Today Papa Johns, one of the largest pizza chains in the world, launched its first non-fungible token (NFT) collection of 19,840 NFT Hot Bags. The Hot Bags will include nine different bag designs and will be made available periodically on several dates in early March. The NFTs can be claimed for free.
Designed by artists Tom Hoff and Ash Sketch, the Papa Johns NFT Hot Bags were minted on the Tezos blockchain. Due to its proof-of-stake mechanism, the Tezos blockchain is more energy-efficient than alternatives like Ethereum, which currently uses a proof-of-work consensus protocol. This could enable environmentally conscious consumers to feel more comfortable with participating in Papa Johns’ NFT launch. Ubisoft previously cited the Tezos blockchain’s environmentally-friendly approach as a key reason for participating in the Tezos ecosystem.
Papa Johns’ Hot Bags were initially launched for sale as physical bags on peer-to-peer fashion marketplace Depop. Not wanting to miss out on the NFT hype, the pizza chain has brought these bags to the metaverse.
“There is so much global hype surrounding NFTs right now, but not everyone understands what they are or how to get one,” said VP of International Marketing at Papa Johns, Jo Blundell. “That’s why Papa Johns is delighted to be bringing NFTs into the mainstream, making them available for pizza fans, digital art collectors and meta-professionals alike. In the short time it takes to order a pizza, people can get their hands on one of nine uber-cool NFT hot bag designs.”
This is not the first time Papa Johns has used blockchain-related marketing tactics to promote its brand. The pizza chain previously ran a promotion in the UK offering £10 ($13.12) worth of free Bitcoin to customers spending £30 ($39.36) or more on their orders. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority banned ads for this promotional campaign, claiming that it encouraged consumers to make high-risk investments.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s joined the NFT trend with the launch of limited edition NFTs to celebrate the return of its McRib sandwich. And Pepsi entered web3 with the launch of Pepsi Mic Drop, an NFT collection on the Ethereum blockchain based on the brand’s pop culture theme.
