When you think of adult beverages, beer in particular, there’s a strong chance that the first brand to come to mind is Budweiser, whether it be the original Budweiser beer, Bud Light, or a host of other flavors offered up by the iconic brand, which is actually owned by Anheuser Busch.
First brought to light in 1876, Budweiser has become a staple in the United States and around the world, largely as a result of the genius marketing tactics and use of next-era technologies to bring the brand to light.
So, it should come as no surprise that as more and more big brands dive into Web3, blockchain, and NFT technology, Budweiser is among them. In fact, the company recently launched an NFT collection featuring a couple thousand unique images of its brand’s cans, and that collection sold out in under an hour. Here’s the scoop:
About the Budweiser NFTs
Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, have become all the rage in 2021, with major brands, musicians, sports stars, actors, and more jumping into the space head first. So, it should come as no surprise that Budweiser and its parent company, Anheizer Busch, are getting involved. After all, the brand has been a trend setter for years; don’t forget the popular “Wazzup” commercials.
Nonetheless, the brand’s NFTs have proven to be a smash hit, selling out completely in under an hour. In fact, traffic to the company’s site upon the launch of the sale was so heavy that the site returned several errors as a flood of consumers locked up its servers.
The launch took place on November 29, 2021, when a series of 1936 unique Budweiser-themed collectibles hit the tape. If you’re like most people that tried to get their hands on one of these collectibles, chances are you received 504 error after 504 error as the masses flooded into the website. Once it loaded, you were greeted with the message:
“Introducing Budweiser’s first-ever NFT collection: Budverse Cans Heritage Edition. Composed of 1,936 unique digital cans, representing 1936, the year of the first Budweiser can. Each NFT is one of a kind and generated using archived photos, ads, and designs from throughout Budweiser’s storied history. Each NFT will act as an entry key to the Budverse, unlocking exclusive benefits, rewards and surprises for all 21+ (or legal drinking age) NFT holders.”
1,900 of the tokens in the collection are considered “core NFTs”, featuring generative art showcasing iconic Budweiser cans from throughout the beer company’s history. Each can also unlocks exclusive access and rewards from the Budverse, Budweiser’s corner of the metaverse.
The other 36 cans in the collection are super rare “Gold NFTs,” featuring the company’s iconic heritage cans. According to the company, the Gold NFTs give Budweiser fans VIP tickets to the “best experiences in Budverse and beyond.”
How to Get Your Hands on Budweiser Tokens
The NFTs launched as part of this collection sold out in under an hour, with many in the collection being gone within the first 15 minutes. While the collection has completely sold out, you may not have missed your chance to own one of these timeless collectibles.
The good news is that many of the people that buy NFTs as soon as they drop are doing so as an investment, knowing that the launch price will likely be the lowest price seen on popular collections. As a result, shortly after the collection sells out, these investors place bits of their collection for sale on secondary marketplaces.
We’ve scoured the most popular secondary networks online today and were unable to find any of these NFTs for sale as of yet. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t be coming. Take a moment every day to search your favorite marketplace to see when one of these collectibles comes up for sale. When it does, you’ll need to snap it up quickly as pieces of this collection are in high demand.
Keep in mind that the original price for Core Edition pieces was $499 and Gold Edition pieces were $999. So, chances are that when these collectibles begin to show up on the secondary market, they will sell for at least double these prices.
What Will These NFTS Unlock?
According to the Budweiser NFT website, ownership of a token in the collection acts as a key to the Budverse, the brand’s section of the metaverse. The website also says that ownership unlocks benefits, rewards, and surprises for consumers of legal drinking age. Finally, there’s a section that explains that owners of Gold Heritage Can NFTs will have access to the “best experiences in the Budverse and beyond.”
However, the company hasn’t said what these rewards, experiences, and surprises might be. One thing we do know is that the metaverse is a place where shows, concerts, and other events are being held in the digital realm. Consider the Budverse to be like a mini social network only available to owners of the Budweiser NFTs.
Moreover, rewards, gifts, and surprises could range from airdropped NFTs to be used in the Budverse to real-world discounts on beer, free beer, or other real-world, Budweiser-branded items.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line here is simple. The first NFT drop by Budweiser proved to be a hit, and while nobody quite knows exactly what these tokens will act as keys to unlock, those who were able to get their hands on one are likely in for valuable surprises.
Moreover, the fact that one of the biggest brands in adult beverages has decided to launch its own NFT, complete with a corner of the metaverse and utility speaks volumes as to what these tokens will evolve into. All told, non-fungible tokens are clearly here to stay!
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