Havaianas: The Hidden Treasures Program
Leveraging local artists with Web3 technology
KEYWORDS
Art, Design, Future, Social Impact, Technology
SUMMARY
The Hidden Treasures Program is an initiative designed for the Havaianas brand that combines social responsibility with the profiting world of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). The development and support of local Brazilian artisans and designers are essential to the Havaianas brand. In a country where the Arts are especially underfunded, The Hidden Treasures Program seeks to develop underprivileged artists and give them a worldwide platform by featuring their designs on Havaianas sandals, as well as selling them in an NFT collection. Artists and NFT holders alike will receive royalties from every sandal sold of their design in the physical collection, available at all Havaianas stores. With other brands like Adidas making an instant $23 million off their first NFT collection, the added value of the artist program is sure to capture the curiosity of consumers, increase Havaianas' international market share, and drive this initiative to even further levels of success.
challenge
Out of all the challenging parts of this process, the main one would be communicating the project’s idea in a clear and concise way to a public outside of the NFT community. NFTs are still a relatively new concept and, for many, their use remains a mystery. I found it challenging getting to the crux of my project without taking the appropriate time to explain how it’s used by brands essentially as a marketing technique. In a project where so many stakeholders are involved; Havaianas, local Brazilian artists, NFT buyers, and the Havaianas customer, it’s hard to pitch the project in simple words while showcasing how everyone can win from this. Even after careful consideration of all the logistics and financials, I have to admit my project still feels like a far-fetched dream (but hopefully not one so out of reach).
Outcome
In its culmination, the project defined every step of the way to launch The Havaianas Hidden Treasures Program and Collection. The deliverable consists of a strategic plan outlining artist search and selection, artist and community development, and physical and digital product development until its final step: the physical and NFT collection release. It details Havaianas’ history as a Brazilian brand, about the program, and its mission statement. The plan includes the logistic and financial breakdowns of the NFT collection, as well as preliminary prototypes.
