‘Deadpool 2’ Jumps On The Digital Collectibles Bandwagon
What does ta foul-mouthed mercenary character like Deadpool have in common with the All-American Major League Baseball?
Both have tapped into the phenomenon of digital collectibles.
20th Century Fox partnered with Santa Monica-based Atom Tickets to issue limited-edition Deadpool 2 digital posters to promote the film. When a movie-goer purchased a ticket, he or she received a code to redeem one of four original pieces of art created for the campaign.
Eventually, these items could be traded, like any other collectible, on the Ethereum blockchain.
Jonas Hudson’s firm, Greenfence Consumer, created an application that allowed consumers to redeem the collectible without learning the intricacies of cryptocurrency.
“You don’t have to know anything about Ethereum, you don’t have to understand the digital wallet, all you have to do is redeem your code,” said Hudson. “You’re sent an email, confirm it and receive a great collectible.”
Hudson said the technology was so easy to use, roughly one third of consumers participated in the promotion. Later this year, the company plans to launch a marketplace, called the GFT Exchange, where consumers could buy and sell digital collectibles with cryptocurrency or a credit card.
Greenfence CMO Mimi Slavin, who previously worked as head of global marketing partnerships at Dreamworks Animation, said the company seeks to address a common concern among studio marketers who worry about releasing pristine digital assets into the world.
“I can’t tell you how many times we would be three months out from a film opening and a partner, like McDonald’s, would say, ‘Can we get something for our app?’ The minute we put that out, everyone has it,” said Slavin, of her days working in film promotions. “We had no way to protect something that could easily be copied and shared.”
Greenfence wraps content like the Deadpool 2 art in software lock designed to prevent unauthorized copying. The item’s authenticity is verified by the Ethereum blockchain, a powerful global network of computers designed to maintain a redundant record of each digital asset.
“Like any collectible, its the value is based on the scarcity, velocity and the ability to prove it’s authentic,” Slavin said. “It ultimately will be determined by the open market.”
Related stories
SXSW Entry 'Perfect' Acquired By Blockchain Studio SingularDTV
Blockchain Email Banned By Mailchimp Service, Denting Fundraising
Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
