The tokens are partly inspired by the original DASK collection of almost 7,000 computer-generated skeletons introduced in January on the Ethereum blockchain. Holders of the tokens are given access to member perks such as exclusive merchandise and its Discord server. The individuality of each DASK skeleton fits in with Kia’s “Built for Whoever You Are” theme.

NFTs, which act as a certificate of ownership and authenticity of a digital asset, in the past couple of years gained attention as auctions of NFT artwork sold for millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. But as with any collectible, the value of NFTs depends on what people are willing to pay for them. There are signs that the market for NFTs has shrunk amid roaring inflation and economic uncertainty, but the tokens are expected to have continued utility in metaverse environments. NFTs can be used to showcase digital artwork, to sell tickets to online events or to mark ownership of virtual real estate.

Kia’s giveaway of DASK NFTs follows this year’s release of its first NFT, which was based on the Robo Dog from its Super Bowl LVI commercial. The carmaker donated most of the proceeds from the initial sale of those NFTs to the Petfinder Foundation, which helps to find owners for abandoned animals. An additional 10% royalty was built into a smart contract, meaning that whenever the NFT is resold on a secondary market, the foundation receives another donation. The NFT sale helped to extend Kia’s branding efforts following the massive visibility of its Super Bowl commercial, which showed a robot dog escaping an electronics store to chase the driver of an all-electric Kia EV6.

Department store chain Macy’s this month released 10,000 free fireworks NFTs with access to AR wearables that customers can use on select social media and video platforms. Do-it-yourself chain Lowe’s last month released a limited-edition collection of wearable NFTs for users of Decentraland, as part of a bigger digital push. Before that, Bud Light Next released an NFT that gives purchasers access to exclusive perks. These campaigns indicate that brands continue to find applications for NFTs despite the cooling of early hype.