a year.
The NFTs will be available for sale between March 30-April 6. Each NFT purchase will include an exclusive physical G-Star Raw product matching the design and the story behind the chosen G-NO.
Community tokens will be distributed to active members of the community. Additional tokens can be won through activations and giveaways. The final number of tokens will be disclosed during the project.
“We’re excited to enter the NFT space with an art project that brings our story to life. We are known for pushing the limits of denim,” said Gwenda van Vliet, G-Star Raw chief marketing officer. “Turning our mascot into a piece of digital denim art means we’re able to meet our audience’s appetite for innovation and be in the spaces where they are.”
NFTs are becoming a larger part of denim portfolios. Wrangler, Levi’s and Diesel have each released limited-edition NFTs to mark new product launches. However, G-Star Raw notes that the collection “isn’t just another brand jumping on the NFT wave for the sake of it.”
Rather, it aims to build a digital community that will collaboratively define what the brand should do in the Web3 space. People who contribute ideas and are engaged in the community will be rewarded with a complimentary NFT token enabling access to benefits such as limited product releases, event tickets and potentially even future metaverse activations.
“Whatever the virtual future holds for G-Star Raw, their community will decide,” it said.