Nike has launched .SWOOSH, a new digital community and experience which is a home for Nike virtual creations and uses blockchain-powered technology – or what many call “web3” – to offer an inclusive, equitable place for athletes, creators, collectors and consumers to design and own the future of sport.
To ensure it is a safe, trusted space, .SWOOSH has its own domain. There, Nike Members will be able to learn about and collect virtual creations, which are typically interactive digital objects, such as virtual shoes or jerseys, that community members will soon be able to wear in digital games and immersive experiences. In some instances, community members will be able to unlock access to physical product or events like intimate conversations with athletes or designers.
"This approach meets consumers wherever they play and shop sport and offers a gateway into a new digital arena", says Ron Faris, GM of Nike Virtual Studios. "We are shaping a marketplace of the future with an accessible platform for the web3-curious. In this new space, the .SWOOSH community and Nike can create, share, and benefit together."
Starting with the United States, Europe will follow
For now, .SWOOSH is in beta, with registration to join opening later this month. For the rest of this year, Nike will grow the platform by inviting in a community that is as diverse and equitable as possible. That means prioritizing local communities that Nike supports across its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, starting with the United States and select countries in Europe, and skill-building with them so that they’re ready to participate.
In 2023 Nike will debut its first digital collection, shaped by the platform's community. Shortly after the first digital collection drops, members will be able to enter a community challenge to win the opportunity to co-create virtual product with Nike. Those winners can earn a royalty on the virtual product they help co-create.
The point: to expand the definition of sport – and serve its future – by democratizing the web3 experience so that everyone can collect, create and own a piece of this new digital world.
