Adidas just put its Bored Ape NFT with Messi, and Benzema in its World Cup advert

November 22, 2022

By Sharan Kaur Phillora

Adidas’ long association with the FIFA World Cup continues, this time with a crypto twist. In a recent advertising film, the sports brand used its Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) figure dubbed Indigo Herz alongside footballing luminaries such as Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema.

Here’s what we know:

Yuga Labs, the firm that created BAYC, gives holders complete intellectual property rights to utilize the characters for commercial purposes. As with traditional logos or naming rights, Adidas has a complete license to use its Ape NFT across physical and digital items, from sports jerseys and footwear to retail.

In a recent promotional trailer, Adidas included its Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) character, Indigo Herz, along with ace footballers Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema. Herz was shown on a cereal box of ‘Indigoooooals’ which depicted that Benzema eats goals for breakfast. British rapper Stormzy narrated the video and also made a cameo at the end of the video as the one driving the players to the tournament.

Adidas bought Indigo Herz, also known as BAYC #8774, in September 2021 for 46 Ethereum. In a way, this shows us what the future of advertising will involve, with large brands using their NFT products in their marketing campaigns.

This isn’t the first instance when a Bored Ape has been part of a campaign or advertisement. Bored & Hungry, California based restaurant, also adopted Bored Ape #6184 to promote its menu and for advertising.

About the author

Sharan Kaur Phillora’s thirst for knowledge has led her to study many different subjects, including NFTs and Blockchain technology – two emerging technologies that will change how we interact with each other in the future. When she isn’t exploring a new idea or concept, she enjoys reading literary masterpieces.