TL;DR
- Nike, Adidas, and other major consumer brands doubled down on NFT strategies in early 2022
- Nike acquired RTFKT Studios in December 2021, signaling a long-term commitment to digital fashion
- Adidas launched its “Into the Metaverse” NFT collection in partnership with BAYC, gmoney, and Punks Comic
- Meta reportedly began developing NFT features for Facebook and Instagram platforms
- The NFT market grew past $40 billion in 2021, with brand adoption accelerating the trend into 2022
January 2022 was shaping up to be the month when NFTs went fully mainstream — not through speculative trading by crypto enthusiasts, but through the calculated entry of some of the world’s largest consumer brands. From sportswear giants to social media conglomerates, corporations were no longer dipping their toes in the water. They were diving in headfirst.
Nike’s Strategic RTFKT Acquisition
Nike made one of the most significant moves in the brand-NFT intersection when it acquired RTFKT Studios in December 2021. The digital fashion house, known for its cutting-edge virtual sneakers and collectibles, gave Nike an immediate foothold in the metaverse economy. By January 2022, RTFKT’s CloneX collection was one of the hottest projects on OpenSea, with floor prices hovering around 7 ETH — roughly $18,000 at the time.
The acquisition was not just about selling virtual shoes. It represented Nike’s belief that digital ownership would become as significant as physical ownership in the coming years. The CloneX avatars, designed in collaboration with artist Takashi Murakami, became status symbols in their own right, blending high fashion with blockchain technology.
Adidas Goes “Into the Metaverse”
Not to be outdone by its longtime rival, Adidas launched its “Into the Metaverse” NFT collection in partnership with Bored Ape Yacht Club, influential NFT collector gmoney, and the comic book NFT project Punks Comic. The initial mint of 30,000 NFTs sold out within minutes, generating approximately $23 million in primary sales at a mint price of 0.2 ETH.
The Adidas NFTs were not just digital collectibles — they served as access passes to exclusive physical and digital experiences. Holders were promised exclusive merchandise, virtual wearables for metaverse platforms, and invitations to community events. This utility-driven approach represented a significant evolution from the purely speculative NFT drops that had dominated much of 2021.
Meta Plots Its NFT Future
Perhaps the most consequential brand move came from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Reports in January 2022 indicated that the company was actively developing NFT features for its social media platforms, exploring ways to let users display, create, and potentially sell digital collectibles across its family of apps.
The implications were staggering. With billions of users across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, even a small percentage engaging with NFTs could dramatically expand the market. Meta’s rebranding from Facebook in October 2021 had already signaled CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment to the metaverse, and NFT integration was seen as a natural extension of that vision.
The Beverage Industry Joins In
The NFT wave extended well beyond tech and fashion. Budweiser launched its Heritage Collection NFTs in late 2021, featuring 1,936 unique digital cans inspired by the brand’s storied history. Pepsi followed with the Pepsi Mic Drop genesis NFT collection, offering 1,893 unique tokens that celebrated the brand’s iconic legacy in music and culture. Both campaigns demonstrated how legacy brands could leverage NFTs for community building and brand storytelling rather than pure revenue generation.
Athletes and Celebrities Lead by Example
The celebrity NFT phenomenon continued to gain momentum in January 2022. Tom Brady’s NFT platform Autograph, which had already partnered with major sports leagues, was expanding its roster of athlete-backed digital collectibles. NBA Top Shot remained one of the most accessible entry points for mainstream users, with millions of accounts registered and hundreds of millions in total sales.
Ethereum was trading at $2,547 on January 28, according to CoinMarketCap data, providing a healthy backdrop for NFT activity. The total cryptocurrency market cap stood at approximately $1.68 trillion, and the NFT sector’s growth was increasingly viewed as a parallel economy with its own dynamics and drivers.
Why This Matters
The flood of major brands into the NFT space in early 2022 was not a coincidence or a passing trend. It represented a fundamental shift in how corporations viewed digital ownership and community engagement. When companies like Nike, Adidas, and Meta invest hundreds of millions of dollars in NFT-related initiatives, they are making a calculated bet that digital assets will be a core part of the consumer experience for years to come. For the broader market, brand adoption brings legitimacy, infrastructure investment, and — most importantly — millions of new users who might never have encountered NFTs otherwise.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. NFT investments carry significant risk. Always conduct your own research before participating in any NFT market.
Nike buying RTFKT was the signal. biggest sportswear brand on earth acquiring a digital fashion house. people laughed then, nobody is laughing now
Adidas partnering with BAYC and Punks Comic for their NFT drop. talk about delegating your web3 strategy to the community