Gucci, Yuga Labs to launch 3,333 phygital pendants

Gucci has announced that it will release the Gucci KodaPendant series as part of its partnership with Yuga Labs, the company behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection.

Previously, on March 27, the luxury brand took to Twitter to announce a partnership with Yuga Labs to release “phygital” goods that can be owned in both physical and digital forms. The announcement came with an illustration of a bottle embezzled with Gucci and Yuga Labs branding. The deal intends to increase engagement “by exploring the intersection between style and leisure within the metaverse.”

Gucci revealed that it would appear in Otherside, the NFT-based virtual world inhabited by creatures created by Yuga Labs called Kodas. However, it is still not fully known whether this species has a direct connection to the titular apes of the BAYC. The ape-themed metaverse itself is in development and will be available for PC and mobile browsers.

The Gucci KodaPendant will be released as a homage to the origins of Otherside. This limited-edition collection of physical Gucci products and associated NFTs will tie to the lore of the metaverse.

A total of 3,333 pendants will be available in digital and physical form, serving as a metadata upgrade for Koda or Vessel NFT. Buyers will also receive a corresponding physical Gucci jewelry necklace at no additional cost. Each pendant comes with “GG,” short for “Good Game,” engrained on the front and a unique edition number on the back.

As explained by Yuga Labs, the pendants will unlock unique cosmetic customizations for Otherside avatars. Unfortunately, the pendants are only available for shipping to several countries — the United States, Canada, most European nations, Japan and a select number of Gulf states.

Koda or Vessel NFT holders can purchase the product using ApeCoin, Yuga’s native cryptocurrency, as soon as Thursday and receive a pendant trait permanently added to their NFTs after purchase. It costs 450 APE or $1,917 in physical money.

Previously, 10,000 Koda NFTs were embedded among the 100,000 Otherdeeds — NFTs that grant rights to virtual land plots within the game’s virtual landscape — last year. This means KodaPendants will be available for purchase by any Otherdeed holder.

Fashion and metaverse

Aside from Gucci, multiple luxury houses have launched their own NFT collections and immersive experience in the metaverse, including Louis Vuitton and Prada.

In August 2021, Louis Vuitton released Louis: The Game, which allows users to explore the virtual world to search for NFTs alongside a character named Vivienne. Launched to celebrate the brand’s 200th anniversary, the game has amassed over two million downloads since then.

Similarly, Prada dropped the latest addition to its Time Capsule NFT collection on January 5. The collection strengthened Prada’s presence in Web3 and the world of NFTs, offering unique experiences to its exclusive Crypted NFT community on Discord.

By experimenting with the metaverse, these brands express their desire to explore the platform’s potential for selling digital goods and services. Through owning an NFT, players have the ability to showcase both in-game and real-life costumes.