THE STORY OF $6 MILLION WORTH OF POPCORN - Popcorn in the shape of a human.

popcornwin (31)in #meme • 2 days ago (edited)

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This may look like an ordinary snack, but it’s actually the beginning of a unique story. The popcorn kernel you see in the image has been transformed by nature’s random yet perfect touch into a cute figure resembling a human face. In the summer of 2021, a journey that started with a single popcorn kernel led me into the world of NFTs and blockchain, full of surprises. This one kernel would grab the attention of global brands and inspire a project valued at $6 million.

The Popcorn NFT Journey

My story began in the summer of 2021, on what was supposed to be an ordinary movie night. I made some popcorn, put it in a bowl, and sat in front of the TV. While eating the popcorn, one kernel caught my attention. Its shape was so unique that it looked like a human face with a cute smile. I could have easily eaten it without noticing, but I stopped to think: What could I do with this popcorn?

After doing some research, I discovered that in the past, uniquely shaped foods had been sold at auctions for astronomical prices. So, I decided to photograph this extraordinary popcorn using my phone’s macro mode to highlight its details, and I launched an auction on eBay.

To make the auction stand out, I named it “Michael Jackson Popcorn.” The first few days were quiet, but eventually, the first bid came in: $100. Seeing this offer excited me. I rushed to my computer, logged into eBay, and saw that the price had already jumped to $500. Every time I refreshed the page, the bids kept climbing. After a small bidding war, the final price for the popcorn kernel reached $10,100.

At that time, NFTs were gaining popularity worldwide. Particularly, PFP (profile picture) projects were releasing collections with 10,000 unique images. Inspired by these projects, I decided to create my own NFT collection. My goal was to find 10,000 interesting-looking popcorn kernels.

This number is common in NFT collections as it appeals to a large audience and generates more attention. To reach my goal, I bought bags of popcorn and popped hundreds of thousands of kernels. However, this process was much more challenging than I expected. Finding uniquely shaped popcorn was nearly impossible, and I realized that achieving my target was not feasible. But I didn’t give up. I eventually found a few interesting-looking kernels, and with those, I created the “Popcorn Vibes” NFT collection.

Although I managed to create the collection, I realized too late how crucial public relations (PR) would be. I opened social media accounts to promote the collection and started posting regularly, but my posts were barely noticed. At the time, successful NFT projects were backed by influencers, media coverage, and PR firms. My posts, however, were getting lost among the millions of others.

When I realized that just posting on social media wasn’t enough for success, I began sending images of my collection to well-known global brands. I took a chance because even though the likelihood of getting noticed was low, I knew it was worth trying.

One of the emails I sent received a response on November 10, 2021. Charles Coristine, the CEO of Lesser Evil, a healthy snack brand, reached out. He said he wasn’t very familiar with NFTs but found the images of the popcorn intriguing, and he requested a meeting.

This development excited me, and I brought my friend and his brother, who had marketing expertise, into the process. During our first meeting, Charles was impressed when he saw the popcorn kernel and said there were many things we could do with it. He was fascinated by the possibilities.

Lesser Evil wanted to create a special NFT collection for their Gurus, the mascots featured in their branding. We worked with graphic designers to develop sample designs and presented them to the brand. After seven meetings, we finalized our project plan: 9,700 randomly generated Guru NFTs and 300 custom-designed NFTs. The brand planned to sell each NFT for $600, and according to our agreement, the profit would be split 50/50.

This partnership brought the value of the popcorn kernel to $6 million, and our team stood to earn $3 million from the project.

With Popcorn Coin, our community will be able to engage not only with NFTs but also with digital assets. Through this coin, users can purchase exclusive NFT drops, participate in community events, and win rewards in our games. Additionally, Popcorn Coin offers a promising opportunity for investors.

However, at that moment, in 2022, the crypto market and NFT market crashed dramatically. This sudden downturn ended all the excitement in the NFT space, and our collaboration with Lesser Evil also came to an end.

After this challenging period, I took a break for a while. But the entrepreneurial spirit inside me urged me not to give up. So, I decided to reimagine the project. In 2023 and 2024, my popcorn kernel was exhibited at the NFT.NYC event. This process made me realize that the project still had great potential, so I began working on it again.

To revitalize the project and take it to the next level, we started developing a meme coin called Popcorn Coin. This coin combines the interesting story of the popcorn kernel with community engagement, using blockchain technology to offer a fresh perspective in the NFT and crypto space.

Thanks.

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