CAA Signs Cool Cats, Extending Its Ecosystem Beyond Collectible NFTs
Companies Will Create New Opportunities in Such Areas as Licensing and Merchandising, Animation, Brand Partnerships, Live Events, Publishing, and More
LOS ANGELES & TAMPA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Art–Leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has signed Cool Cats, producers of the widely known Cool Cats and Cool Pets NFT collections. In collaboration with the gamified NFT company, the agency will identify and create opportunities for Cool Cats characters across an array of areas, including licensing and merchandising, animated content, brand partnerships, live events, publishing, and more. The relationship marks the next step in Cool Cats’ rapid maturation of the massive Cooltopia NFT gaming ecosystem. The original Cool Cats NFTs debuted on the Ethereum blockchain in July 2021.
“The Cool Cats team has a bold vision to redefine what NFTs can be,” said Phil Quist of CAA. “We see tremendous opportunities for the characters and ecosystem, and are excited to work together to bridge the virtual and physical worlds, through art, entertainment, gaming, and so much more.”
Cool Cats Take Off
The original Cool Cats NFTs were based on a beloved cartoon character, Blue Cat, first drawn by Clon when he was in high school. As the character was refined over the years, and Clon connected with co-founders Evan Luza (aka elu), Tom Williamson, and Rob Mehew (aka Lynq), the initial Cool Cats NFT project was born.
Since its launch less than a year ago, Cool Cats has amassed the equivalent of $250 million in sales and is currently a Top 5 NFT collection worldwide, in terms of both popularity and sales volume. The first generation consists of 9,999 randomly assembled Cats from more than 300,000 total options. Each Cool Cat is composed of a unique body, hat, face, and outfit. There are currently more than 5,300 unique holders of Cool Cats. Several artists and corporate brands own Cool Cats, including Reese Witherspoon, TIME, Puma, Steve Aoki, Mario Bautista, Marc Benioff, and Alexis Ohanian, among others.
The instant popularity of Cool Cats recently led to the creation of Cool Pets, a collection of companion NFTs. They are among the industry’s first gamified NFTs to have their formation influenced by actions their owner takes throughout their developmental stages. There are more than 178 million unique combinations possible across a limited number of Cool Pets that live in Cooltopia.
“People have embraced our characters in such a way that we are inspired to continue creating, building, and extending the world of Cooltopia,” said Cool Cats Co-founder Colin Egan (aka Clon). “We want to deliver all kinds of positive experiences for community members to engage with our characters and with each other. CAA will help us make this possible with greater speed and reach.”
About CAA
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is the leading entertainment and sports agency, with global expertise in filmed and live entertainment, digital media, publishing, sponsorship sales and endorsements, media finance, consumer investing, fashion, trademark licensing, and philanthropy. Distinguished by its culture of collaboration and exceptional client service, CAA’s diverse workforce identifies, innovates, and amplifies opportunities for the people and organizations that shape culture and inspire the world. The trailblazer of the agency business, CAA was the first to build a sports business, create an investment bank, launch a venture fund, found technology start-up companies, establish a philanthropic arm, build a business in China, and form a brand marketing services division, among other innovations. Named Most Valuable Sports Agency by Forbes for eight consecutive years, CAA represents more than 2,000 of the world’s top athletes in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, in addition to coaches, on-air broadcasters, and sports personalities and works in the areas of broadcast rights, corporate marketing initiatives, social impact, and sports properties for sales and sponsorship opportunities. Founded in 1975, CAA is headquartered in Los Angeles, and has offices in New York, Nashville, Memphis, Chicago, Miami, London, Munich, Geneva, Stockholm, Shanghai, and Beijing, among other locations globally. For more information, please visit www.caa.com.
About Cool Cats
Founded in 2021 by artists and blockchain enthusiasts, Cool Cats introduced a collection of programmatically, randomly generated NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. Since that time, Cool Cats has emerged as a leader and one of the most trusted creators in the overall NFT community. To further its leadership position, Cool Cats will be introducing powerful new NFT and gaming experiences, such as Cool Pets and others, throughout 2022 and beyond. Find out more at https://www.coolcatsnft.com/.
Contacts
Amber Moore
GMK Communications for Cool Cats
amber@gmkcommunications.com