Bomb Squad mixes sales experience and NFT drop for charity
David Krovblit’s art often gives objects a different meaning. For example, the Toronto-based artist’s Fabergé grenades take tools of warfare and turn them into works of art. Now, his grenade art will be featured in the Bomb Squad NFT launch in collaboration with packaging and accessories brand Clikbo Labs, with a portion of the sales going to an anti-violence campaign.
Non-fungible tokens (or NFTS) are digital assets, such as a digital painting or online collectible, that are one-of-akind. Demand for them exploded in early 2021, pushing the NFT marketplace Opensea to a record sales volume of US$1.9 billion in August alone. As the NFT trend picks up steam, more people are looking to get on board.
That’s why Noah Shopsowitz, the chief executive and founder of Clikbo Labs, is plunging into the space with the Bomb Squad NFTS in collaboration with Krovblit’s work. The NFTS feature decorative hand grenades on small collectible carrying cases, building on Krovblit’s brand of Fabergé grenades.
Bomb Squad’s goal is to combine a retail experience with NFTS: the personal carrying cases will be available across convenience and specialty stores as well as for online purchase and will connect with a digital NFT asset.
A portion of the proceeds will go toward the non-profit domestic violence awareness group People Against Violence Org., with the flow of donations being controlled by the NFT.
Shopsowitz, who is also the son of Sam Shopsowitz of Shopsy’s delicatessen fame, told the Financial Post that the project is a way to combine his background in consumer retail with the booming NFT trend while working for a good cause.
“This way, we feel we’re going to create a much bigger community for the charity, for the artist, and our brand becomes associated with something that will hopefully be perceived as good for the public,” Shopsowitz said.
Shopsowitz added there was a clear roadmap in place, with a contract between the NFT owner and creator certifying the originality of the art and confirming that it is a limited-edition product. After working out a few technical and legal aspects surrounding the use of copyrights, Shopsowitz hopes to have the Bomb Squad NFTS off the ground later this year just in time for the Christmas season.
Shopsowitz said the NFT world us successfully navigating through the technical challenges and skepticism of creating new marketplaces, and that its potential to forge communities is limitless.
“I think it’s gonna be a community-builder, and that’s sort of the hope with our Bomb Squad is that it travels all over the world in every country,” he said.