Rekt Drinks bought out its whole batch of flavored glowing water—the agency’s first-ever product launch—in beneath 48 hours of launch earlier this month. Ovie Faruq (aka OSF), the co-founder of Rekt Manufacturers, believes this proves that the crypto trade’s observe document of constructing communities additionally lends itself to promoting bodily merchandise.
“In my view, Web3 ideas help you construct a model and IP in an accelerated style, which creates a window of alternative to do one thing huge,” Faruq advised Decrypt.
Rekt Manufacturers and the beverage line spawned from an Ethereum NFT undertaking referred to as Rektguy, from which a group has been sustained for two-and-a-half years. They then launched a podcast referred to as Rekt Radio with the co-founders Faruq and Mando, in addition to pseudonymous dealer Keyboard Monkey, beneath the Rug Radio banner. Lastly, they launched Rekt Drinks.
(Disclosure: Rug Radio is a sister firm of Decrypt. Ovie Faruq’s Canary Labs can be an investor in DASTAN, the dad or mum firm of Rug Radio and Decrypt.)
A document breaking launch.
222k cans bought.
Below 48 hours.
32 international locations. pic.twitter.com/TqkPmEuiI6
— Rekt Drinks (@rektdrinks) November 2, 2024
“It is taken us virtually 18 months from our preliminary concept to full product launch, so it’s extremely relieving to see a theoretical concept really develop into profitable in follow,” Faruq mentioned. “It is game-changing for the way forward for Rekt. We have gone from being simply an artwork undertaking with a powerful group to a fully-fledged model with the power to generate actual revenues outdoors of Web3.”
The “Liquidated Lime” drink is glowing water flavored with a touch of lime and pineapple. Rekt’s branding boasts that it is freed from each caffeine and alcohol, positioning itself as a beverage for social events when you do not need to get drunk—or “rekt,” as its promoting comically quips.
There are numerous beverage manufacturers on the market, however Rekt Drinks was in a position to leverage the prevailing Web3 group to maneuver preliminary product and construct some buzz across the launch.
“Conventional startups might have a fantastic product, however they usually battle to get off the bottom as they’ve an absence of group or present buyer base,” Faruq advised Decrypt. “Conversely, Web3 excels at fostering die-hard communities.”
One of the profitable drink launches lately is Prime, led by YouTubers-turned-boxers KSI and Logan Paul. Whereas not Web3-native, the drinks bought out upon launch and had been in demand due to the 2 influencers’ cultlike followings, with followers queued at retailers to get their fingers on the drinks.
Whereas Rekt believes it has a powerful group, it’s not practically as giant because the 40 million subscribers that KSI and Logan Paul collectively command.
Rekt Drinks have bought out. Picture: Rekt Manufacturers.
On this absence, Rekt engaged its group utilizing a rewards system that feels native to Web3 audiences. By finishing social duties (corresponding to liking a tweet or following an account), buying Rekt Drinks, or proudly owning explicit NFT collections, customers earned DRANK factors.
For now, what these factors will add as much as is unclear. Faruq wouldn’t remark particularly on the subject, citing authorized causes.
Nevertheless, this can be a related viral mechanic that helped push the success of the tap-to-earn style, as Telegram video games encourage customers to share initiatives socially in change for factors. What these factors will add as much as is usually unknown early on, however finally the factors sometimes decide what number of tokens gamers will obtain in an airdrop.
No matter whether or not Rekt could have a future airdrop or not, the launch of its drink is being billed as a hit, with 222,000 cans of Liquidated Lime bought throughout 32 international locations in lower than two days.
“I genuinely imagine we now have one thing actually particular with Rekt,” Faruq advised Decrypt, “and the truth that we have been in a position to obtain what we now have from a free mint initially of a two-year bear market is a testomony to how loyal and die-hard our group is.”
Edited by Andrew Hayward
