Movember Drops 'Non-Fungible Testicles,' NFTs You Check Monthly for Changes
A series of NFTs from men's health charity Movember encourages guys to check their balls online and IRL.
Here, NFT stands for "non-fungible testicles." Available starting April 26 on the Solana blockchain and priced at $75, proceeds support cancer research.
Developed by agency MRM and art collective Mishka, the 8,000 tokens evolve, acquiring hats, glasses, funky hairdos, funny expression and more. But they only do so when checked at regular intervals, reminding owners to probe their real testicles for changes that could indicate disease. Left unchecked, the NFTs lose traits over time.
"Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men, yet 62 percent of those who are most at risk don't know how to check themselves," says MRM executive creative director Jesse Potack. "So, we took an innovative and culturally relevant approach to get guys in the habit of regularly checking their balls—with 'non-fungible testicles.' The name was just serendipitous."
Unzipped for Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, the project drops today, and its creators believe the changeable nature of the tokens will help them "stand out in the crowded NFT marketplace and instill a healthy habit to help save a life," Potack says.
How often should folks examine the goods?
"NFT owners are meant to check in on their 'non-fungible testicles' once a month," says Tina Braun, MRM group account director. "The first check-in is June 1, and they will have a 72-hour window. And then again July 1. You can lose traits if you do not do the two check-ins. Those checking in will receive bonus traits that they can accept or decline."
Potack adds: "There is a common misconception that NFTs are only limited to art. Truth is, NFTs have various applications, including sports, music, video games, entertainment and more. We saw an opportunity to expand that reach into the world of health by adding a layer of gamification, utility and charity."
Recent NFT excursions of note include an effort to help free Egyptian women jailed for defaulting on loans, tokens given as birthday gifts to 575 gamers in China, and a "Non-Fungible Thoroughbreds" tourism push in Lexington, Ky. Last month, at SXSW, Preacher fused the digital and tactile worlds with an exhibit of NFT-inspired artwork benefitting Ukraine through donations to the International Rescue Committee.
CREDITS
Agency: MRM New York
Client: Movember
Production: MRM New York
Illustrator: MISHKA NYC
Edit House: Versus
Movember
Dan Cooper: Director of Global Innovations
Tom D'Souza: Global Innovation Manager
Tomasz Pozniak: Innovation Coordinator
Briony FitzGerald: PR Manager
MRM
Ronald Ng: Global Chief Creative Officer
Harsh Kapadia: Chief Creative Officer
Jesse Potack: Executive Creative Director
Sascha Piltz: Group Creative Director
Ronnie Ting: Head of Design and Experiences
Jeff Carvahlo: Cultural Anthropologist
Courtney Pozzi: Senior UX Designer
Kesley Bassini: Senior Designer
Colleen Brach: Senior Copywriter
Vic Parizzotto: Senior Art Director
Yashashree Samant: Copywriter
David Maietta: Associate Director Technology
Victor Tafro: Senior Developer
Rachel Max, VP,: Director of Art Production
Cynthia Lin: Senior Digital Producer
Sam Milgrim: Senior Producer
Ben Dayton: Associate Director of Strategy
Tina Braun: Group Account Director
Andrew Bryson: Management Supervisor
Nolan Grumley: CFO
Mishka
Greg Rivera: President
Mike Jones: Illustrator
Versus
Justin Barnes: Creative Director
Rob Meyers: Executive Producer
Steven Lambiase: Producer
Doug Escamilha: Animators
Tim McKee: Animators
