Q.
2022 is being called the “year of NFTs”. Whether that’s the case or not, NFTs are proving to be divisive. How do you hope to straddle that particular knife edge?
Mario R. Kroll, UberStrategist: NFTs inherently are not good or bad, and painting the entire industry with the same brush, as some editors have done quite publicly, isn’t very helpful. As an agency, we’re carefully selecting clients in the space that we want to work with. We think that the technology and its applications will evolve to ultimately add value to gaming and entertainment. In addition to educating our clients, we’re also brainstorming with them on ways to truly add value to our industry and how to minimise the tech’s negative aspects.
Julia Herd, Five in a Boat: I have spent hours and hours debating the opportunities and constraints surrounding NFTs and the truth is, while I can certainly see the benefits and understand the hype, I still have a large question mark over whether NTFs are sustainable. Regardless, Five in a Boat has found itself at the intersection of NFTs based on the sectors in which we predominantly operate – gaming and music. We straddle it by supporting the growth of this sector while simultaneously providing consultancy that focuses on how NFTs fit with broader business objectives in driving maximum value for both our clients and the sectors in which they operate. If we and they can’t demonstrate real value then, regardless of what everyone else is doing, perhaps it is not the right route forward for that particular company.
Stefano Petrullo, Renaissance: A lot of people are jumping on the new bandwagon, however I suggest caution. The analogy with the knife is particularly spot on. In principle it is not the tool that is wrong but its use. I personally am not a fan of NFTs as I do not see the value for gamers and forcing this type of monetisation has already generated controversies and public u-turns from various players in the industry.
Kirsty Endfield, Swipe Right: In the last few months we’ve had a number of companies approach us to help them launch their NFT. It isn’t something we’re adverse to doing but right now it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, and we’ve paid attention to a number of press who have said they’re tired of being pitched new NFTs. Even reputable companies are being ridiculed for jumping on the bandwagon. But this isn’t something we can ignore and it can be valuable for an agency to be early adopters. Swipe Right was originally formed around esports at a time when many didn’t see it growing to the scale it has, so it pays to be open-minded. Our approach right now is to learn about the technology and examine each opportunity as it presents itself.
Mike Hendrixen, Vertigo 6: We are keeping an eye on how the possibilities that NFTs offer will be utilised in the gaming industry. The technology offers many new opportunities for collectibles and cosmetics, as well as pre- order incentives. However, we also consider that not all gaming companies wish to identify with the speculative characteristics of NFTs. Also, brands need to give up control of their IP by offering content that is tradeable outside of the company platforms.
Stu Taylor, Dead Good: I’m comfortable with Dead Good losing business when I say that we will not PR anything NFT-related. NFTs are like the new “here’s a certificate to prove that you own a star in the galaxy” fad. We love games and want to continue PR’ing them, and have no interest in the latest virtual snake oil scam that bring nothing of value to the actual experience of playing games. You know, for fun.
“I’m comfortable with Dead Good losing business when I say that we will not PR anything NFT-related” Stu Taylor
CEO, Dead Good Media 50 | MCV/DEVELOP February 2022
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