The Bored Apes have taken over everything from cereal boxes to movies, and a new collaboration signals their reign isn’t coming to an end soon. Old Navy has revealed a partnership with Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), creating a gender-neutral T-shirt alongside the NFT project. The design depicts Bored Ape #7285 atop a heather gray background color referred to by the brand as “Bored Ape.”
As the Ape shown has been licensed by Old Navy, its shirts are not one-of-one and can be purchased in numerous quantities and sizes. Each tee is priced at $18.99, making it some of the cheapest Bored Ape memorabilia around — the Apes themselves have sold for up to $3.4 million. It should be noted that the licensed graphic tee, made of 100 percent cotton, is not linked to a digital counterpart or NFT. The short-sleeved design is now available online through Old Navy’s parent company Gap.
This is only the beginning —
Old Navy’s collaboration with BAYC is only the start of its NFT-related partnerships. Tapping into the hype (and profit) surrounding the metaverse, the brand reportedly plans to include six different Bored Apes, 11 Mutant Apes, one CryptoPunk, and six CloneX NFTs from RTFKT in its Old Navy collection this season. It’s unclear whether the brand’s upcoming designs will also appear on licensed T-shirts.
Other retailers are getting into web3 too: fast-fashion giant Fashion Nova recently released its own Bored Ape tee, while Pretty Little Thing, The Hundreds, and Chinese sportswear brand Li Ning have all partnered with BAYC. Adidas currently boasts what may be the largest fashion collaboration with the NFT project, debuting wearable items for blockchain-based gaming and real-life apparel alongside its own NFTs.
As the metaverse becomes a new focal point for retail, NFT-related apparel is expected to become increasingly popular. Businesses are already preparing: earlier this month, blockchain accelerator Mouse Belt Labs launched its Boredjobs marketplace and claims a whopping 10,000 BAYC NFTs will soon be listed on its website for brands to browse through and “indicate interest in hiring for campaigns.”
The decision on whether or not to license an individual Bored Ape lies solely within its owner’s discretion, although collaboration offers are a great way for BAYC owners to monetize their monkeys. As much as the world scoffed at NFTs being an investment, we’re now witnessing the digital collectibles transition to full-on brands with the potential for profit.
