Dive Brief:
- Diageo’s Crown Royal has partnered with Salesforce NFT Cloud, Crossmint and Vayner3 to launch the Canadian whisky’s first digital collectible, per a news release.
- From now until Dec. 31, U.S. fans aged 21 and older have the opportunity to nominate someone deserving to receive a digital collectible at web3.crownroyal.com. For every collectible claimed, a care package packed in a purple Crown Royal bag will be sent to active duty members overseas.
- The initiative serves as an extension of the whisky’s charitable initiative, the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project, which is in collaboration with Packages From Home. The collectible comes in time for the holiday season, when many are looking to honor the people in their lives with special gifts.
Dive Insight:
The Crown Royal effort is the latest indication that brands are looking for ways to take advantage of Web3 technology like nonfungible tokens (NFTs) while bringing value that extends beyond monetary consideration. Sales of NFTs — a darling tactic of marketers last year — have also been on a steep decline in 2022.
The Diageo brand’s digital collectible is available through Dec. 31, with up to 75,000 total purple bags potentially being shipped out to military members as care packages. The offering was brought to life by visual and motion designer Adam Verhasselt.
One way to add value to a digital collectible is by tying it to a real-world charitable donation. But as economic concerns mount, charity donations are on the decline. Just 27% of Americans donated to nonprofit organizations in 2022.
Crown Royal’s digital collectible program allows consumers to participate in charitable giving without having to spend any money, an important consideration for many this holiday season. The effort arrived in time for Giving Tuesday, which took place on Nov. 29. The occasion has become a global phenomenon since launching in 2012, with charities, brands and consumers all over the world participating.
"Our mission is to activate in a way that inspires generosity all year round," said Sophie Kelly, senior vice president of Diageo’s whiskeys portfolio in North America, in a press statement.
Crown Royal has undertaken a series of charity-based advertising initiatives in recent months. The brand recently released a campaign where it rewarded delivery drivers who worked during NFL games. Crown Royal is one of the brands Diageo has put forward in an NFL partnership where it is the league’s first-ever official spirits sponsor.
