Los Angeles-based MeUndies no doubt thought it was doing something to up its relevance to its young customer when it took to Twitter on Thursday (January 27, 2021) to proudly announce it had purchased a Yuga Labs Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT. Rather than celebrating the news, the brand’s followers responded in anger and dismay with many declaring they were quitting the brand and defecting to competitors.
A sustainably-sourced brand, MeUndies has built a loyal following by offering inclusive sizing and gender fluid campaigns through a subscription model. Through its charitable MeUndies platform, the company also donates a portion of profits to a rotating group of organizations currently including Los Angeles LGBT Center and the Body Positive.
Given the brand’s Gen Z friendly DNA, it’s not incredibly surprising there would be push back on an NFT, especially one as controversial as BAYC. While Yuga Labs’ founder has vehemently denied the claims, BAYC was recently accused by creative director Ryder Ripps as using symbols referencing Nazi symbols.
In addition to complaints about BAYC, customers were put off by the disconnect between the brand pushing for sustainability while investing in NFTs, which are known to have a large carbon footprint. “The irony of a company that boasts about their use of Planet Friendly materials joining in on a scam that uses a disgusting about of wasted energy to mint Pretend Money is too much for me. This ends my relationship with your company,” summed up Twitter user @prinxeMu.
MeUndies hasn’t removed the BAYC post nor has it responded to the uproar. At the same time, it hasn’t revealed news of the purchase on any other channel or its website. While many companies are jumping into the NFT space, the reaction to the BAYC purchase by MeUndies, which has worked so hard to build a connection its audience, indicates the NFT space isn’t as one size fits all as companies may believe.
We couldn’t keep this primate—sorry, private. #BAYC #apefollowape @BoredApeYC pic.twitter.com/2OueChlQap
— MeUndies (@MeUndies) January 27, 2022
