Pharrell Williams curates digital wearables for NFT project Doodles

It’s a step toward the two-part universe Doodles is working to create. It’s part real-world lifestyle brand wherein people use Doodles as a social identity and community-builder; to communicate on Twitter; meet in-person; and create derivative artwork with the characters. And there’s a parallel, fictional character world-driven IP. “Those two worlds will crash into each other at times,” Doodles CEO Julian Holguin says. “Where we bring brands and celebrities [like Williams] into the Doodles universe.” 

Williams joined Doodles as its chief brand officer in June 2022. He brings his fashion connections to the NFT platform: Williams is the co-founder of Billionaire Boys Club and has collaborated with Adidas in the past. His fashion profile skyrocketed in February, when Louis Vuitton named Williams as its next men’s creative director, filling the role left vacant when Virgil Abloh died in 2021. It’s one of the industry’s most high-profile design roles, thanks in large part to Abloh’s revered legacy, and how the multi-hyphenate Williams approaches the job will be closely watched. A highly visible NFT launch in the months leading up to his debut at Louis Vuitton (his first collection will show in June) raises questions about whether or not Williams’s interest in the space will carry over to the luxury house. 

Louis Vuitton was early to experiment with NFTs in the past. In August 2021, it launched Louis: The Game, which rewarded players with the chance to win NFTs. The following April, Louis Vuitton doubled down by adding new quests and rewards to the game app. The brand has been quiet on the NFT front since.

Williams’s profile is sure to raise Doodle’s. “As a collector, you’ll be able to get your hands on the stuff Pharrell likes to wear,” Holguin says. “It’s the first time you see a major arbiter of culture brought into our universe.”

“Art and technology have been two of the most transformational influences on me,” Williams says. “Doodles is bringing these two worlds together in an immersive universe.”

Rewarding community engagement

OG holders must complete a series of actions to enter the raffle for the chance to be airdropped a pack. These engagement metrics include using a “Dooplicator” to create first-edition Doodles wearables, opening a “Genesis box” to create second-edition wearables and signing up for a Stoodio account. To start, it’s about rewarding the core community. However, if someone were to discover Doodles by a Pharrell social media post, or an Icecream hoodie, a newcomer could complete the required tasks, Holguin says.