Lacoste’s crocodile NFTs grant access to digital and real-life products

Malls may soon be replaced with the metaverse. Brands including Nike, Gucci, Adidas, New Balance, Victoria’s Secret, and even McDonald’s have already joined Web3, and they don’t seem to be the last.

Lacoste is now launching its own online experience called UNDW3. The project arrives shortly after the company’s first immersion into the digital space, a Lacoste-inspired digital island hosted by Minecraft.

UNDW3 — pronounced “underwater,” naturally — will only be accessible to those who procure a Lacoste NFT during upcoming drops. The NFTs, which feature the brand’s emblematic crocodile emerging from some water, have an initial cost of 0.08 ETH (around $100 right now) each and are limited to 11,212 pieces in honor of the L1212 polo shirt created by Lacoste’s founder René Lacoste.

Go for a (virtual) swim — Owning one of the brand’s NFTs gives people access to Lacoste’s Web3 universe, something the brand called “a long-term collaborative community” in a press release. Users will be able to shop co-created products created exclusively for UNDW3 and interact with other users. More “digital, physical, and experiential benefits” are also heading to the digital world soon, Lacoste said. As of now, UNDW3 serves as a space for NFT collectors and Lacoste fans to overlap.

“UNDW3 attests to our desire to accompany the phenomenon of decentralization driven by Web3,” said Catherine Spindler, chief brand officer of Lacoste, in a statement. “[This project] bears witness to our ambitions in this area as well as to the power of our brand: to bring together our communities and connect cultures around the crocodile… by proposing an experiential, interactive, and co-creative universe, in the image of Lacoste's creativity and avant-gardism.”

Dip a toe in the water — There’s more to look forward to from UNDW3 in the “next few seasons,” the brand says, but people should first focus on obtaining their entry tickets: Lacoste’s first drop of NFTs takes place on June 14 through on a website for UNDW3. There, people can enter a raffle to win one of the crocodile NFTs, with the winners announced on June 15 at 10:12 ET.

More NFT releases will take place later in the year in case you miss out, although Lacoste hasn’t announced the next date. Depending on the first drop’s demand, it could be a while (crocodile) until you get a second chance.