Diageo’s Canadian whisky beverage Crown Royal is the latest brand to venture into Web3 technology, jumping on the holiday bandwagon to combine a digital experience with a real-life one.
In partnership with Salesforce NFT Cloud, Crossmint and Vayner3, Crown Royal has launched its first digital collectible. They have invited all of their US-based buyers over the age of 21 to pay it forward and nominate someone special in their life to receive a digital crown collectible. For every digital collectible acquired until December 31, of which there are 75,000 available, one signature Crown Royal bag will be prepared and delivered as a holiday care package to active American military members currently on duty overseas.
This act of giving is tied into the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project, an initiative in coordination with Packages From Home. While philanthropy, both by businesses and individuals, seems to have been at an all-time low this year, Crown Royal’s digital initiative connected to a real-life experience is a noteworthy way of adding value to a virtual experience.
“Our mission is to activate in a way that inspires generosity all year round,” said senior vice president of Diageo’s whiskeys portfolio in North America Sophie Kelly in a press statement.
By connecting its first digital collectible to the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project, the beverage brand is removing the physical barrier for people looking to contribute to the charitable initiative. Additionally, a digital wallet is not required, which means claiming a digital collectible of your own is yet another step simpler than expected.
The digital collectible, a crown, was created by visual and motion designer Adam Verhasselt who has experience with NFTs, studio photography and video production.
"Nothing feels better than making something amazing and creating experiences that 'wow' people. Being able to partner with Crown Royal to use this art to help give back makes it even more fulfilling,” added Verhasselt.
This is one in a series of charitable initiatives that Crown Royal has organized, always putting the most generous people in our communities (often placed on the sidelines) in focus. Previously, they released a charity-based advertising campaign partnered with Uber Eats to reward delivery drivers who worked tirelessly during NFL games.
Keep generosity and others in mind this season and don’t forget to pay it forward!
