Unlike reported issues with the company's physical shoe supply, virtual
sneakers may not be limited by real world problems stemming from the
pandemic.
Sports footwear and apparel manufacturer Nike is exploring the design of virtual materials featuring its iconic logo and slogan.
According to records submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday, Nike has filed applications
for its namesake, swoosh logo and "just do it" slogan to be used in
virtual goods for its entertainment services, retail stores and "for use
online and in online virtual worlds." The filings, along with two
recent job postings for virtual material designers, suggest the company is laying the groundwork for Nike-branded products in the metaverse.
Nike said
the prospective employees would “play a key role in redefining our
digital world, ushering us into the metaverse.” They would join a team
of virtual material designers in the company’s Digital Product Creation
group to create virtual footwear and other products.
The apparel company seems to have launched its foray into the metaverse in advance of Facebook’s rebranding announcement
on Thursday. The social media giant said it would create a virtual
environment connecting online social experiences to the physical world.
Though
Nike is seemingly advancing its metaverse plans at the same time as
Facebook, it has previously delved into nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, and
other crypto-related ventures. In 2019, the company patented a system
for tokenizing its CryptoKicks shoes on the Ethereum blockchain.
However,
the company already has some competition in the metaverse. Sneaker
brand RTFKT Studios has released both virtual and physical footwear and
obtained the backing of Andreessen Horowitz, Galaxy Digital, and others
in an $8-million fundraising round in May.
Related: “We are building for the metaverse” says Meta VP Nick Clegg
While Nike’s virtual offerings may not be affected by the global supply chain issues, the company has reported
issues with delivering on its physical products, including a dearth of
shipping containers, staffing problems, and other pandemic-related
restrictions affecting workflow. Indonesia and Vietnam are responsible
for the majority of Nike’s physical shoe production, but the virtual
offerings may be created entirely at its Oregon headquarters.
source link : https://cointelegraph.com/news/nike-trademark-applications-and-job-posting-hint-at-joining-the-metaverse
