NFT meme invades Home Décor: Lowe’s new flag unveiled
Bringing blockchain to your backyard, a successful meme-inspired NFT project has boldly stepped into the retail space. Eager to display your penchant for digital artistry to your local community? Now, you can make a statement with a unique garden flag, available at your favorite home improvement mega-store, Lowe’s.
The retail giant this week debuted an outdoor accessory that showcases characters from mfers, an acclaimed NFT project recognized for its prominent meme status and vibrant community. Mfers, operating under a Creative Commons license (CC0), allows anyone to incorporate its unique NFT characters into commercial products, a liberty taken by Stephen Thompson and Matthew Varnell to heart.
The birth of TM3
Hailing from diverse professional backgrounds – Thompson, a legal eagle, and Varnell, a manufacturer’s representative – the dynamic duo embarked on a new journey. They launched a brand known as Total Marketing Web3 (TM3), dedicated to intertwining the lore of NFT with tangible commercial goods.
TM3’s flagship product, the “Evergreen Siezenals” garden flag, is a compact and lively addition to any home garden. With dimensions of 1 foot by 1.5 feet, the flag, adorned with two NFT characters enjoying a beach holiday, invokes a sense of summer spirit. Available for a retail price of $39.98, the flag, dubbed “seizen #1/edition #1,” comes with a companion NFT redeemable online. But with only 1,000 in circulation, you might want to grab one before it’s too late.
Mfers: A meme-culture powerhouse
Mfers, brought to life by an anonymous artist known as Sartoshi, owes its meteoric rise to fame to an amusing internet phenomenon, the “Are ya winning, son?” meme. Despite offering no apparent utility, the project’s lo-fi, hand-drawn characters have charmed a devoted group of collectors.
In 2022, Sartoshi granted project ownership to its community, spurring an influx of enthusiasm for the collection. Today, these quirky NFTs fetch over $1,000 each, a significant appreciation from their original mint price of 0.069 ETH (approximately $320), and have raked in nearly $125 million in sales.
Tapping into the Web3 phenomenon
With Mfers as their inspiration, Thompson and Varnell leveraged their business acumen and connections to breathe life into their enterprise. Varnell’s industry ties facilitated the flag’s production through Evergreen, a manufacturer with strong ties to Lowe’s.
By merging the digital and physical realms, TM3’s venture seeks to forge a bond with younger consumers who are keen on seeing their online identities mirrored in the physical world. And based on the 5-star reviews, the community has embraced this novel concept with open arms.
The future of marketing
Looking ahead, TM3 aims to expand its range, collaborating with other CC0 NFT projects and creating seasonal merchandise. The company’s vision is not merely to peddle products but to redefine the supply chain and revolutionize traditional marketing strategies.
Thompson expressed a hopeful outlook, noting that if the project succeeds, it would serve as a benchmark for others to follow. TM3 holds a firm belief in its unique model, wherein consumers play a pivotal role as marketers, creating a harmonious ecosystem between manufacturers, retailers, and end-users. As the lines between digital and real-life spaces become more indistinct, TM3’s groundbreaking marketing strategy could very well be poised to lead the charge in this new era
